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Home : About Us : Our Leadership : Leadership view

Col. Jeffrey Bishop

Col. Jeff Bishop is Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff for the Missouri National Guard. He oversees Air and Army Headquarters staff activities, ensuring 12,000 Missouri National Guard members have the resources and training they need to fulfill their dual Federal and State missions.

Col. Bishop enlisted in 1995 and was commissioned in 2000 through Officer Training School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. After serving on active duty for 12 years as a public affairs journeyman and officer (PAO), he joined the Missouri National Guard in 2013 following a seven-year break in service. He served at the wing as a PAO, director of staff, and logistics readiness squadron commander. He has also led at the major command, Air National Guard Readiness Center, and Missouri Joint Force Headquarters organizational levels. He is a veteran of Operations SOUTHERN WATCH, ENDURING FREEDOM, and UNIFIED ASSISTANCE, and has supported multiple state emergency duty responses in Missouri, including civil unrest in Ferguson and St. Louis, and historic state-wide flooding in 2016.

Prior to his current position, Col. Bishop served as Director of the Strategic Plans and Exercises Division (J5/7), where his joint staff authored the Missouri National Guard’s multi-year Joint Strategic Plan and branch and exercise plans to ensure readiness for state emergency or Defense Support of Civil Authorities activations. He also oversaw Missouri’s State Partnership Program with Panama. In his civilian occupation, Col. Bishop is a Geospatial Intelligence Officer for the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency in St. Louis, Missouri.

EDUCATION
1995 Air Force Basic Military Training, Lackland Air Force Base (AFB), Texas
1996 Basic Journalist Course, DINFOS, Fort Meade, Maryland
1998 Bachelor of Science in English and Communication, Phillip’s University, Enid, Oklahoma
2000 Air Force Officer Accessioning and Training School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2002 Public Affairs Officer Qualification Course, DINFOS, Fort Meade, Maryland
2005 Squadron Officer School (Primary Developmental Education), Air University (AU), Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2007 Master of Mass Communication and Media Studies, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
2019 Master of Operational Art and Science (Intermediate Developmental Education), AU, Maxwell AFB, Alabama (correspondence)
2020 Logistics Readiness Officer Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2023 Air War College (Senior Developmental Education), AU, Maxwell AFB, Alabama (correspondence)
2024 Research Fellow, National Intelligence University, Bethesda, Maryland

ASSIGNMENTS
1. March 1996 – January 1999, Photojournalist and Editor, Airscoop, 71st Flying Training Wing, Vance AFB, Oklahoma
2. January 1999 – July 2000, Assistant Editor, Air Force Print News, Air Force News Agency, Kelly Field, Texas (March – May 2000, Editor, Southern Watch, 320th Air Expeditionary Group, Eskan Village, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)
3. October 2000 – April 2002, Deputy Public Affairs Chief, 18th Wing, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan ASSIGNMENTS, CONTINUED
4. April 2002 – October 2003, Executive Officer, 18th Mission Support Group, Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan (October – December 2002, Public Affairs Chief, 363rd Air Expeditionary Wing, Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)
5. October 2003 – July 2006, Deputy Public Affairs Plans Division Chief, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Illinois (January 2005, Public Affairs Officer, Air Mobility Command, U’Tapao Air Base, Thailand)
6. July 2013 – August 2018, Public Affairs Chief, 131st Bomb Wing, Whiteman AFB, Missouri (May 2017, Public Affairs Chief, Bomber Task Force, Fairford Air Base, England)
7. August 2018 – October 2019, Director of Staff, 131st Bomb Wing, Whiteman AFB, Missouri
8. October 2019 – September 2022, Commander, 131st Logistics Readiness Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Missouri
9. September 2022 – September 2023, Executive Officer, Manpower, Personnel, Recruiting, and Services (NGB/A1), Air National Guard Readiness Center, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland
10. September 2023 – December 2024, Director, Strategic Plans and Exercises (J5/7), Missouri National Guard Joint Force Headquarters, Ike Skelton Training Site, Missouri
11. December 2024 – Present, Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff and Director of Staff-Air, Missouri National Guard Joint Force Headquarters, Ike Skelton Training Site, Missouri

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 2023 – December 2024, Director, Strategic Plans and Exercises (J5/7), Missouri National Guard Joint Force Headquarters, Ike Skelton Training Site, Missouri, as a lieutenant colonel

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Army Achievement Medal
Missouri Commendation Ribbon
Missouri State Emergency Duty Ribbon with three bronze stars

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2001 Distinguished Graduate, Public Affairs Officer Qualification Course
2004 Air Mobility Command Headquarters Public Affairs Company Grade Officer of the Year
2005 Air Mobility Command Headquarters Public Affairs Company Grade Officer of the Year
2013 St. Louis Federal Executive Board Professional Team Award
2013 Accredited in Public Relations (Universal Accreditation Board)
2017 131st Bomb Wing Outstanding Airman of the Year, Field Grade Category

OCCUPATIONAL BADGES
Public Affairs (Master)
Logistics Readiness Officer (Basic)

PUBLICATIONS
- “The DoD and an Independent Press: The Pentagon's Attempt to Set the Media Agenda for Operation Iraqi Freedom” paper presented to the 10th Annual International Public Relations Research Conference (IPRRC), March 2007
- “Predicting Excellence Among Air Force Public Affairs Officers” paper presented to the 11th Annual IPRRC, March 2008
- Fear Naught Tales: Spooky Stories to Read and Tell, April 2018
- “Effective Command Information: Driving Airman Morale and Readiness” Air Command and Staff College Online Master’s Degree Program graduate thesis, March 2019
- “Benchmarking Best Practices: A Means to Improve Analytic Rigor?” Research Short, National Intelligence Press, May 2024 PUBLICATIONS, CONTINUED
- “IRTPA at 20: The Legacy and Future of the 2004 Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act in the Genesis of the IC Analytic Tradecraft Standards,” American Intelligence Journal, National Military Intelligence Foundation, Publication expected Winter 2025
- Improving Analytic Rigor and Excellence: Benchmarking the Best Practices of the IC Analytic Tradecraft Standards, National Intelligence Press, Bethesda, Maryland, Publication expected Spring 2025

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Lifetime Member, Missouri National Guard Association
Lifetime Member, National Guard Association of the United States

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant September 29, 2000
First Lieutenant September 29, 2002
Captain September 29, 2004
Major October 1, 2015
Lieutenant Colonel December 6, 2019
Colonel January 1, 2025

(Current as of January 2025)