BADGER BATTALION

ARMY ROTC

Name: Ms. Tonia Mahnke

Duty Position: Admissions Officer

Branch: Military Intelligence

Telephone: (608) 890-3066

Email: mahnke@wisc.edu

Ms. Tonia Mahnke, originally of Shawano, Wisconsin, graduated from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse in 1990. She received her commission through Army ROTC, branched Signal Corps, and began a tour of active duty soon after. Throughout her career, she has served in a variety of leadership and staff positions. Ms. Mahnke's initial active duty assignment was at Fort Drum, New York, with the 10th Signal Battalion, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry). There she served as the LEN Platoon Leader of Charlie Company, and later as Charlie Company's XO & Battalion Assistant S-3.

After leaving active duty, she continued her military career by serving in the Army Reserve and branch transferring to Military Intelligence. While in the Reserves, she primarily worked in training units, holding various positions to include Instructor, Course Manager, Director of Instruction, and her favorite, Alpha and Bravo Company Commander. More recently in a Reserve capacity, she served as an ROTC instructor at UW-Madison, where her part-time commitment led to the full time position of Assistant Professor of Military Science and Executive Officer. After deploying to Afghanistan as the Primary Staff Intelligence Officer for the 372nd Engineer Brigade from Sep 2009 – Sep 2010, she remains with the engineer unit as their Communications Officer.

Ms. Mahnke’s military schooling includes Signal Officer Basic Course, the Military Intelligence Transition Course, Military Intelligence Captains Career Course, the Combined Arms and Services Staff School and Command and General Staff College. Her awards and decorations include the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, NATO Afghanistan Service Medal, the Army Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Medal(3), Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal(2), the Global War on Terrorism Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal(6), and the Army Service Ribbon.

Ms. Mahnke lives in rural Sun Prairie, WI where she and her husband, Mike (himself an alumnus of the UW-Madison Army ROTC program) are raising their family of three children, two cats and Scout, their Golden Retriever.