Brig. Gen. Jeannine M. Ryder is the Commander, 59th Medical Wing and Market Director, San Antonio Military Health System, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas and Chief, Air Force Nurse Corps. She commands the Air Force Medical Service’s largest healthcare, medical education and readiness platform comprised of six groups with a staff of 8,400 personnel executing a $317 million budget, the wing provides 900,000 clinic visits, 18,000 surgical procedures and greater than 300 worldwide deployments annually. The 59th MDW staff at Brooke Army Medical Center supports 1.4 million patient visits and 25,000 admissions per year.
As the Director for the San Antonio Military Health System, Brig. Gen. Ryder directs and manages the overall operations and resources of an integrated, joint-service health system with a collective operating budget of $1.2 billion to provide high quality, safe and reliable health care to more than 255,000 local beneficiaries.
As Chief Nurse of the Air Force, the general creates and evaluates policies and programs for 19,000 active-duty, Guard and Reserve nursing personnel. She interacts with Air Staff, Joint Staff, Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs and civilian health care organizations to ensure the highest caliber of nursing care and personnel.
Brig. Gen. Ryder is a 1991 graduate of Boston College where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. She has commanded at the flight, squadron, and group level in both deployed and in-garrison environments. Prior to her current assignment, Brig. Gen. Ryder was Commander, 711th Human Performance Wing.
EDUCATION
1991 Bachelor of Science, Nursing, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Mass.
1997 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1998 Master of Science, Human Relations (concentration Human Resources), University of Oklahoma, Norman
2005 Master of Arts and Science, Military Operations, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2012 Master of Science, Strategic Studies, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1991–January 1992, Nurse Intern Program, Concentration in Obstetrics, Langley Air Force Base, Va.
2. February 1992–February 1995, Clinical Nurse, Obstetrical Unit, 36th Medical Group, Bitburg Air Base and 52nd Medical Group, Spangdahlem AB, Germany
3. March 1995–September 1996, Clinical Nurse, Obstetrical Unit, 55th Medical Operations Squadron, Offutt AFB, Neb.
4. September 1996–July 1998, Deputy Commander, Education and Training Flight, 55th Medical Support Squadron, Offutt AFB, Neb.
5. July 1998–December 1999, Director, Education and Training, 78th MG, Robins AFB, Ga.
6. December 1999–July 2001, Deputy Director, Human Resources, 78th MG, Robins AFB, Ga.
7. July 2001–May 2003, Nurse Manager, Primary Care Team, 436th Medical Operations Squadron, Dover AFB, Del.
8. June 2003– July 2004, Pediatric Flight Commander, 436th MOS, Dover AFB, Del.
9. August 2004–June 2005, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
10. May 2005–June 2006, Deputy Director, Communication Studies Course I, Leadership Department, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
11. June 2006–July 2007, Executive Officer to the Commandant, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
12. July 2007–October 2008, Maternal-Child Flight Commander, 81st Inpatient Operations Squadron, Keesler AFB, Miss. (Deployed March–September 2008 Executive Officer and Aide-de-Camp, Combined Air Power Transition Force, Camp Eggers, Kabul, Afghanistan)
13. October 2008–June 2009, Deputy Commander, 81st Inpatient Operations Squadron and Deputy Chief Nurse Executive, Keesler AFB, Miss.
14. June 2009–June 2011, Commander, 75th MOS, Hill AFB, Utah
15. July 2011–June 2012, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
16. July 2012–May 2013, Chief, Strategic Medical Plans Division, Air Force Medical Service Agency Defense Health Headquarters, Falls Church, Va.
17. June 2013–June 2014, Commander, 386th Expeditionary Medical Group, Southwest Asia
18. July 2014–June 2016, Commander, 72nd Medical Group, Tinker AFB, Okla.
19. June 2016–June 2018, Commander 81st MG, Keesler AFB, Miss.
20. July 2018–August 2020, Command Surgeon, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
21. August 2020–April 2021, Commander, 711th Human Performance Wing, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio and Chief, Air Force Nurse Corps
22. April 2021–present, Commander, 59th Medical Wing and Market Director, San Antonio Military Health System, JB San Antonio-Lackland, Texas and Chief, Air Force Nurse Corps
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service medal with silver oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal
CURRENT NATIONAL CERTIFICATION
Nurse Executive
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 17, 1991
First Lieutenant June 17, 1993
Captain June 17, 1995
Major October 1, 2003
Lieutenant Colonel Oct. 1, 2008
Colonel July 1, 2012
Brigadier General Aug. 2, 2020
(Current as of June 2021)