PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pittsfield native Jeannine M. Ryder was promoted to the rank of Air Force brigadier general.

 

Ryder, a graduate of the Pittsfield High School class of 1987, was promoted to the rank of Air Force brigadier general where she will command the 711th Human Performance Wing.  

 

"I am humbled and honored to be provided the opportunity of this promotion and the ability of continued service in the Air Force," Ryder said during her promotion ceremony. "I am fortunate to work with great airmen and medics and care for the most deserving patients in the world."

 

Ryder will command the 711th Human Performance Wing. Its mission is to advance human performance and integration for air, space and cyberspace through research, education, consultation and operational support. The wing operates at seven geographically separate sites overseas with more than 2,000 personnel and manages an annual budget of $300 million.

 

In addition, Ryder will serve as Chief Nurse of the Air Force. In that capacity, Ryder will create and evaluate nursing policies and programs for 19,000 active duty, Guard and Reserve nursing personnel. She will interact with Air Staff, Joint Staff, Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs and civilian health-care organizations.

 

Ryder is the daughter of William and Christine Coan of Pittsfield. She is a graduate of Boston College, class of 1991.

 

She was educated in the Pittsfield Public Schools, where she was a member of the student council, the cross country team, the alpine ski team, the track and field team and the Latin Club.

 

"I am also thankful to my family, Pittsfield and Berkshire County for their longstanding support of me, my family and those who serve," she said during the ceremony. "They provided me a foundation in 'integrity first, excellence in all you do and service before self.' I was raised with the Air Force core values in the forefront of everything."

 

Before her promotion, Ryder promoted the health and well-being of more than 80,000 military and civilian personnel through policy and programs that focused on wellness. She led the implementation of the Air Force Surgeon General's medical policies and programs across the major command and advocated for the work of the Air Force Research Laboratory's 711th Human Performance Wing, ensuring medical professionals were ready to deploy to provide medical care where needed.

 

In addition to her 17 assignments that took her to 10 different bases in the United States, General Ryder was also deployed to Camp Eggers in Kabul, Afghanistan where she served as the executive officer/Aid-de-Camp, Combined Air Power Transition Force and Southwest Asia as Commander, 386th Expeditionary Medical Group.

 

Her major awards and decorations include:

 

Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, bronze star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters and the Air Force Commendation Medal.