Col. Christopher S. Ratcliff enlisted in the Missouri Army National Guard in 1991 as a combat engineer. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army, Corps of Engineers on 13 September 1997. 

He currently serves as the Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff, Missouri National Guard.

His previous assignments include: Director of Logistics, Joint Forces Headquarters, Missouri National Guard; Brigade Commander, 70^th Troop Command; Deputy J6, Joint Forces Headquarters, Missouri Army National Guard; Deputy G4, Joint Forces Headquarters, Missouri Army National Guard; Battalion Commander, 1140^th Engineer Battalion; Administrative Officer, 140^th Regiment, Missouri Army National Guard Regional Training Institute; 35^th Engineer Brigade S3; Mobilization Readiness Officer, Joint Forces Headquarters, Missouri Army National Guard; G4 Resource Management Officer, Joint Forces Headquarters, Missouri Army National Guard; Plans Officer, 35^th Engineer Brigade; Training Officer, 35^th Engineer Brigade; S4, 35^th Engineer Brigade; S3, 1140^th Engineer Battalion; S1, 1140^th Engineer Battalion; Administrative Officer, 1140^th Engineer Battalion; Commander, Company C, 1140^th Engineer Battalion; Platoon Leader Company A, 1140^th Engineer Battalion, Platoon Leader Company C, 1140^th Engineer Battalion.

Col. Ratcliff’s operational assignments include deployments as the S3, 35^th Engineer Brigade in support of Operation Spartan Shield; Commander, Company C, 1140^th Engineer Battalion in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II.

Col. Ratcliff has a Master Degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, a Master of Arts in Management and Leadership from Liberty University, and a Bachelor of Science from Southeast Missouri State University. His military education includes Senior Service College, Army Command and General Staff College, Engineer Officer Advanced Course, Engineer Officer Basic Course.

Col. Ratcliff’s awards, decorations and badges include: Legion of Merit , Meritorious Service Medal (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Commendation Medal (with 1 Silver Oak Leaf Cluster and 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Achievement Medal , Joint Meritorious Unit Award , Army Meritorious Unit Commendation (With Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster), and the Bronze Order of the deFleury Medal.