Brigadier General Jennifer Buckner, deputy commander, Joint Task Force-ARES, United States Cyber Command, Fort Meade, Md., has been promoted to director of Cyber, G-3/5/7, United States Army, Washington, District of Columbia. Buckner is a native of Downers Grove, Ill., Her military education includes the Military Intelligence Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Electronic Warfare and Signals Intelligence courses, Airborne and Jumpmaster schools, Air Assault and Rappelmaster schools, Command and General Staff College, and Joint and Combined Warfighting School. She holds two graduate degrees, served as the U.S. Army War College Cyber Fellow at the National Security Agency, and most recently completed Harvard's Executive Education Program in Cybersecurity.
Buckner is a career intelligence officer. She has had numerous assignments in the 82nd Airborne Division, including collection and jamming platoon leader, battalion S-3 air, battalion S-4, and company commander. At Fort Bragg, North Carolina, she also served as the S-2 for 159th Combat Aviation Group, in the 18th Aviation Brigade (Airborne). She has served overseas in Korea, as TENCAP officer with the 501st Military Intelligence Brigade, and in Puerto Rico, as U.S. Army South's analysis and production chief and later secretary of the General Staff. After a tour in the Pentagon as Executive Assistant to the Army G-2, she commanded the 303rd Military Intelligence Battalion, 504th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, at Fort Hood, Texas, and in Iraq.
Her awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (Five Oak Leaf Clusters), Joint Service Commendation Medal (Oak Leaf Cluster), Army Commendation Medal (Oak Leaf Cluster), Army Achievement Medal (Oak Leaf Cluster), Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service and Expeditionary Medals, Korea Defense Service Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Army Staff and Joint Staff Identification Badges, Master Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, and Australian and Honduran Jump Wings. Buckner is a collegiate All-American swimmer, former All-Army triathlete, and now aspiring sommelier.