In 1974, Rondeau received her commission through the
United States Navy's Officer Candidate School. She was commander of Pacific Fleet Communications from 1974 until 1976 and air intelligence officer and operations officer to Patrol Squadron Fifty from 1976 until 1980. She became part of the navy staff of the NATO-Europe branch of Strategy and Policy in 1982, and became assistant to the
Office of the Secretary of Defense focused on policy analysis before being assigned to the
Office of African Affairs. She was named a
White House Fellow in 1985, and served as special assistant to the
Attorney General for national security affairs. She became executive officer of Fast Sealift Squadron One in 1987, as well as officer in charge of the Military Sealift Command Unit in New Orleans. In 1989, Rondeau became assistant for political-military analysis of the Chief of Naval Operations Executive Panel. Rondeau became second battalion officer at the
United States Naval Academy in 1990, and was named commanding officer of Naval Support Activity in
La Maddelena, Italy in 1992. She later became a CNO Fellow on the Strategic Studies Group in
Newport, Rhode Island before becoming military assistant to the
United States Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for policy in 1995. ==Academic career==