Col. Jennifer N. Bailey
Director of Staff - Indiana Air National Guard
Colonel Jennifer N. Bailey is the Indiana Air National Guard Director of Staff, Joint Forces Headquarters, Indianapolis. She is also a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner, who was the previous Full-Time Medical Provider at the 181st Medical Group, 181st Intelligence Wing, Terre Haute, Indiana. She managed MDG physicians, administered physical assessments and offered preventative medical services. She emphasized occupational and deployment health, along with risk prevention to maintain a medically prepared force. She meticulously assessed medical documentation, ensuring conditions and medications aligned with Air Force regulations. She reviewed line-of-duty, medical leave, MEDCON, Form 469 restrictions and created waiver packages for MAJCOM review.
Col. Bailey enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1992, serving as an Information Manager until 2000. After that she completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and began a rewarding career as a labor and delivery nurse. She then went on to further her education and completed her Master of Science in Nursing in 2007, and gained certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner. In 2011, she returned to the Air Force and obtained a direct commission in the Nursing Corp. Since that time, she has progressed to the rank of colonel and continued her education by obtaining her Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree with a focus in Public Health and Homeland Security in Aug 2018.
Col. Bailey is board certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and holds additional certifications in Basic Life Support- Healthcare Provider and Pediatric Advanced Life-Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support. She is a member of the Purdue University Honor Society and Sigma Theta Tau nursing honor society. She is also a member of the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS) and National Guard Association of Indiana (NGAI).
Col. Bailey has a long history of leadership roles. In the civilian sector she held the role of Nurse Practitioner Team Leader, supervising 12 Nurse Practitioners in 3 separate office locations. She went on to become Clinical Manager for a large Ob-Gyn Office, leading over 75 clinical staff. Col. Bailey held the role as Chief Nurse at the 122nd Medical Group for more than four years, responsible for all nursing and medic activities.
In 2023, Col. Bailey was named Mission OIC of the Year by NGB for her role as IRT Mission Commander for a large-scale joint mission. At the 181st, she is an integral part of the resilience team, serving as SGH (Chief of Medical Staff), in addition to Full-Time Provider responsibilities. As the only military Ob-Gyn provider, she provided care for over 470 local women during the joint Operation AFRICAN LION 21. In 2025, she was selected as 1 of 12 national inspectors for large-scale Army mission DEFENDER 25 Swift Response. Recently, Col. Bailey was asked to assist in evaluating the Army PHAQ process at Johnson County Armory, providing valuable information to streamline processes.
