Colonel Laurinda Reifsteck

Air Force Chair and Assistant Professor

 

Contact Colonel Reifsteck

Col Laurinda M. Reifsteck is the Air Force Chair and an Assistant Professor assigned to the International Security Studies Department at the Department of Defense’s flagship for irregular warfare studies, the College of International Security Affairs (CISA), National Defense University (NDU), Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.  Col Reifsteck teaches the Strategic Leadership Foundations Course; Introduction to Security Studies; Power, Ideology, and Legitimacy; Strategic Thought; and Strategic Advising in Contemporary Challenges. Col Reifsteck also advises graduate students on thesis development, preparation, and defense.

Col Reifsteck entered the U.S. Air Force in 1999 as a distinguished graduate of Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps and became a Special Agent for OSI.  She has served in a variety of positions as an investigator, staff officer, three command tours, to include the squadron level and a deployed unit in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and vice commander of an Air Force center. Her engagement in criminal investigations and counterintelligence helped culminate 771 investigations, 250 combat operations, and 379 million dollars returned to the U.S. Government.  Col Reifsteck served as the Theater Counterintelligence Collection Authority for North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) Operation Resolute Support in Kabul, Afghanistan, where she was responsible for counterintelligence support to over 21,000 coalition forces.  Col Reifsteck has also served tours as a Political-Military Affairs Strategist at U.S. Pacific Command and U.S. Pacific Air Forces, with a concentration on U.S.-Australian international affairs in the Pacific.  Col Reifsteck also proudly completed Air Command and Staff College’s Embassy Emersion Fellowship in Libreville, Gabon, and Air War College’s advanced studies Grand Strategy Seminar.

EDUCATION

1998      Bachelors of Science, Mechanical Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Distinguished Graduate, Air Force Reserve Officer’s Training Corps

1999      USAF Special Investigations Academy, Andrews AFB, Maryland

2002      Masters of Science, Criminal Justice, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham

2005      Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officers School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama

2012      Masters of Science, Military Operational Art and Science, Distinguished Graduate, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama

2018      Masters of Science, Military Strategic Studies, Grand Strategy Concentration, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama

             

ASSIGNMENTS

  1. February 1999–August 2001, Criminal and Counterintelligence Investigator, OSI Detachment 805, F.E. Warren Air Force Base (AFB), Wyoming
  2. August 2001–December 2002, Student, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham
  3. December 2002–June 2003, Central Systems Fraud Investigator, OSI Detachment 101, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio
  4. June 2003–June 2004, Chief, Central System Fraud, 1st Field Investigations Region, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio
  5. June 2004–December 2004, Team Chief, Strategic Counterintelligence Directorate, Baghdad, Iraq
  6. December 2004–October 2005, Counterintelligence Campaign Officer, 1st Field Investigations Region, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio
  7. October 2005–June 2007, Commander, OSI Detachment 104, Eglin AFB, Florida
  8. August 2007–July 2008, Commander, OSI Expeditionary Detachment 2404, Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan
  9. September 2008–July 2011, Deputy Associate Director, Program Integration, Strategic Programs and Requirements Directorate, Headquarters OSI, Andrews AFB, Maryland
  10. July 2011–July 2012, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
  11. July 2012–January 2014, Political-Military Affairs Strategist, Oceania Desk Officer, PACAF A5I, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
  12. January 2014–August 2014, Political-Military Affairs Strategist, Australia Country Director, USPACOM J53, Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii
  13. August 2014–July 2016, Commander, 8th Field Investigations Squadron, Peterson AFB, Colorado
  14. July 2016–July 2017, Chief, Plans and Programs, 8th Field Investigations Region, Peterson AFB, Colorado
  15. July 2017–June 2018, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
  16. July 2018–May 2019, Associate Director, Mission Assessment Division, OSI ICON Center, Quantico
  17. May 2019–November 2019, Theater Counterintelligence Coordinating Authority (CJ2X), Resolute Support Headquarters, Kabul Afghanistan
  18. November 2019–June 2020, Vice Commander, OSI ICON Center, Quantico
  19. July 2020–Present, Military Instructor and Air Force Chair, College of International Security Affairs, National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS

  1. January 2014–August 2014, Political-Military Affairs Strategist, Australia Country Director, USPACOM J53, Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii
  2. May 2019–November 2019, Theater Counterintelligence Coordinating Authority (CJ2X), Resolute Support Headquarters, Kabul Afghanistan
  3. July 2020–Present, Military Instructor, College of International Security Affairs, National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

  • Defense Meritorious Service Medal, with one oak leaf cluster
  • Meritorious Service Medal, with five oak leaf clusters
  • Joint Service Commendation Medal
  • Air Force Commendation Medal, with two oak leaf clusters
  • Joint Meritorious Unit Award, with one oak leaf cluster
  • Meritorious Unit Award, with three oak leaf clusters
  • Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, with “V” device and two oak leaf clusters
  • Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, with one oak leaf cluster
  • National Defense Service Medal
  • Afghanistan Campaign Medal
  • Iraq Campaign Medal, with two devices
  • Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
  • Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
  • Air Force Overseas Ribbon Short, with one oak leaf cluster
  • Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border
  • Air Force Longevity Service, with four oak leaf clusters
  • Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon, with one device (M11 and M16)
  • Air Force Training Ribbon
  • NATO Medal

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

  • OSI Outstanding Small Detachment of the Year for 1999, 2000, and 2001
  • OSI 8th Field Investigations Region Company Grade Officer of the Year 2000
  • University of Alabama of Birmingham Department of Justice Sciences Outstanding Graduate Student for Academic Year 2001-2002
  • Women in Federal Law Enforcement Outstanding Federal Law Enforcement Employee for 2005 (national-level award)
  • OSI Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award, Company Grade Officer Category, 2006
  • OSI 1st Field Investigative Region Company Grade Officer of the Year 2006
  • OSI 1st Field Investigative Region Outstanding Large Detachment of the Year for 2007
  • HQ OSI Strategic Programs & Requirements Directorate Field Grade Officer of Year for 2009
  • HQ OSI Field Grade Officer of the Year for 2010
  • HQ PACAF/A5I Field Grade Officer of the Year for 2012
  • OSI 8th Field Investigations Region Squadron of the Year for 2014 and 2015

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION

Second Lieutenant             10 Jan 1999

First Lieutenant                  10 Jan 2001

Captain                               10 Jan 2003

Major                                  1 Aug 2008

Lieutenant Colonel             1 Feb 2014

Colonel                               1 Apr 2020

 

(Current as of June 2021)