Col. Janette L. Thode is the Mobilization Assistant to the Director of Plans, Programs and Requirements Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio Randolph, Texas. She assists the director in the planning and programming of a 7.6 billion dollars annual budget which supports 60,000 personnel who recruit, train and educate U.S. Air Force Airmen and international partners across 22 installations. She also supports the development of AETC’s inputs to the Program Objective Memorandum, leads AETC Strategic Planning, and manages flying training and technical training operational capability requirements.
Col. Thode was commissioned in 1995 as a ROTC distinguished graduate from University of Miami, Florida, serving the regular Air Force as a B-1 weapons systems officer, instructor, and evaluator. She transitioned to the Air Force Reserve in 2005 where she served in a variety of staff and command assignments at the wing and Headquarters Air Force. She is a senior navigator with more than 1,700 B-1 hours and multiple deployments in support of Operations ALLIED FORCE, IRAQI FREEDOM, and ENDURING FREEDOM. Prior to her current assignment, she was the 459th Air Refueling Wing Vice Commander at Joint Base Andrews, M.D.
EDUCATION
1995 Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, University of Miami, Miami, Fla. 2001 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2002 USAF Weapons School, B-1 Weapons Instructor Course, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
2008 Air Command and Staff College, by seminar, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2015 Masters of Arts in Management and Leadership, Liberty University, Lynchburg, Va. 2016 Air War College, by correspondence, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2017 Reserve Component National Security Course, National Defense University, Ft. McNair, Washington, D.C. 2019 Leading Strategically, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2019 Joint Combined Warfare School – Hybrid, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va. 2021 Nuclear 400, Air Force Institute of Technology, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
2021 Nuclear Policy, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June1995 - April 1996, Student, Navigator Training, Randolph AFB, Texas
2. April 1996 - April 1997, Student, Navigator Training, NAS Pensacola, Fla.
3. April 1997 - November 1997, Student, B-1 Initial Qualification Training, Dyess AFB, Texas
4. November 1997 - September 2003, Chief, Mission Planning/Assistant Chief, Standardization Evaluation/Wing Electronic Warfare Officer/Flight Commander, Weapons and Tactics, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
5. September 2003 - December 2005, Flight Commander, B-1 Information Systems, 337th Test and Evaluation Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
6. December 2005 - September 2006, Executive Officer, 96th Flying Training Squadron, Laughlin AFB, Texas
7. September 2006 - November 2013, Chief, Operations Group Tactics/Assistant Director of Operations/ Operations Officer/ Wing Inspector General, 916th Air Refueling Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
8. December 2013 - July 2015, Inspector General, 340th Flying Training Group, Joint Base San Antonio Randolph, Texas
9. July 2015 - October 2017, Commander, 433d Training Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio Lackland, Texas
10. Oct. 2017 - January 2019, Deputy Commander, 340th Flying Training Group, Joint Base San Antonio Randolph, Texas
11. Jan. 2019 - May 2020, Acting Chief of Strategic Assessments Division, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
12. May 2020 - May 2022, Vice Wing Commander, 459th Air Refueling Wing, Joint Base Andrews, M.D.
13. June 2022 - Present, Mobilization Assistant to the Director, Plans Programs, and Requirements, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio Randolph, Texas
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Senior navigator Flight Hours: More than 1,700 Aircraft flown: B-1, T-43, T-38
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters Air Medal with oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with silver and bronze oak leaf cluster Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Kosovo Campaign Medal with bronze star Afghanistan Campaign Medal with bronze star Iraq Campaign Medal with bronze star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Korean Defense Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster NATO Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2012 Lieutenant General John P. Flynn Award, Best Inspector General Complaints Resolution Program, AFRC 2015 Reserve Officer Association Outstanding Non-Flying Unit Award
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 31, 1995
First Lieutenant May 31, 1997
Captain May 31, 1999
Major Oct. 1, 2005
Lieutenant Colonel Aug. 15, 2012
Colonel Sept. 27, 2017
(Current as of June 2022)