Over the past twenty years, the United States has been involved in a range of conflicts, placing significant demands on the individuals who are deployed, often multiple times. These individuals have borne the brunt of civilian decisions regarding when, how and where to use force, as well as what the goals of these conflicts should be. The challenges of war are not often well communicated to civilian policymakers. This series seeks to engage with military personnel and gain a broader perspective of the challenges they face.
Col. Sapriya Childs commissioned as a U.S. Army Military Intelligence Officer with a three-year branch detail to the Army Chemical Corps. She graduated from the University of Maryland Baltimore County in 2002 with an ROTC Commission through the Johns Hopkins University Blue Jay Battalion. She received her master’s degree in 2012 from the National Intelligence University and is a 2024 graduate of the U.S. Army War College.
Colonel Childs served in a variety of leadership, command, and staff assignments across the tactical, operational, and joint force. Company grade assignments include positions as a Chemical Officer, Intelligence Officer, and Company Commander across a range of FORSCOM units with an overseas tour to South Korea and three combat deployments supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Her field grade assignments span across Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) and Special Operations and include Army G2 Staff Officer, Battalion Executive Officer, Chief of a Joint Intelligence Support Element (JISE), Executive Officer to a Commanding General, Commander’s Action Group Director, Battalion Commander, and Special Mission Unit J2 with an overseas tour to South Korea and combat deployments supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve. As a Lieutenant Colonel, Sapriya had the honor to activate and command the 389th Military Intelligence Battalion (Special Operations) (Airborne), 1st Special Forces Command.
Colonel Childs is currently the Commander of the 513th Military Intelligence (MI) Brigade, the theater Army MI Brigade for Army Central Command with active forward deployed and reach missions supporting U.S. intelligence requirements across the Middle East. Colonel Childs's greatest accomplishment is being a mother to her twelve-year-old daughter Meena, applying and nurturing a growth mindset in everything they do.