Lt. Gen. Thomas L. Baptiste is Deputy Chairman, NATO Military Committee, Brussels, Belgium. The NATO Military Committee is the highest military authority in NATO and provides direction and advice on military policy and strategy to the North Atlantic Council, guidance to the NATO strategic commanders, and support to the development of strategic concepts for the Alliance. As the Deputy Chairman, General Baptiste regularly represents the Military Committee at high level meetings, such as the North Atlantic Council, Defense Planning Committee, NATO-Russia Council and the Nuclear Planning Group, providing informed military advice to Alliance political authorities.

General Baptiste entered the Air Force in 1973 after completing Officer Training School. He has held various leadership positions, and has commanded a fighter squadron, operations group and the Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center, Cheyenne Mountain Air Station, Colo.

General Baptiste is a command pilot and has flown nearly 3,000 hours, including nearly 60 combat hours in the F-16 supporting Operation Provide Comfort.

EDUCATION
1973 Bachelor of Science degree in business administration-finance, California State University, Chico
1977 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1986 Air Command and Staff College, by seminar
1987 Master of Science degree in public administration, Golden Gate University, San Francisco, Calif.
1990 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1997 National Security Leadership Course, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, N.Y.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 1973 - July 1974, student, undergraduate navigator training, Mather AFB, Calif.
2. July 1974 - May 1975, student, F-4 Qualification Training, MacDill AFB, Fla.
3. May 1975 - September 1977, weapons system officer and weapons system officer instructor, 44th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Japan
4. September 1977 - October 1978, student, undergraduate pilot training, Williams AFB, Ariz.
5. October 1978 - June 1979, student, F-4 qualification training, George AFB, Calif.
6. June 1979 - July 1981, F-4E aircraft commander and standardization and evaluation officer, 334th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
7. July 1981 - January 1982, student, F-16 transition and instructor pilot training, MacDill AFB, Fla.
8. January 1982 - May 1984, F-16 instructor pilot and flight commander, 62nd Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, MacDill AFB, Fla.
9. May 1984 - June 1985, F-16 instructor pilot and Chief, Standardization and Evaluation Division, 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, Kunsan AB, South Korea
10. June 1985 - July 1989, F-16 instructor pilot; Chief, Wing Training Division; Chief, Wing Safety Division; and operations officer and Commander, 72nd Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, MacDill AFB, Fla.
11. July 1989 - June 1990, student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
12. June 1990 - July 1992, Assistant Director of Nuclear Operations, Headquarters Defense Nuclear Agency, Alexandria, Va.
13. July 1992 - July 1994, Commander, 52nd Operations Group, Spangdahlem AB, Germany
14. July 1994 - September 1996, Chief, Weapons Technology Control Division, later, Assistant Deputy Director for International Negotiations, Directorate for Strategic Plans and Policy, the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.
15. September 1996 - May 1998, Deputy Commander, Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Command Region, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
16. May 1998 - June 1999, Commander, Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center, Cheyenne Mountain Air Station, Colo.
17. June 1999 - March 2000, Director of Plans, J-5, Headquarters North American Aerospace Defense Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
18. March 2000 - August 2002, Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters Allied Air Forces Southern Europe, Naples, Italy
19. August 2002 - March 2004, Assistant Chief of Staff, Operations Division, and Director of Operations for Joint Forge (Bosnia), Joint Guardian (Kosovo), and the International Security Assistance Force (Afghanistan), SHAPE, Casteau, Belgium
20. April 2004 - present, Deputy Chairman, NATO Military Committee, Brussels, Belgium

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: Nearly 3,000
Aircraft flown: T-41, T-37, T-38, F-4C/D/E and F-16A/B/C/D

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Combat Readiness Medal with oak leaf cluster

(Current as of May 2007)