From a young age, Jaimie dreamed of serving in the military. She realized that dream, was a brilliant and committed officer, and was respected and beloved by those with whom she served.
Jaimie grew up in Warwick, N.Y., and graduated from Warwick Valley High School in 1992. After attending Marion Military Institute on a merit-based scholarship, she entered United States Military Academy at West Point, commissioning in 1997 as a Military Intelligence Officer. Selected for the highly competitive, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Office of the Secretary of Defense Intern Program, Jaimie earned her M.A. in Public Policy from Georgetown University in 2007.
She served in Bosnia Herzegovina; South Korea; Germany; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; the Pentagon; Fort Drum, N.Y., and multiple deployments, including three combat tours – one in Iraq and two in Afghanistan. Her exemplary and selfless service to her country yielded many awards.
Jaimie was recognized with the following Awards and Decorations:
- 3 Bronze Star Medals
- Purple Heart
- 3 Meritorious Service Medals
- Joint Service Commendation Medal
- 3 Army Commendation Medals
- National Defense Service Medal
- Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
- Kosovo Campaign Medal with Bronze with Bronze Service Star
- Afghanistan Campaign Medal with 3 Bronze Service Stars
- Iraq Campaign Medal with 2 Bronze Service Stars
- Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
- Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
- Korean Defense Service Medal
- Army Service Ribbon
- Overseas Service Ribbon with Numeral 5
- 2 North Atlantic Treaty Organization Medals
- Combat Action Badge/Basic Parachutist Badge
- Basic/Army Staff Identification Badge
- Overseas Service Bar 5
- Knowlton Award for excellence as an intelligence professional
- Valorous Unit Award
- Meritorious Unit Commendation
Unfortunately, she also had the distinction of being the highest ranking woman killed in action in US history.
She was a true inspiration and a consummate soldier dedicated to her work, family, and friends – and she will be profoundly missed.