COL Yates is a native of Wheeling, West Virginia. She enlisted in the Army in 1999 and served as an Administrative Assistant at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. She graduated from Officer Candidate School in 2003 and upon graduation was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Transportation Corps. In 2006, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Austin Peay State University and earned a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Columbia Southern University in 2012. Her military education includes the Administrative Specialist Course, the Professional Leadership Development Course, the Transportation Officer Basic Course, the Combined Logistics Captains’ Career Course, the Command and General Staff College, the Joint and Combined Warfighting School (JPME-II), and the Army War College.
COL Yates’ previous assignments include Platoon Leader and Executive Officer, 372nd Cargo Transfer Company, Ft. Campbell, KY; Support Operations Transportation Officer and Commander, Company B, 526th Brigade Support Battalion, Fort Campbell, KY; Support Operations Plans Officer and Battalion S3, Group Support Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group, Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Secretary of the General Staff Operations Officer and Logistics Cost Sharing Manager J4, United States Forces Korea, Yongsan, South Korea; Brigade S3, 16th Sustainment Brigade, Baumholder, Germany; Executive Officer, 39th Transportation Battalion, Kaiserslautern, Germany; Secretary of the General Staff, 21st Theater Sustainment Command, Kaiserslautern, Germany; Joint Strategic Plans Officer, Defense Logistics Agency Europe and Africa, Kaiserslautern, Germany; Distribution Integration Branch Chief, 21st Theater Sustainment Command, Kaiserslautern, Germany; Battalion Commander, Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support Europe and Africa; Assistant Executive Officer to the Commanding General United States Army Materiel Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama; Plans, Exercises, Programs, and Policies Division Chief (G45), U.S. Army Central and Third Army, Shaw Air Force Base, Sumter, SC. Her combat service includes four deployments to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
COL Yates’ awards and decorations include Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal (2 OLC), Meritorious Service Medal (3 OLC), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal (6 OLC), Joint Service Achievement Medal (1 OLC), Army Achievement Medal (3 OLC), Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, the Army Parachutist Badge and Air Assault Badge. Her unit awards include the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Meritorious Unit Commendation, and Army Superior Unit Award.
COL Yates is currently the Regional Commander of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Europe & Africa (E&A) at Kleber Kaserne in Kaiserslautern, Germany.