LTC Jill Rahon is the Deputy Director of Operations for the Nuclear Science and Engineering Research Center (NSERC) at West Point, NY. She graduated from the United States Military Academy in 2006 with Bachelor of Science Degree in Strategic History. She earned a Master of Science Degree in Nuclear Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2016. Jill was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division “Screaming Eagles” after commissioning and graduating Army flight school. She served as a platoon leader, logistics officer, mission planner, and twice as a company commander. While in these roles she also worked through aviation ranks as a mission pilot, aircraft commander, and mission commander, flying over 1000 hours of combat missions and spending over three years deployed to Afghanistan. During this time she earned three Air Medals, a Bronze Star and the U.S. Army Soldier’s Medal for heroism. After graduate school, Jill became an instructor in the Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering at USMA, attaining the rank of Assistant Professor. In her current job with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, she partners the service academies and ROTC programs with research and development agencies to conduct Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction research. Jill’s current research involves space radiation effects on electronics and radiation protection. She is active in education research and STEM field outreach in area schools. She is married to Captain Eric Palmatier, a LC-130 Navigator in the NY Air National Guard.