Colonel Jeffrey A. Blankenship

Colonel Jeffrey A. Blankenship is the Deputy Commander, 688th Cyberspace Wing, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.  The Wing is comprised of more than 3,300 Airmen across four groups with 26 units at 15 locations worldwide. Colonel Blankenship ensures the readiness and employment of Airmen to engineer, build, operate, secure, defend and extend classified and unclassified networks through the employment of four cyberspace weapon systems and various engineering and expeditionary capabilities. He delivers resilient and integrated cyber infrastructure in garrison and deployed environments, directing the training, mobilization and deployment of Airmen, communications and computer systems to enable the combat effectiveness of combatant commanders, joint task forces and Air Force component headquarters contingency operations.
 
Colonel Blankenship was commissioned in 2000 from the ROTC program at Texas A&M University.  He has served in a variety of assignments at the Wing and below level, culminating in command of the 18th Communications Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan, twice earning Best Large Cyber Operations Unit in the Air Force.  Additionally, he served on major command, Air Force, and Combatant Command staffs and deployed in support of Operations IRAQI FREEDOM, ENDURING FREEDOM, Joint Task Force Horn of Africa, and Joint Task Force Bravo. Prior to this assignment, Colonel Blankenship was the Director, Legislative Affairs, United States Cyber Command.
 
EDUCATION
2000  Bachelor of Science degree, Industrial Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
2000  Basic Communications and Information Officer Training, Keesler AFB, MS
2007  Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2010  Master of Science degree, Project Management, University of Management and Technology, Arlington, VA
2011  Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2013  Master of Arts degree, Security Studies, Defense Decision Making and Planning, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey CA
2013  Cyber 300, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
2013  Air War College, by correspondence
2015  Cyber 400, National Defense University, Ft. McNair, Washington, DC
2018  Master of Arts degree, National Security Studies, National War College, National Defense University, Ft. McNair, Washington, DC
2018  Cyber Security Leadership Certificate, College of Information and Cyberspace, National Defense University, Ft. McNair, Washington, DC
2019  Chief Information Security Officer Certificate, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
 
ASSIGNMENTS                                                           
1.  August 2000 – December 2000, Student, Basic Communications Officer Course, Kessler AFB, MS.
2.  December 2000 – December 2002, Officer In Charge, Plans and Mobility; Officer In Charge, Resources; and Deputy Commander, Telecommunication Systems Flight, 86th Communications Group, Ramstein AB, Germany. 
3.  January 2003 – February 2005, Crew Commander, Network Operations and Security Center, 868th Communications Squadron, Scott AFB, IL, 868th Communications Squadron, Scott AFB, IL. 
4.  February 2005 – November 2005, Flight Commander, Information Systems Flight, 868th Communications Squadron, Scott AFB, IL. 
5.  November 2005 – November 2006, Executive Officer, 56th Operations Group, Luke AFB, AZ.
6.  December 2006 – July 2007, Section Commander, 56th Operations Group, Luke AFB, AZ.
7.  July 2007 – January 2009, Executive Officer, 56th Fighter Wing, Luke AFB, AZ.
8.  January 2009 – November 2009, Chief, Unmanned Aerial Systems Communications Requirements Branch, Directorate of Requirements, Langley AFB, VA.
9.  November 2009 – December 2011, Legislative Liaison Team Lead and Special Action Officer to COMACC, HQ Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, VA. 
10. January 2012 – March 2013, Student, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA
11. June 2013 – May 2015, Commander, 18th Communications Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan.
12. June 2015 – July 2017, Special Assistant for Senior Officer Matters, Office of Information Dominance and Chief Information Officer, Pentagon, Washington DC
13. August 2017 – June 2018, Student, National War College, National Defense University, Ft. McNair, Washington, DC.
14. July 2018 – March 2019, Chief, Plans Branch, Directorate of Plans and Policy, United States Cyber Command, Ft. George Meade, MD.
15. April 2019 – July 2020, Director, Legislative Affairs, US Cyber Command, Ft. George Meade, MD.
16. July 2020 – Present, Deputy Commander, 688th Cyberspace Wing, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, TX.
 

MILITARY AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Defense Superior Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal
Army Achievement Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal with bronze star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
 
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant August 24, 2000
First Lieutenant August 24, 2002
Captain August 24, 2004
Major July 1, 2010
Lieutenant Colonel December 1, 2013
Colonel February 1, 2020

(Current as of August 2020)