Colonel Riordan-Smith is the commander of the 23d Mission Support Group at Moody AFB, Ga. She leads a group of more than 1,450 military and civilian members providing support and services to a population of 28,000 active duty, retired military and family members. Her group maintains an installation with more than 830 buildings and more than 17,500 acres, including an adjacent bombing or strafing range. She is responsible for ensuring the readiness of support forces to mobilize and deploy to build, secure, and sustain air base operations at austere bare base locations anywhere in the world.
The 23d Mission Support Group also retains responsibility for civil engineering, fire protection, environmental compliance, disaster preparedness response, security forces, airfield navigational systems, communications-computer systems, contracting, transportation, supply, food service, housing, recreation, family and community support programs, personnel, manpower, education and training.
Col. Riordan-Smith entered the Air Force in May 1994 upon graduation from Villanova University and completion of the Reserve Officer Training Corps program. As a career civil engineer, she has a diverse background, serving as a design engineer, maintenance engineer, programmer, environmental chief, readiness officer, and operations chief. Her previous experience includes headquarters tours at the Air Force Secretariat, Air Staff and Major Command levels. She commanded the 45th Civil Engineer Squadron, 45th Space Wing, Patrick AFB, Florida where she led 647 military, civilian and contractors in the execution of operations, maintenance, housing, environmental, emergency response, protection, planning and construction for over $8.6B in real property mission assets at Patrick AFB, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and eastern space launch range locations. She has deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base as the chief of programming in support of Operations NORTHERN and SOUTHERN WATCH, as subject matter expert regarding Air Base facilities during the Center of Army Lessons Learned study in support of both Operations IRAQI FREEDOM and ENDURING FREEDOM, Balad AB, Iraq as the chief of engineering in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM and Kabul Afghanistan as the AFCENT engineer to the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command and the Air Expeditionary Task Force in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and RESOLUTE SUPPORT.
Col Riordan-Smith is married to Scott T. Smith of Tiffin, Ohio. They have two children: a daughter, Margaret, and a son, Ryan.
SERVICE HISTORY:
May 94 – Jun 97 Chief of SABER; Maintenance Engineer, Travis AFB, CA
Jun 97 – Mar 99 AMC Dorm Program Manager; AMC Facility Development Program Manager, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, IL
Apr 99 – May 00 Chief of Plans and Programs, Osan AB, Korea
May 00 – Jul 02 Chief of Maintenance Engineering, Aviano, AB, Italy
Aug 02 – Jun 05 Environmental Program Manager; Readiness Program Manager, Civil Engineer Directorate, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, VA
Jul 05 – Jun 07 Chief of Operations, Beale AFB, CA
Jul 07 – Jun 08 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell, AFB, AL
Jul 08 – Jul 09 Facility Energy Program Director, Civil Engineer Directorate, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, VA
Jul 09 – Jul 11 Director of Installation Programs; Executive Officer for Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Installations) , Secretariat of the Air Force, Pentagon, VA
Jul 11-Jul 13 Commander, 45 Civil Engineer Squadron, Patrick AFB, FL
Jul 13 – Mar 14 Division Chief, Enterprise Procurement; Air Force Civil Engineer Center, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas
Nov 14 – Jun 16 Deputy Director, Environmental Management Directorate; Air Force Civil Engineer Center, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas
Jun 16 – Present Commander, 23d Mission Support Group, Moody AFB, Ga.
EDUCATION:
1994 Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering, Villanova University
1998 Squadron Officer School
2002 Masters of Arts and Sciences, Public Policy, Georgetown University
2008 Masters of Arts and Sciences, Operational Military Art, Air Force Air University
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
Bronze Star
Meritorious Service Medal with seven oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor Device and 3 oak leaf clusters
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS:
USAFE Company Grade Officer of the Year, Dec 01
Member of the Air Force Civil Engineering Squadron of the Year, 2001
AFSPC Outstanding CE Large Unit, 2011
AFSPC Maj Gen Dean Fox Award, CE Senior Military Manager, 2011
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:
Second Lieutenant 09 Jun 94
First Lieutenant 09 Jun 96
Captain 09 Jun 98
Major 01 Nov 04
Lieutenant Colonel 01 Oct 09
Colonel 01 Jan 16