Originally from Alden, New York, COL Jeff Strauss is a Distinguished Military Graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in Construction Science. He is also a graduate of the Officer Basic Course, Captains Career Course, and Command and General Staff College. In addition to his formal military education COL Strauss holds Master’s Degrees in National Security and Resource Strategy from The Dwight D. Eisenhower School and in Cybersecurity from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County along with Program Management Professional certification. As a Transportation Corps officer, COL Strauss’ first assignment was with the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Polk, Louisiana where he served as a Platoon Leader, Troop Executive Officer, Squadron S1, and Regimental Support Operations Officer including deployment in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Upon graduation form the Combined Logistics Captains Career Course COL Strauss was assigned to the 589th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Fires Brigade, 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) where he held staff positions as the Brigade Supply and Services Officer and Battalion S-1 before assuming command of Alpha Company for 28 months to include a second combat deployment to Baghdad, Iraq as part of OIF 05-07. Later, COL Strauss transitioned to the Acquisition Corps and the US Army Operational Test Command where he conducted numerous operational assessments in support of rapid fielding initiatives for counter-IED robotics and deployed to Afghanistan with the Forward Operational Assessment Team. Other Acquisition assignments include Assistant Product Manager roles for the Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance Aircraft in direct support of Task Force ODIN with Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare, and Sensors and Assistant Product Manager for the Command Post Computing Environment (CP CE) for the Program Executive Office Command, Control, and Communications-Tactical. COL Strauss also served as the Senior Acquisition Advisor in the Survivability Evaluation Directorate, US Army Evaluation Center focusing on live fire and cyber survivability testing. COL Strauss was the Joint Product Manager for Reconnaissance and Platform Integration (RP&I) in the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense and was recognized as the 2020 Army Acquisition Executive’s Excellence in Leadership Award winner for Product Management/Product Director Office Professional of the Year (O5 Level). His most recent assignment was as, Military Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Mission Capabilities in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. COL Strauss currently serves as the Military Deputy for Acquisitions at the Defense Information Systems Agency. COL Strauss’ awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, three Bronze Star Medals, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, six Meritorious Service Medals, the Army Commendation Medal, two Army Achievement Medals, the Combat Action Badge, the Parachutist Badge, and numerous unit, service, and campaign awards from service in Iraq and Afghanistan. COL Strauss was among the 2013 Team C4ISR Top 10 Employee of the Year. COL Strauss has also been inducted in to the prestigious military regimental Orders of the Dragon (Chemical), St. Michael’s (Aviation), St. Barbra’s (Field Artillery), and St. Christopher’s (Transportation).