Brigadier General Buckner is a native of Downers Grove, Illinois, and graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1990. Her military education includes the Military Intelligence Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Electronic Warfare and Signals Intelligence courses, Airborne and Jumpmaster schools, Air Assault and Rappelmaster schools, Command and General Staff College, and Joint and Combined Warfighting School. She holds two graduate degrees, served as the U.S. Army War College Cyber Fellow at the National Security Agency, and most recently completed Harvard’s Executive Education Program in Cybersecurity.
General Buckner is a career intelligence officer. She has had numerous assignments in the 82nd Airborne Division, including collection and jamming platoon leader, battalion S-3 air, battalion S-4, and company commander. At Fort Bragg, North Carolina, she also served as the S-2 for 159th Combat Aviation Group, in the 18th Aviation Brigade (Airborne). She has served overseas in Korea, as TENCAP officer with the 501st Military Intelligence Brigade, and in Puerto Rico, as U.S. Army South’s analysis and production chief and later secretary of the General Staff. After a tour in the Pentagon as Executive Assistant to the Army G-2, she commanded the 303rd Military Intelligence Battalion, 504th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, at Fort Hood, Texas, and in Iraq.General Buckner’s joint assignments include Joint Force Component Command – Network Warfare and later U.S. Cyber Command as an operational planner, Joint Interagency Task Force West in Iraq as an intelligence planner; and the Joint Chiefs of Staff as an intelligence planner supporting the Director of Strategic Plans and Policy (J-5).General Buckner returned to Fort Gordon, having previously served as the S-3 of the 206th Military Intelligence Battalion and Operations (J-3) Chief of Staff at National Security Agency – Georgia. She joins the Cyber Center of Excellence as the U.S. Army Cyber School Commandant, having just relinquished command of the 780th Military Intelligence Brigade, which included the Army’s operational cyber teams supporting U.S. Cyber Command’s Cyber National Mission Force and Joint Force Headquarters – Cyber.General Buckner’s awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (Five Oak Leaf Clusters), Joint Service Commendation Medal (Oak Leaf Cluster), Army Commendation Medal (Oak Leaf Cluster), Army Achievement Medal (Oak Leaf Cluster), Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service and Expeditionary Medals, Korea Defense Service Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Army Staff and Joint Staff Identification Badges, Master Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, and Australian and Honduran Jump Wings.General Buckner is a collegiate All-American swimmer, former All-Army triathlete, and now aspiring sommelier. She’s a cool aunt to two hockey-playing nephews and enjoys all-things-Chicago, particularly the Bears, Blackhawks, hot dogs, and pizza.
