Lieutenant Colonel Marquay Edmondson currently serves as Commander, 349th Recruiting Squadron at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. A seasoned Intelligence Officer, he has dedicated his career to the U.S. Army and now the U.S. Space Force, building extensive expertise in the intelligence community, theater operations, data science, air defense, and space operations. Throughout his career, Lt Col Edmondson has undertaken multiple deployments to Afghanistan, where he served as a Brigade S2/G2 Advisor on a Security Force Advisory Team. In this capacity, he managed NATO's operational and tactical intelligence support to joint targeting systems and partner nations.
Prior to his fellowship at the Hoover Institution, he held the position of ISR Deputy Director for the Combined Force Space Component Command. Subsequently, he commanded the Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Division for Delta 5/Combined Space Operations Center. In this role, he was responsible for delivering and executing 24/7 ISR, command and control, and planning support for Electronic Warfare, Mission Warning, Space Situational Awareness, and Navigation Warfare operations to global warfighters.
Lt Col Edmondson was commissioned through Army ROTC at North Carolina State University and completed the Air Defense Officer Basic Course at Fort Bliss, TX, in 2004. In 2008, he transitioned to Military Intelligence, successfully graduating from both the Captain’s Career Course and Signals Intelligence in 2010 at Fort Huachuca, AZ. In 2014, he transitioned to the FA34 branch as a Strategic Intelligence Officer. In 2022, Lt Col Edmondson was competitively selected to join the United States Space Force.
EDUCATION
2004 Bachelor of Science degree, Electrical Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C. 2004 Bachelor of Science degree, Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C. 2009 Masters of Science degree, Aeronautical Science, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Daytona, FL 2014 Masters of Science degree, Strategic Intelligence, National Intelligence University, D.C.
2014 IC-DOD Certification, Denial and Deception, National Intelligence University, DIA, Washington, D.C. 2014 Joint and Combined Warfighter School JPME-II, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, VA
2018 PhD in Business Analytics and Decision Sciences, Capitol Technology University (CTU), Laurel, MD 2023 Fundamentals of Orbital Operations Course (FOOC), National Security Space Institute, Peterson SFB 2024 Concepts of Orbital Warfare Course (COWC), National Security Space Institute, Peterson SFB
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2004 – October 2004, Student, Air Defense Officer Basic Course, Fort Bliss, TX
2. October 2004 – February 2006, Platoon Leader, 5-7 ADA Bravo Battery, ADA, Hanau, GE
3. February 2006 – February 2007, Brigade Adjutant, 69th ADA HQ BDE, Wurzburg, GE
4. February 2007 – February 2009, NATO Intelligence Staff Officer, CC Air HQ Ramstein, GE
5. February 2009 – September 2010, Army Captains Career Course/Signals Intel Course, Fort Huachuca, AZ
6. September 2010 – June 2011, Brigade S2, 214th Fires Brigade, Fort Sill, OK
7. June 2011 – April 2012, (Forward Deployed) Brigade S2/G2 Advisor, SFAT, Afghanistan
8. April 2012 – February 2013, 214th Fires Assistant Brigade S2, Fort Sill, OK
9. February 2013 – June 2014, Graduate Student, National Intelligence University, Washington, D.C.
10. September 2014 – November 2014, Student, JCWS JPME-II, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, VA
11. December 2014 – November 2015, Iraq Team Chief, (MARC), DIA, Washington, D.C.
12. November 2015 – April 2016, Deputy Chief of Ops and Plans, (MARC), DIA, Washington, D.C.
13. April 2016 – September 2017, Egypt & Levant C4I Branch Chief, (MARC), DIA, Washington, D.C.
14. October 2017 – May 2019, DIA Instructor, Professional Analyst Career Education (PACE), Academy for Defense Intelligence, Directorate for Analysis, DIA, Washington, D.C.
15. August 2022 – May 2023, CJ2 Deputy Director, Combined Force Space CC, Vandenberg SFB
16. May 2023 – June 2024, ISRD Chief, Delta 5/Combined Space Operations Center, Vandenberg SFB
17. July 2024 – May 2025 (SLE) National Security Affairs Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford Univ., CA
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2019 – January 2022, Branch Chief, Regional Issues Branch, Theater Analysis Division, JIOC-S, U.S. Southern Command, Doral, FL
2. January 2022 - August 2022, Collection Management Division Chief, Collection Management Division, JIOC-S, U.S. Southern Command, Doral FL
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters Joint Service Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two campaign stars Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Meritorious Unit Commendation Award
Army Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Army Service Medal
National Defense Service Medal NATO Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Medal Parachutist Badge
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2023 Guardian Intelligence Award Program (GIAP), Winner for Large Organization of the Year, United States Space Force (USSF)
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant 20040529
First Lieutenant 20051129
Captain 20070701
Major 20140701
Lieutenant Colonel 20210901