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269-223-Joi B. Dozier from Battle Creek
earned the rank of colonel in the U.S.
Air Force on Aug. 1 at Vandenberg
Space Force Base in California.
In June, Dozier took command of
the 30th Medical Group, a role that
places her at the helm of more than
200 military and civilian person-
nel, according to a press release
from Hometown News submitted
by Jennifer Green-Lanchoney of the
Public Affairs office at the Space
Force Base.
Dozier’s mission is to deliver
readiness-focused, patient-centered
care to 14,000 beneficiaries, ensuring
the health and well-being of service
members and their families, while
supporting the operations of Space
Launch Delta 30 and the Combined
Space Operations Center.
Dozier’s journey is a testament
to her dedication, resilience and
unwavering commitment to public
service, said Green-Lanchoney. Bornand raised in Battle Creek, Dozier is
the daughter of Victoria (Mitchell)
Dozier and the late Walter Dozier Jr.
Her mother, a social worker
at the Battle Creek Veterans
Administration, instilled in her a deep
sense of compassion and a drive to
help others.
“I am so proud of the courageous
and compassionate daughter we
raised,” said Victoria, who retired
after 34 years in public service. “She
finds joy in helping others and it is
so wonderful for a mother to see her
child succeed so fully.”
A graduate of Battle Creek Central
High School, Class of 1989, Dozier’s
academic journey took her to Vassar
College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.,
where she earned a degree in urban
studies. She furthered her educa-
tion with a Master of Public Policy
from the University of Chicago and
a Master of Business Administration
from the University of Wisconsin-Joi Dozier, a native of Battle Creek,
earned the rank of colonel in the U.S.
Air Force on Aug. 1. She is seen here
at a celebration in August. Photo providedB.C. native earns the rank of colonel in USAF
Madison School of Business.
Before her military career, Dozier
spent three years teaching English
in Japan, an experience that she said
broadened her horizons and deep-
ened her appreciation for diverse
cultures.
In 2005, an unexpected email from
a recruiter changed the course of her
life.
Intrigued by the opportunity to
join the Medical Service Corps,
she swore in at the U.S. Air Force
Reserve Officer Training Corps’
Detachment 925, located at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison,
embarking on a journey that would
see her rise through the ranks of theU.S. Air Force.
“I wanted to spend every day
learning, and I wanted a challenge,”
Dozier recalled. “This opportunity fit
what I had hoped to give back in my
life to society.”
Dozier’s career has been marked
by a series of significant roles
and deployments. She completed
Healthcare Services Administration
Training at Sheppard Air Force Base,
Texas, in 2006 and has since served
in various executive positions across
the Headquarters Air Staff, Wing,
and Medical Group levels.
Her assignments have taken her
from the Air Force Medical Service
Agency in Falls Church, Va., to the
20th Medical Group at Shaw Air
Force Base, S.C., the 15th Medical
Group at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-
Hickam, Hawaii, and the Pentagon in
Washington, D.C.
Her deployments include serving
at the Balad Theater Hospital in sup-
port of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM
and at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, in
support of Operations INHERENT
RESOLVE and FREEDOM’S
SENTINEL.
These experiences have honed her
leadership skills and deepened her
commitment to the mission of the
Air Force Medical Service, the press
release stated.
As the commander of the 30th
Medical Group, Dozier is responsible
for developing strategic plans to
ensure compliance with health care
regulatory standards and aligning the
group’s efforts with Space Launch
Delta 30’s priorities.
Her leadership is characterized by
a focus on serving as the primary
health care institution for service
members on Vandenberg SFB and
ensuring access to care for all benefi-
ciaries.
— Ann Pulsipher