Rachel A. McCaffrey, a Defense Intelligence Senior Leader, is the Senior Technical Advisor, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Operations, Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Cyber Effects Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Virginia. She serves as the Senior Technical Advisor on Operations for organic Air Force ISR capabilities, including capability development, and planning and programming, for the HQ USAF Deputy Chief of Staff for ISR and Cyber Effects Operations and the Director of ISR Operations. She provides in-depth, technical subject matter expertise on U.S. and foreign partner ISR capabilities and advises USAF leadership on the full spectrum of intelligence operations and capabilities related to offensive and defensive operations. She also provides expert advice on tasking, collection, processing, exploitation, and dissemination (TCPED) systems and architectures, current and planned, which are necessary for understanding and defeating adversary air forces and delivering joint force advantage.
Ms. McCaffrey graduated from the University of Notre Dame and received her Air Force commission in May 1988. She held positions of increasing responsibility in ISR Operations and Resourcing culminating in Chief of the Intelligence Division (A2), Allied Air Component, North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Panel Chair for Command and Control and Global Integrated ISR. Prior to assuming her current position, she worked to build a more resilient defense industrial base as the Executive Director of Women In Defense and the Senior Vice President for Membership and Chapters for the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA).
EDUCATION
1988 Bachelor of Arts in English, University of Notre Dame
1989 Fundamentals of Intelligence Course and Intelligence Officer Application Course, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Distinguished Graduate
1994 Master of Arts in English, University of Maryland at College Park
1994 Intelligence Weapons Instructor Course, United States Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev., Outstanding Academic Award
1996 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala., Distinguished Graduate
1999 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2002 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., Distinguished Graduate
2002 Master of Military Studies, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2006 Air War College, by correspondence
2010 Master of Strategic Studies, US Army Ware College, Carlisle Barracks, PA
CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. February 1989–September 1989, Student, Goodfellow Air Force Base, San Angelo, Texas
2. September 1989–September 1991, Chief, Operational Intelligence Branch, Dyess AFB, Texas
3. September 1991–July 1994, Collection Management Officer, Defense Special Missile and Astronautics Center, Fort George G. Meade, Md.
4. July 1994–December 1994, Student, USAF Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
5. January 1995–December 1996, Chief, Intelligence Training Section and Chief, Operations Intelligence section, Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea
6. January 1996–March 1996, Student, Squadron Officers School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
7. March 1996–January 1999, Chief, Personnel Intelligence Training Section, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
8. January 1999–July 2001, Chief, Intelligence Inspections Branch, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces Inspector General, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
9. July 2001–June 2002, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
10. July 2002–September 2002, Student, Joint Officer Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
11. October 2002–January 2004, Assistant Deputy Director for Intelligence, National Military Joint Intelligence Center, Joint Staff Directorate for Intelligence, Crisis Management Alert Center Division (JS J2M-3), the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
12. January 2004–July 2004, Chief, Future Operations, Iraq Survey Group, Camp Slayer, Baghdad, Iraq
13. July 2004–February 2006, Joint Staff Strategic Intelligence Operations Planning Officer, Joint Staff Directorate for Intelligence, Intelligence Campaign Planning Division (JS J2-ICP), the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
14. March 2006–July 2007, Deputy Chief, Resources Division, Directorate for Intelligence, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.
15. August 2007–July 2009, Commander, 9th Intelligence Squadron, Beale AFB, Calif.
16. July 2009–June 2010, Student, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
17. July 2010–June 2013, Division Chief, Intelligence Division (A2), Allied Air Component, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Ramstein AB, Germany
18. June 2013–August 2017, Division Chief, Command and Control (C2) and Global Integrated Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (GIISR), Directorate of Strategic Plans, Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategic Plans & Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
19. November 2017–May 2024, Executive Director, Women In Defense and Senior Vice President, Membership and Chapters, National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA), Arlington, Va.
20. June 2024–present, Senior Technical Advisor, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Operations, Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Cyber Effects Operations, HAF, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
MAJOR PERSONAL AWARDS & DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Air Force Meritorious Service Medal
Defense Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Outstanding Unit Award with “V” Device
(Current as of August 2024)