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Celebrating women's history: spotlight on Lt. Col. Jenya Rhone

By Tracy B. LyngeMarch 25, 2024

7th Signal Command (Theater) is proud to commemorate Women’s History Month by profiling Lt. Col. Jenya Rhone, Battalion Commander, 302d Signal Battalion, 21st Signal Brigade. As Battalion Commander, LTC Rhone plays a critical role in 7th Signal Command’s mission of executing theater-level DODIN operations and providing the CONUS digital infrastructure required by National Leaders, the Joint Force, and the Army for data-driven operations and decision making.

The 302d Signal Battalion, headquartered at Ft. Detrick, Maryland, operates, maintains, and defends Department of Defense Information Network (DoDIN) systems and facilities in support of the President, Secretary of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staffs, Warfighting Combatant Commanders, and other Federal Agencies; and extends network and mission command capabilities to the Warfighter.

Unlike many Soldiers who come from military families, LTC Rhone had little connection to the military growing up—one uncle served as a senior non-commissioned officer in the Army and another as a chief petty officer in the Navy. Then in her freshman year of high school, her mother signed her up for her Ft. Lauderdale, Florida magnet school’s Air Force ROTC program.

“I was sick when it came time to register for courses,” LTC Rhone explained, “and my mom felt that [ROTC] was aligned with my character—wanting to be part of a team, wanting to be part of an organization with traditions, acquiring skills and experience, and using them with purpose.”

The next year, LTC Rhone switched high schools to one that only offered Army ROTC, and decided then to make the Army her career. She graduated from Florida A&M University and commissioned in 2004 as a Signal officer. She also holds a Master of Arts in Information Technology Management from Webster University, and a Master of Arts in International Relations from Troy University.

LTC Rhone has had a distinguished Army career, including a deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and two in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. She has served as the U.S. Army Forces Command G-6 operations officer at Fort Liberty, NC; the U.S Forces Korea J-6 Joint Network Operations Branch Chief and J-6 Executive Officer; and Brigade S-6 for the 66th Military Intelligence Brigade in Germany. Her most recent assignment was as the Army Data Division Deputy in the HQDA Management Office-Strategic Operations G-3/5/7.

Lt. Col. Jenya Rhone, Battalion Commander, 302d Signal Battalion, 21st Signal Brigade, 7th Signal Command (Theater)
Lt. Col. Jenya Rhone, Battalion Commander, 302d Signal Battalion, 21st Signal Brigade, 7th Signal Command (Theater) (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

As a woman in a largely male organization and career field, LTC Rhone has challenged certain assumptions; for example, that she isn’t as physically capable, or as technically competent. “Once we get to know each other, those assumptions are proven false,” she said. “Showing that you are competent allows you to build trust among your peers, subordinates, and leadership, regardless of gender.”

Trust among colleagues is the foundation of LTC Rhone’s personal leadership philosophy. “You may be the smartest person in the room, but if people in the room don’t trust you, that will hinder your leadership of the organization,” she explained.

When asked what her message to female ROTC students today would be, LTC Rhone did not hesitate to respond, “The Army provides discipline and shows you how to hone those skills that you’re not even aware you have…One of the greatest things you can take away from joining the Army is the individual coaching and development.”

She then added, “I had a male supervisor who sat me down once and said, you can have a family and you can serve at the highest levels in the Army. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t do both.”