Brigadier General Rachel E. Humphrey commissioned in 1995 as a Regular Army Aviation Officer upon graduation from Northeast Missouri State University in Kirksville, Missouri. After completing flight school and the Officer Basic Course at Ft. Rucker, Alabama, she was assigned to 6th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky serving as the Maintenance Company Executive Officer, Platoon Leader and Battalion S2.
In 1999, she deployed from Ft. Campbell to Camp Doha, Kuwait as the Aviation Detachment Commander, along with aircraft, flight crews and maintenance personnel in support of Operation Southern Watch. In late 2000, she was assigned to 1st Battalion, 228th Aviation Regiment at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, serving as the Battalion Flight Operations Officer and Battalion S-1, where she participated in various counter-drug and humanitarian assistance missions. Her next assignments were as the Deputy Chief of Staff and Secretary of the General Staff (SGS) to the Commanding General, US Army Combined Arms Center and TRADOC Deputy Commander at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas.
Leaving active duty at the end of 2003, she joined the Army Reserve in 2004 and was assigned as the S-1 and S-3 of 11th Battalion, 6th Brigade (Professional Development) in Independence, Missouri. In 2007, she transferred and served as the Brigade S-3 of 800th Logistics Support Brigade in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma then transferred to the 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) in 2009 and deployed with them to Iraq in 2010 as the Support Operations (SPO) Munitions and Maintenance OIC. She served three years as the Battalion Commander of 2nd Battalion 290th Regiment under First Army, and later served as the Command Inspector General (CIG) of the 4th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary).
After completion of the Army War College in 2018, she assumed command of the 1190th Transportation Surface Brigade in Baton Rouge, LA, responsible for mission command of single port managers throughout the Gulf Coast in support of the Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC). After two years of command, she was selected as the Chief of Staff at the 316th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) in Coraopolis, PA. She then served as the Chief of Plans and Transition for the Federal COVID-19 Response Countermeasures Acceleration Group (formerly Operation Warp Speed) in Washington, D.C., accelerating and supporting the development, manufacturing and distribution of vaccines and therapeutics to the Nation and international community. She then served as the Deputy Commander of the Army Reserve Sustainment Command in Birmingham, AL, prior to taking command of the Deployment Support Command. After a short stint as the 80th Training Command Deputy Commanding General, she was tapped for the same position at the 377th Theater Sustainment Command.
BG Humphrey’s military education includes the Aviation Officer Basic Course, Aviation Officer Advanced Course, Combined Arms and Services Staff School (CAS3), Command and General Staff College Intermediate Level Education (ILE) and resident Army War College. She holds a Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice from Northeast Missouri State University and a Masters degree in Strategic Studies from the Army War College. Her decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Humanitarian Assistance Medal, and Reserve Component Overseas Training Medal. Her badges include the Army Aviator Badge, Combat Action Badge, Parachutist Badge, and Air Assault Badge.