Colonel Jennifer A. Block is the Reserve Advisor to the Superintendent at the US Air Force Academy. Before this assignment, she was the Career Field Manager (CFM) for Contracting Reserves and served as the senior Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA) to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Contracting, Headquarters Air Force, Pentagon, Washington DC which leads the development and implementation of complex and agile acquisition strategies and contracting policy. She is also supports the Athletic Department at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs where she is the principal advisor to the Athletic Director ensuring diversity and sexual assault prevention programs and projects are developed in accordance with federal, DoD, Air Force and USAFA guidance, policy, architecture and national standards.
A native of San Antonio, Texas, Colonel Block entered the Air Force after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy in May 1992 with a Bachelor’s degree in Management. As an Air Force contracting officer, she has worked at every level of federal acquisitions and has served staff tours at both major command and Air Staff levels. She provided leadership and management for all contracting activities in US Air Forces in Europe, developed contracting policies and procedures for the entire command and was responsible for operational plans and allocation of resources. She also led the most complex contracting flight in the Air Force, administering over 850 contracts valued at $1.5B. Immediately after September 11th, 2001, she deployed as a contingency contracting officer and built a bare base in Karshi-Khanabad, Uzbekistan in support of the US Special Operations Command. She was awarded a Bronze Star for her support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and recognized as the AF’s Outstanding Contingency Contracting Support in 2002. Col Block is a decorated Air Force Officer, Director, Squadron Commander, Staff Officer, Executive Officer, Operation ENDURING FREEDOM combat veteran and
fully qualified level III contracting officer.
EDUCATION
1992 Bachelor of Science degree in Management, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado
1995 Master’s degree in Contract Management, Air Force Institute of Technology Graduate School of Systems and Logistics, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
1998 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2000 Master’s degree in Organizational Management, George Washington Univ, Washington DC
2003 Air Command and Staff College (correspondence), Air University, Montgomery, Alabama
2005 Intermediate Developmental Education (residence program), Masters of Education in Leadership and Counseling, Colorado Springs, Colorado
2010 Air War College (correspondence), Air University, Montgomery, Alabama
ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 1993 – April 1994, Contracting Officer, 3415th Contracting Squadron, Lowry AFB, CO
2. April 1994 – September 1995, Student, Graduate Contract Management, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
3. September 1995 – June 1997, Contracting Officer, Special Ops Forces (SOF) System Program Office (SPO), WR-ALC, GA
4. June 1997 – December 1997, Executive Officer & Aide de Camp to the Commander, WR-ALC, GA
5. December 1997 – June 1998, C-5 Contract Administrator, C-5 Maintenance Directorate, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, GA
6. July 1998 – May 2000, Air Force Intern Program (Contracting Systems, Deputy Assistant Secretary (Contracting); Compensation, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Military Personnel Policy, Personnel & Readiness), HQ AF, Pentagon, Washington DC
7. July 2000 – Jun 2002, Flight Commander, Civil Engineering Support Flight, USAFE Contracting Squadron, Germany
8. June 2002 – June 2003, Flight Commander, Specialized Flight, USAFE Contracting Squadron, Germany
9. June 2003 – April 2004, Chief, Operations Branch, USAFE, Contracting Directorate, Ramstein AB, Germany
10. May 2004 – May 2005, Intermediate Development Education (residence program), Masters of Education in Leadership and Counseling, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, CO
11. May 2005 – May 2007, Commander, 1st Preparatory Squadron, United States Air Force Academy Prep School, CO
12. May 2007 – May 2009, IMA to 11th CONS/CC, 11th Contracting Squadron, Bolling Air Force Base, Washington DC
13. January 2010 – June 2011, Deputy Director, USAF Admissions Liaison Officer (ALO) Program, South Texas
14. June 2011 – June 2013, Director, USAF Admissions Liaison Officer (ALO) Program, LA
15. June 2013 – June 2014, Regional Director, USAF Admissions Liaison Officer (ALO) Program, Northeast Region, US Air Force Academy, CO
16. June 2014 – Jan 2015, Deputy Chief, USAF Admissions Liaison Officer (ALO) Support Branch, US Air Force Academy, CO
17. Sep 2014 – Oct 2017, Senior IMA and Reserve CFM, HQ AF, Pentagon, Washington DC
18. Jan 2015 – Present, Director of Culture and Climate for the Athletic Department, US Air Force Academy, CO
19. Nov 2017 – Present, USAFA Reserve Advisor to the Superintendent, US Air Force Academy, CO
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Bronze Star
Meritorious Service Medal (4 devices)
AF Organizational Excellence Award
AF Expeditionary Service Ribbon
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
National Defense Service Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
Air Force District of Washington Outstanding Contracting Reservist, 2008
US Air Forces in Europe, Logistics Field Grade Officer of the Year, 2003
Air Force Award Winner for Outstanding Contingency Contracting Support, 2002
US Air Forces in Europe, Contracting Squadron, Supervisor of the Year, 2001
Department of Defense, Electronic Commerce Team of the Year, 1999
Secretary of the Air Force, Integrated Product Team of the Year, 1999
Thesis nominated for NCMA award and published in the NCMA’s Academic Journal, 1995
Armed Forces Women’s Volleyball Team Captain, First Military Olympics, Rome, Italy, 1995
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 27, 1992
First Lieutenant May 27, 1994
Captain May 27, 1996
Major December 1, 2002
Lieutenant Colonel April 1, 2008
Colonel July 1, 2014
(Current as of February 2018)