Colonel Jennifer J. Bocanegra recently graduated from the United States Army War College. She brings more than two decades of operational, strategic, and institutional experience across the Army and joint force.
She began her Army career as an enlisted Soldier, serving six years in Army Combat Camera. During this period, she supported stateside Combat Camera missions at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, as well as overseas missions in Panama. She later earned her commission in 2002 through the ROTC program at Northwestern State University and initially served as an Adjutant General officer before transitioning to Army Public Affairs.
COL Bocanegra is a graduate of the Adjutant General Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Airborne School, the Command and General Staff College, the Defense Information School’s Public Affairs Qualification Course, the Joint Senior Public Affairs Course, and the Joint Special Operations University’s Joint Special Operations Public Affairs Course.
Most recently, she served at I Corps on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, as the Public Affairs Director. Her previous public affairs assignments include Director of Public Affairs for the 1st Cavalry Division; Public Affairs Director for NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan; Public Affairs Plans and Media Relations Officer with U.S. Special Operations Command; Director of Training at the Defense Information School; Training with Industry fellow at FleishmanHillard Global Communications; Public Affairs Officer for the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne); and Public Affairs Plans Officer with the 82nd Airborne Division. She completed three combat tours in Afghanistan as a Public Affairs officer.
As an Adjutant General officer, COL Bocanegra served as a brigade S-1 with the 82nd Sustainment Brigade, strength manager with the 82nd Airborne Division G-1, commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 18th Personnel Support Battalion, and postal platoon leader with the 129th Postal Company. She completed two combat tours in Iraq in these roles.
Her awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal with four oak leaf clusters, and the Afghanistan and Iraq Campaign Medals. She has earned the Parachutist Badge and the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge (Gold). She also holds Accreditation in Public Relations and Military Communications (APR+M) from the Public Relations Society of America.
COL Bocanegra holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Northwestern State University, a Master of Business Administration in Human Resource Management from the University of Phoenix, a Master of Professional Studies in Public Relations and Corporate Communication from Georgetown University, and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College.
COL Bocanegra is married to Army Master Sgt. (Ret.) Julio Bocanegra and they have two daughters.