Col. Jeffrey Paine, Commander, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Leonard Wood

Col. Jeff Paine graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1996 and was commissioned as an Armor officer.  Following completion of the Armor Officer Basic Course and Ranger school, he assumed duties as a Tank Platoon Leader in the 1st Battalion, 12th U.S. Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas.  From 1997 through June 2000, he served as a Tank Platoon Leader, Battalion Support Platoon Leader, and Battalion Logistics Officer (S4) and deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of Operation Joint Forge in 1999.

Paine attended the Armor Captains Career Course at Fort Knox, Kentucky in 2000 and then was reassigned to Schweinfurt, Germany, and the 1st Infantry Division.  While assigned to the Division’s Cavalry Squadron, the 1st Squadron, 4th U.S. Cavalry (“Quarterhorse”), he served as an Assistant Operations Officer, Cavalry Troop Commander, and Headquarters Troop Commander, including deploying to Salah-ah-Din province, Iraq, as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom 2 in 2004 and 2005. 

Upon redeployment in 2005, Paine was accepted into the Eisenhower Leader Development Program at West Point and attended Columbia University in preparation for duties as a Company Tactical Officer.  Paine served as a Tactical Officer and the Brigade Executive Officer while at West Point.  In 2009, Paine attended the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Following CGSC in 2010, Paine was assigned as the Battalion Operations Officer (S3) for 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.  In 2011, the Brigade deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan, where he served as the TF Talon (2-8 IN) Executive Officer.  Upon redeployment in May 2012, Paine assumed duties as the 4th Infantry Division Chief of Operations, where he managed current operations, including Immediate Response and Defense Support to Civil Authorities aid responses to the Black Forest Wild Fires and Colorado flooding in 2013.

In June 2014, Paine assumed command of the 1st Squadron, 16th U.S. Cavalry, at Ft Benning, Georgia.  The Squadron provided critical combat vehicles and training support to the Maneuver Center of Excellence, the Armor School, and the Infantry School.  Upon completion of Squadron Command in June 2016, Paine attended the National War College at Fort McNair, Washington, D.C., graduating with the NWC Class of 2017.  From June 2017 through June 2020, Paine has served as the Director, Joint Staff Special Access Programs Central Office.

Paine has earned a Bachelor’s of Science from the United States Military Academy in Aerospace Engineering (1996), a Master of Arts in Organization Psychology and Leader Development from Columbia University (2006), and a Master of Science in National Security Strategies from the National War College (2017).  His military awards and decorations include the Combat Action Badge, Ranger Tab, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Joint Staff Identification Badge, and the Bronze Star Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster).