Colonel MELISSA A. STONE Col. Melissa Stone is the Deputy Commander, Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber), Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. Col. Stone is responsible for the operations of more than 44,000 personnel conducting worldwide operations. Sixteenth Air Force Airmen deliver multisource intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance products, applications, capabilities and resources. The Sixteenth Air Force includes the 9th Reconnaissance Wing, 55th Wing, 67th Cyberspace Wing, 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing, 319th RW, 363rd ISRW, 480th ISRW, 688th CW, Air Force Technical Applications Center and all U.S. Air Force cryptologic operations. Col. Stone received her commission through the United States Air Force Academy in May of 1998. A career Intelligence Officer, she has held operational assignments in signals intelligence, information operations and analysis, in addition to assignments in education and training. She has also served in various congressional affairs roles, deployed in support of several operations, and served as Assistant Director of Operations for the White House Situation Room within the National Security Council. Previous to this assignment, Col. Stone served as the Chief, Senate Liaison Office, Legislative Liaison, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force. Here she managed Department of the Air Force engagements with members of the U.S. Senate and their staffs in support of Air Force and Space programs and advised senior department leaders on congressional engagements. EDUCATION 1998 Bachelor of Science, Behavioral Sciences, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo., Distinguished Graduate 1999 Master of Science in Engineering Psychology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign 2003 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala., Distinguished Graduate 2007 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence 2008 Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership, University of Phoenix, Phoenix, Ariz. 2010 Air Force Legislative Fellowship, Washington, D.C. 2010 Certificate, Legislative Studies, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. 2011 Air War College, by correspondence 2016 Master of Strategic Studies, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., Highest Academic Distinction 2018 Air Force Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 2021 Air Force Leading Strategically Program, Center for Creative Leadership, virtual ASSIGNMENTS 1.May 1998-May 1999, Graduate Student, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Ill. 2.June 1999–June 2000, Student, Intelligence Officer Course, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Distinguished Graduate 3.June 2000–June 2002, Flight Commander/Chief, Joint Section, 301st Intelligence Squadron, Misawa AFB, Japan 4.June 2002–December 2003, Chief, Exercise Element, 39th Information Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla. 5.December 2003–June 2005, Chief, Adversary Air Element, 547th Intelligence Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev. 6.June 2005–June 2007, Flight Commander, Distributed Common Ground System FTU, 17th Training Support Squadron, Goodfellow AFB, Texas 7.June 2007–June 2009, Senior Duty Officer/Assistant Director of Operations, White House Situation Room, National Security Council, The White House, Washington, D.C. 8.June 2009–December 2010, Defense Legislative Fellow, Office of Congressman Jeff Fortenberry, United States House of Representatives, Washington D.C. 9.December 2010–June 2011, Congressional Affairs Officer, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Washington D.C. 10.June 2011–September 2012, Legislative Liaison, Headquarters United States Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo. 11.September 2012–May 2013, Chief, Analysis and Applications Division and Special Programs Integration Division, Directorate of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Headquarters, United States Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo. 12.May 2013–June 2015, Commander, 35th Intelligence Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas 13.June 2015–May 2016, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., Highest Academic Distinction 14.May 2016–May 2017, Director of Staff, LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 15.May 2017–May 2019, Vice Commander, 42d Air Base Wing, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 16.May 2019–June 2021, Commander, 363d ISR Wing, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va. 17.June 2021–June 2022, Chief, Senate Liaison Office, Legislative Liaison, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. 18.June 2022–present, Deputy Commander, Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber), Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters Defense Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters Joint Service Commendation Medal Joint Service Achievement Medal Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster Air Force Achievement Medal EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION Second Lieutenant May 27, 1998 First Lieutenant May 27, 2000 Captain May 27, 2002 Major Oct. 1, 2007 Lieutenant Colonel Dec. 1, 2011 Colonel May 1, 2017 (Current as of June 2022)