MAJOR GENERAL STEPHEN D. SCHMIDT

Maj. Gen. Stephen D. Schmidt is the Special Assistant to the Commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. His responsibilities include Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaisance; Ballistic Missile Defense; and Operator Engagement Talks with European and African nations.

General Schmidt graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy as an honor graduate in 1979. He has been assigned to numerous operational, command and staff positions and has commanded a bomb squadron, support group, flying training wing, NATO E-3A Component and the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control (NAEW&C) Force. His staff tours include duty as Director of Logistics, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command; Chief of Staff at U.S. Strategic Command; Chief of the Strategic Nuclear Policy Branch on the Joint Staff; and he also served in the Secretary of the Air Force Staff Group.

Prior to assuming his current position, he served as Commander, NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force Command, Casteau, Belgium, co-located with Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe. The NAEW&C Force Command is NATO's only operational air command, consisting of the E-3A Component in Geilenkirchen, Germany, and the E-3D Component at Royal Air Force Waddington, England. The Force has simultaneously supported NATO operational missions in Libya and Afghanistan.

General Schmidt has served as an instructor and evaluation pilot in bomber and trainer aircraft, and he has flown Airborne Early Warning and Control System combat support missions in Operation Unified Protector and ISAF. He is a command pilot with more than 4,950 hours, primarily in the B-52H.

EDUCATION
1979 Bachelor of Science degree in psychology, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1984 Distinguished graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1984 Master of Arts degree in public administration, Northern Michigan University, Marquette
1984 Marine Corps Command and Staff College, by correspondence
1986 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
1992 Master of Arts degree in national security studies, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
1994 Air War College, by correspondence
1997 National Defense Fellow, Secretary of Defense Strategic Studies Group, Rosslyn, Va.
2002 Senior Leaders in Government, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
2005 Executive Program for Russian and U.S. General Officers, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
2006 National Security Leadership Course, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, N.Y.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 1979 - November 1980, student, undergraduate pilot training, Williams AFB, Ariz.
2. November 1980 - May 1981, student, combat crew training, Castle AFB, Calif.
3. May 1981 - July 1985, B-52 co-pilot, standardization and evaluation instructor copilot, and aircraft commander, 644th Bombard Squadron, K.I. Sawyer AFB, Mich.
4. July 1985 - November 1986, Air Staff Training officer, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
5. November 1986 - August 1988, assistant secretary for joint and National Security Council matters; air operations officer, Strategy Division, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
6. August 1988 - August 1991, flight commander, B-52H instructor and aircraft commander, 9th Bomb Squadron; Chief, Standardization and Evaluation Branch, and Chief, Training Flight, 20th Bomb Squadron, Carswell AFB, Texas
7. August 1991 - June 1992, student, College of Naval Command and Staff, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
8. June 1992 - June 1994, Chief, Joint Planning Branch, Strategy Division, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations; policy and issues analyst, Secretary of the Air Force Staff Group, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
9. June 1994 - August 1996, Commander, 23rd Bomb Squadron, Minot AFB, N.D.
10. August 1996 - May 1997, National Defense Fellow, Secretary of Defense Strategic Studies Group, Rosslyn, Va.
11. May 1997 - September 1999, nuclear employment and policy planner; Chief, Strategic Nuclear Policy Branch, Directorate of Strategic Plans and Policy (J5), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
12. September 1999 - October 2000, Commander, 319th Support Group, Grand Forks AFB, N.D.
13. October 2000 - August 2002, Chief of Staff, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb.
14. August 2002 - March 2004, Commander, 14th Flying Training Wing, Columbus AFB, Miss.
15. March 2004 - July 2005, Director of Logistics, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Randolph AFB, Texas
16. September 2005 - April 2009, Commander, E-3A Component, NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force, Geilenkirchen Air Base, Germany
17. April 2009 - August 2012, Commander, NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force Command, Casteau, Belgium
18. August 2012 - present, Special Assistant to the Commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS

1. May 1997 - September 1999, nuclear employment and policy planner; Chief, Strategic Nuclear Policy Branch, Directorate of Strategic Plans and Policy (J5), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a colonel
2. October 2000 - August 2002, Chief of Staff, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb., as a colonel
3. September 2005 - April 2009, Commander, E-3A Component, NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force, Geilenkirchen Air Base, Germany, as a brigadier general and a major general
4. April 2009 - August 2012, Commander, NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force Command, Casteau, Belgium, as a major general
5. August 2012 - present, Special Assistant to the Commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, as a major general

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 4,590
Aircraft flown: T-1A, T-37, T-38, B-52G/H, E-3A and B707-300

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Combat Readiness Medal with two oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
Southwest Asia Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 30, 1979
First Lieutenant May 30, 1981
Captain May 30, 1983
Major Dec. 1, 1989
Lieutenant Colonel June 1, 1993
Colonel Sept. 1, 1998
Brigadier General Aug. 1, 2005
Major General Sept. 26, 2008

(Current as of October 2012)