Lieutenant Colonel PATRISHA J.Z. KNIGHT

Lt. Col. Patrisha J.Z. Knight serves as the Commander, 347th Recruiting Squadron, Oak Creek, Wisconsin. She oversees a team of approximately 102 active-duty and 11 civilian personnel. Lieutenant Colonel Knight directs and operates the Air Force and Space Force recruiting activities of nine enlisted accession flights covering an 89,000-square-mile area that includes Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

Lieutenant Colonel Knight, who hails from Iowa, commissioned in 2004 through the ROTC program at Colorado State University where she studied Business Marketing. During her career, she has served in a variety of positions in support of a multitude of Air Force, Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, and Space Force missions. Lieutenant Colonel Knight deployed in 2007 to the Combat Intelligence Center, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing (AEW), Balad AB, Iraq in support of F-16, A-10, MQ-1 Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) combat missions.

Prior to her current assignment, Lieutenant Colonel Knight served as Chief, Advanced Concepts and Prototyping Branch, GEOINT Ground System Program Office, Ground Enterprise Directorate, National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), Chantilly, VA. She was responsible for leading a 15-member team in the development of space-based Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), Command and Control (C2), and imagery processing prototypes. Lieutenant Colonel Knight was further responsible for the coordination of advanced imagery satellite requirements and capabilities with Combatant Commands, Military Services, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), DNI staff, and Congress.

EDUCATION
2004 Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing, Colorado State University
2005 Intelligence Officer Course, Goodfellow AFB, Texas
2005 Aerospace Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2009 Officer Space 100 Training
2011 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2012 Master of Art degree in Global Security/Intelligence Studies, American Military
2017 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence

ACCREDITATIONS
2010 Program Management Level 1
2011 Program Management Level 2

ASSIGNMENTS
June 2004 - February 2005, Student, Intelligence Officer Course, 315th Training Squadron, Goodfellow AFB, Texas
April 2005 – April 2006, Chief, Intelligence Readiness and Training, 8th Operations Support Squadron, Kunsan AB, Republic of Korea
April 2006 – April 2007, Chief, Intelligence Readiness and Training, 48th Operations Support Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, England
May 2007 – September 2007, Shift OIC, Combat Intelligence Center, Balad Air Base, Iraq
September 2007 – April 2008, Executive Officer, 48th Operations Support Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, England
April 2008 – February 2009, Space C2 Applications Manager, 850th Electronic Systems Group, Peterson AFB, Colo.
February 2009 – February 2010, Branch Chief, Sensor Site Communication Upgrade, 850th Electronic Systems Group, Peterson AFB, Colo.
February 2010 – March 2012, Program Manager, COCOM Integrated C2 Systems Vertical Development & Sustainment, 850th Electronic Systems Group, Peterson AFB, Colo.
April 2012 – November 2013, Assistant Chief, Next-Generation Spacelift, Directorate of Development Planning, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
November 2013 – November 2014, Program Manager, Hosted Payload Mission Design, Advanced Systems and Development Directorate, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
November 2014 – April 2016, Chief, Commander’s Action Group, Advanced Systems and Development Directorate, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
April 2016 – November 2017, Deputy Program Manager, Activity-based Intelligence Tools & Services, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Springfield, Va.
November 2017 – July 2019, Program Manager, GEOINT DCGS & Coalition Interoperability SPO, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Springfield, Va.
July 2019 – June 2021, Chief, Advanced Concepts and Prototyping Branch, Ground Enterprise Directorate, National Reconnaissance Office, Chantilly, Va.
June 2021 – Present, Commander, 347th Recruiting Squadron, Oak Creek, Wis.

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Meritorious Service Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 2, 2004
First Lieutenant June 2, 2006
Captain June 2, 2008
Major October 1, 2014
Lieutenant Colonel April 1, 2019

(Current as of August 2021)