COLONEL VANESSA J. DORNHOEFER

COLONEL VANESSA J. DORNHOEFER

Col. Vanessa J. Dornhoefer is the Mobilization Assistant to the Director, Legislative Liaison, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. The directorate is the liaison between the Air Force and Congress on all programs, air and space weapons systems and issues such as legislative and constituent inquiries. Colonel Dornhoefer collaborates directly with the House of Representatives and Senate to ensure full authorization of the Air Force's $145 billion annual budget. She also prepares the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force for engagements and testimonies on Capitol Hill.

Col. Dornhoefer earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia and received her commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps.  She has served in various command, operational and staff assignments, supporting several major commands, the Joint Staff, and the Air Staff including duties as a Flight Line Maintenance Officer, Tanker Airlift Control Element Commander, Instructor, Legislative Liaison, Commander, Foreign Policy Advisor and Senior Logistics Advisor.  During her career, Col. Dornhoefer has also served in many operations to include Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Resolute Support and Presidential support in Africa and India.  

In her civilian capacity, Col. Dornhoefer specializes in working with international non-governmental organizations and US Civil Affairs personnel conducting training and research on ‘best practices’ of civil-military cooperation.

EDUCATION
1995 Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo.
2002 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2004 Master of Arts in International and Intercultural Management, School for International Training, Brattleboro, Vt.
2007 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2010 Master of Science in National Resource Strategy, Industrial College of the Armed Forces (Eisenhower School), Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington D.C.
2014 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Senior Officer Policy Course, NATO School, Oberammergau, Germany
2017 Interagency Logistics Course, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Frederick, Md.
2017 Advanced Program in Logistics and Technology (LOGTECH), UNC-Chapel Hill, N.C. 

ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 1995 – February 1996, Flight Line Maintenance Officer, 305th Aircraft Generation Squadron, McGuire AFB, N.J.
2. February 1996 – September 1997, Assistant Flight Commander, Red Sortie Generation Flight, McGuire AFB, N.J.
3. September 1997 – August 1999, Maintenance Flight Commander, 721st Air Mobility Squadron, McGuire AFB, N.J. 
4. August 1999 – August 2000, Tanker Airlift Control Element Commander/Executive Officer, 721st Air Mobility Squadron, McGuire AFB, N.J. 
5. August 2000 – October 2004, Airlift Control Flight Operations Officer, 439th Airlift Control Flight, Westover ARB, Mass.
6. October 2004 – July 2006, Deputy Course Director/Instructor, Mobility Operations School, Air Mobility Warfare Center, Fort Dix, N.J.
7. July 2006 – November 2010, Individual Mobilization Augmentee to the Director, Policy Integration, Office of the Air Force Reserve, Headquarters US Air Force, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
8. November 2010 – August 2013, Commander, 25th Aerial Port Squadron, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 
9. August 2013 – February 2016, Assistant Deputy Foreign Policy Advisor, Headquarters, US European Command, Stuttgart, Germany
10. February 2016 – March 2017, Division Chief, Joint Logistics Operations Center, Directorate of Logistics, J-4 Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington D.C.  
11. March 2017 – January 2018, Senior Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA) to Director of Logistics, Headquarters US Air Force, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
12. January 2018 – January 2019, Mobilization Assistant to the Director of Logistics, Engineering, and Force Protection, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
13. April 2018 – October 2018, CJ4 Deputy Chief of Logistics and Chief of Plans, Headquarters, Resolute Support, Kabul, Afghanistan
14. January 2019 – present, Mobilization Assistant to the Director, Legislative Liaison, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 2013 – February 2016, Assistant Deputy Foreign Policy Advisor, Headquarters, US European Command, Stuttgart, Germany, as a colonel 
2. February 2016 – March 2017, Division Chief, Joint Logistics Operations Center, Directorate of Logistics, J-4 Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington D.C., as a colonel 
3. April 2018 – October 2018, CJ4 Deputy Chief of Logistics and Chief of Plans, Headquarters, Resolute Support, Kabul, Afghanistan, as a colonel 

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Bronze Star
Defense Meritorious Service Medal 
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
National Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal 
Small Arms and Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
NATO Medal 

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant, Aug 24, 1995
First Lieutenant, Aug 24, 1997
Captain, Aug 24, 1999
Major, Aug 24, 2003
Lieutenant Colonel Aug 24, 2008
Colonel, Aug 6, 2013 

(Current as of January 2019)