BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Col. Marc K. Rathmann handed control of Headquarters Individual Reservist Readiness and Integration Organization, Detachment 3, to Col. Jennifer B. McGonigle, April 22.
Rathmann retired, May 1, after 25 years of service to the Air Force.
“Col. Rathmann was a tremendous asset to the RIO team. He will be sorely missed as he has retired from the Air Force, but we wish him well as he returns to the cockpit at United,” said Col. Carolyn A. Stickell, the HQ RIO commander.
McGonigle comes to HQ RIO from North American Aerospace Defense Command-U.S. Northern Command, where she served as the Individual Mobilization Augmentee to the Director of Intelligence. In that role, she advised leadership on joint reserve matters and led a 54-member joint reserve unit.
After spending the past 12 years of her career as an IMA, McGonigle is very familiar with the unique needs of the Individual Reservist. She was commissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Corps after graduation from George Mason University in 1997. She served on active duty for seven years and acquired two AFSCs before transitioning to the Air Force Reserve and the intelligence career field in 2004.
During her time in the Reserve, McGonigle has served in a variety of intelligence positions to include flight command, director of operations, and division chief at an air operations center and numbered air force. She deployed in 2012 to the United Arab Emirates as a wing senior intelligence officer, where she provided intelligence support to six squadrons with eleven distinct airframes. In addition to supporting the units to which she was assigned, she has also supported Operations Norther Watch, Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom.
“We are really excited to welcome Col. McGonigle to the HQ RIO team! She comes to us with exceptional leadership skills, 12 years of experience as an IMA, and an incredibly positive spirit,” said Stickell. “I know she will serve the Det 3 IMAs well!"
“I'm thrilled to be the Commander of RIO Det 3,” said McGonigle. “It is an honor and privilege to lead an organization that provides support to both the IMAs and active component.”