COL Irene M. Zoppi was born and raised in Canovanas, Puerto Rico. She began her military career as a Private First Class (1985) in Military Police Corps, Ft. McClellan, AL with the following assignments: 301st Military Police Battalion, Bayamon, PR; and 390th Transportation Battalion, Roosevelt Roads Naval Station, Ceiba, PR. Simultaneously, she was accepted in the Coastal Marine Biology Program at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) and the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) in the Humacao Campus; but graduated from UPR-Rio Piedras Campus with a Bachelor Degree of Arts in Modern Languages; and completed her ROTC program as a Distinguished Military Student and Distinguished Military Graduate. She was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in Military Intelligence Corps in the U.S. Army (RA) (1988). Additionally, she is Branch qualified in: Military Intelligence, Civil Affairs, and Public Affairs. COL Zoppi is recipient of the Military Intelligence Excellence Knowlton Award (2013).
Currently, COL Zoppi is the Deputy Commander, 1st Mission Support Command, Ft. Buchanan, PR.
Her past assignments include, but are not limited to: Chief of Staff, 1st Mission Support Command, Ft. Buchanan, PR; Group/Brigade Commander, Strategic Intelligence Group, Bolling AFB, Washington, DC; Battalion Commander, 203rd Military Intelligence Battalion (TECH), Aberdeen, MD; Assistant J2, Chief Intelligence Officer, Joint Task Force, National Command Region, NORTHCOM, Ft. McNair, Washington, DC; Battalion Commander, 11th Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 104th Division (Leadership Development), Ft. Belvior, VA; Small Group Leader-5K Certified Instructor, 10th Battalion (Command General Staff College Intermediate Learning Education), 3rd Brigade, 104th Division (Leadership Development), Sparks, MD; Central Region Officer in Charge, Assistant Professor of Military Science, 8th Brigade (Senior Reserve Officer Training Course), 80th Division (InstitutionalTraining), Charlottesville, VA; Assistant Professor of Military Science, 8th Brigade (Senior Reserve Officer Training Course), 80th Division (Institutional Training), Charlottesville, VA; Chief, Counterintelligence, 5115th Theater Support Unit, Fort Meade, MD; Public Affairs Officer, 5115th Garrison Support Unit, Ft. Meade, MD; G3/Y2K Current Situation/Global Assistant, Department of Defense, Washington, DC; Assistant Dislocated Civilian/Public Affairs Officer, 352nd Civil Affairs Command, Riverdale, MD; Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer (G3), 352nd Civil Affairs Command, Riverdale, MD; Assistant Policy Officer, G1, 352nd Civil Affairs Command, Riverdale, MD; Company Commander, F Company, 317th Regiment, 80th Division (Institutional Training), Alexandria, VA; Battalion S4/Property Book Officer, Counterintelligence Security Battalion, Ft. Meade, MD; Battalion S4, Counterintelligence Security Battalion, Ft. Meade, MD; S3 Plans, Readiness, and Training Officer, Counterintelligence Security Battalion, Ft. Meade, MD; Assistant S3, Counterintelligence Security Battalion, Ft. Meade, MD; Assistant G2, 902d Military Intelligence Group, Ft. Meade, MD; Battalion S2, 143rd Signal Battalion, Frankfurt, Germany; Special Security Officer G2, 3rd Armored Division (Spearhead), Southeast Asia, Iraq, Kuwait Gulf War; Special Security Officer G2, 3rd Armored Division (Spearhead), Frankfurt, Germany.Her military education includes, but is not limited to: Advanced Joint Professional Education (2013); Military Intelligence Command Course (2013); U.S. Army War College, Master Degree in Strategic Studies (2012); Homeland Security Planners Course (2011); Brigade/Battalion Pre-Command Course (2009); MBTI Instructor Certification Course (2007); 5k US Army Instructor Certification Course (2006); Small Group Instruction Training Certification Course (2006); Command & General Staff Officer Course (2004); Public Affairs Course (2000); Combined Arms Staff Service Course (1998); Civil Affairs Advanced Course (1996); Military Intelligence Officer Basic Course (1990); Paratrooper/AirborneCourse(1987);USArmy Basic Training(95B10MP)(1986).Additionally, COL Zoppi holds a Doctorate in Philosophy, Education Policy, Planning, and Administration from the University of Maryland (GPA 3.80) (2004); Leadership Certificate from Harvard Business School (2009); a MBA (2000)/Master of Science in Business, Marketing, from Johns Hopkins University (GPA 3.79) (1995); and Bachelor of Arts in Modern Languages: Italian, French, and German from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, PR Honors (GPA 3.11) (1988).As a civilian, she is serving as an Instructor of the Department of Defense; Adjunct Professor for Strayer University; and is a visiting Adjunct Professor for Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC), Fort Benning, GA. Her passion is teaching and serving as a mentor including motivational speaking, community outreach and service. She is a former Adjunct Professor from various higher education institutions such as: College of Notre Dame, Strayer University, Bowie State University, and Research Associate for the Maryland Institute of Minority Achievement and Urban Education, University of Maryland, College Park; and Howard University. Additionally, she was selected into two international academic honorary societies, Phi Kappa Phi and Kappa Delta Pi. Furthermore, COL Zoppi serves as a Commissioner for the State of Maryland in: (1) Commission on the Establishment of Women in the Military Service Monument, and (2) Maryland Workforce Corporation Board. In addition, COL Zoppi is a member of the Daughters of American Revolution, #845972, with ancestry to former President Abraham Lincoln.COL awards and decorations include: Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal (7), Army Achievement Medal, Reserve Component Achievement Medal (2), National Defense Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal (with 3 bronze stars), Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon (2 award), Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), Kuwait Liberation Medal (Government of Kuwait), and U.S. Army Parachutist Badge. Her civilian awards, certifications, and decorations include but are not limited to: the Faculty of Excellence Award, Strayer University, 120th Commencement, Baltimore, MD (2012); Top 100 Women, Baltimore, MD (2009); Kentucky Colonel, Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels (2000).
