Episode 10 | Melissa Ringhisen
Lieutenant Colonel Melissa Ringhisen graduated from the United States Military Academy in May 1999 with a Bachelors of Science in International Relations and commissioned into the Military Intelligence Corps. She has served in Army units including: 501st Military Intelligence Brigade in the Republic of Korea; 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, GA; and 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) at Fort Drum, NY. In addition, she has deployed once to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and once to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. While deployed, Lieutenant Colonel Ringhisen provided intelligence support for over 500 missions each in Baghdad and throughout Afghanistan and coordinated all contracting and sustainment for a FOB of 2000 Soldiers located over 20km from the main resupply hub.
In 2007, Lieutenant Colonel Ringhisen was selected to attend the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University prior to assuming a position as an instructor in the Department of Social Sciences at the United States Military Academy. Upon completion of her Masters degree, Lieutenant Colonel Ringhisen taught International Relations and Negotiation and Conflict Resolution at West Point for two years. She also coordinated and supervised the international academic scholarship program for the United States Military Academy which allows cadets to apply for Rhodes, Marshall and other international scholarships. She is currently the first female Chair of the Department of Military Science and Professor of Military Science at Wake Forest University and Winston Salem State University.
Most importantly, Lieutenant Colonel Ringhisen is the mother of Patrick and Trevor Ringhisen.