Jennifer Smith-Heys

Colonel Jennifer Smith-Heys, PhD, is a senior U.S. Army intelligence officer with extensive experience across Army, joint, and interagency assignments. She specializes in analysis, collection management, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) systems, joint targeting, and geospatial intelligence.

She has also contributed significantly to teaching and curriculum development, serving as an Instructor and Course Developer at the U.S. Army Military Intelligence Officer Basic Course (MIOBC), an Assistant Professor at the National Intelligence University (NIU), and as General Michael V. Hayden’s Teaching Assistant at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University (GMU).

Jennifer earned her PhD in Public Policy at GMU, where her research centers on intelligence oversight and reform. Her dissertation, A Roadmap to Reform: Building a Theory of Commissions, received both the 2025 Joseph L. Fisher Public Policy Award from GMU and the Bobby R. Inman Award from the University of Texas at Austin.

COL Smith-Heys’ assignments include:

2025-Present – Deputy Chief, Center for Defense Collection Management, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Washington, DC

2022-2024 – Chief, Policy and Strategy, George. C. Marshall Center for European Security Studies, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

2022-2022 – Chief of Intelligence Analysis (J22), US Forces Korea (USFK), and Deputy C22, Combined Forces Command, Pyeongtaek, South Korea

2019-2020 – US Army War College Fellow at the Center for Security and International Cooperation (CISAC) at Stanford University

2018-2019 – Deputy Director for Intelligence, Joint Staff J2, National Military Command Center (NMCC), Pentagon, VA

2016-2018 – Assistant Professor, Collections and Analysis Department, School of Strategic Intelligence, National Intelligence University, Washington DC

2012-2013 - Deputy Military Executive to the Director, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), Springfield, VA

2011-2012 - Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) Collection Manager, International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) Joint Command (IJC), Kabul, Afghanistan

2009-2001 - Airborne Operations Division Chief, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) Representative at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Washington, DC

2007-2009 - Chief, I Corps/Overseas Continental United States (OCONUS) Branch, US Army Human Resources Command (HRC), Alexandria, VA

2004-2006 - Company Commander, U.S. Army Akron-Canton Recruiting Company, Canton, OH

2002-2004 - Instructor and Course Developer, US Army Military Intelligence Basic Officer Course and 35C Geospatial Officer Training, US Army Intelligence Center of Excellence, Fort Huachuca, AZ

2001-2003 - Company Commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Support Company, 306th Military Intelligence Battalion, Fort Huachuca, AZ

1997-2000 – Company Executive Officer, Company Commander, and Targeting Officer, 513th Military Intelligence Brigade, Fort Gordon, GA

1989-1993 - Russian Electronic Warfare/Signals Intelligence Voice Interceptor, Field Station Kunia, Schofield Barracks, HI and Fort Huachuca, AZ

Her awards and decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. Throughout her career, she has been recognized as Instructor of the Year, Soldier of the Year, and received the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s (NGA) Woman of the Year award.