She last served as director of plans and policy (J5), Headquarters U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.

[2] Raised in Portsmouth, New Hampshire,[1] Desjardins graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1980.

She holds a master's degree in industrial psychology from Louisiana Tech University, and a master's degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval Command and Staff College.

She graduated from the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, in 1997 and from the General Manager Program at the Harvard Business School, Harvard University in 2004.

Desjardins has held a variety of staff positions at the major command, Joint Staff and Headquarters U.S. Air Force levels, including deputy military assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force.