Lieutenant General Mark O. Schissler
2013
Deputy Chairman, NATO Military Committee
Lt Gen Mark O. Schissler is the Deputy Chairman, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Military Committee, in Brussels, Belgium.
General Schissler was commissioned through Officer Training School and completed undergraduate navigator training in 1981. He served as an instructor, evaluator, chief navigator, executive officer and operations officer. His commands include an airlift squadron, group and wing, as well as two expeditionary air wings. General Schissler was selected for a National Security Fellowship at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. He has held assignments on the Air Staff and Joint Staff, including duty as the assistant executive officer to the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. General Schissler most recently served as the Director, Strategy and Policy, Headquarters U.S. European Command.
The general is a master navigator with more than 3,500 hours in the C-130, including more than 500 hours in combat theater operations.
EDUCATION
- 1977 Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal arts, cum laude, University of St. Thomas, Houston, Texas
- 1986 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
- 1987 Master of Arts degree in human resource development, Webster University, St. Louis, Mo.
- 1993 Master of Arts degree in national security and strategic studies, College of Naval Command and Staff, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
- 1998 Master of Arts degree in pastoral studies, University of St. Thomas, Houston, Texas
- 1998 National Security Fellowship, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
- 2007 Georgetown Leadership Seminar, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
- 2008 Executive Course in National and International Security, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
- 2011 Executive Course in Defense Policy Seminar, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
- 1. May 1981 - February 1982, student, undergraduate advanced navigator training, Mather AFB, Calif.
- 2. February 1982 - October 1987, navigator, instructor, evaluator, executive officer, wing standardization evaluation navigator, and chief navigator, 50th Tactical Airlift Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
- 3. October 1987 - May 1989, Air Staff Training officer, Air Force Studies and Analyses and Secretary of the Air Force Legislative Liaison, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
- 4. May 1989 - August 1992, All Weather Aerial Delivery System instructor navigator, executive officer to the Deputy Commander for Operations, and wing executive officer, 435th Tactical Airlift Wing, Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany
- 5. August 1992 - July 1993, student, College of Naval Command and Staff, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
- 6. July 1993 - March 1995, Chief, Policy Branch, Strategy Division, Directorate of Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
- 7. March 1995- July 1996, assistant executive officer to the Chief of Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
- 8. October 1996 - April 1997, Operations Officer, 62nd Airlift Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
- 9. April 1997 - July 1998, Commander, 62nd Airlift Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
- 10. July 1998 - July 1999, National Security Fellowship, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
- 11. July 1999 - October 2001, Chief, Organizational Policy Branch, Policy Division, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
- 12. October 2001 - July 2003, Commander, 463rd Airlift Group, Little Rock AFB, Ark. (March 2002 - June 2002, Commander, 320th Air Expeditionary Wing, Southwest Asia)
- 13. July 2003 - June 2005, Commander, 374th Airlift Wing, Yokota AB Japan, (January 2005 - March 2005, Commander, 374th Air Expeditionary Wing, Utapao, Thailand)
- 14. June 2005 - June 2006, Assistant Deputy Director, Global War on Terrorism, Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate (J5), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
- 15. June 2006 - November 2007, Deputy Director for the War on Terrorism, Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate (J5), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
- 16. December 2007 - September 2009, Director of Cyber Operations, Directorate of Operations, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
- 17. September 2009 - June 2011, Director, Plans, Programs and Analyses, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein AB, Germany.
- 18. July 2011 - August 2013, Director, Strategy and Policy, Headquarters U.S. European Command, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany.
- 19. September 2013 - present, Deputy Chairman of the Military Committee, Headquarters North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Brussels, Belgium.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
- 1. July 1999 - October 2001, Chief, Organizational Policy Branch, Policy Division, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a lieutenant colonel and colonel
- 2. June 2005 - June 2006, Assistant Deputy Director, Global War on Terrorism, Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate (J5), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a colonel
- 3. June 2006 - November 2007, Deputy Director for the War on Terrorism, Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate (J5), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a colonel and brigadier general
- 4. July 2011 - September 2013, Director, Strategy and Policy, Headquarters U.S. European Command, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany
- 5. September 2013 - Present, Deputy Chairman, Military Committee, Headquarters North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Brussels, Belgium
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
- Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
- Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
- Bronze Star Medal
- Defense Meritorious Service Medal
- Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
- Air Medal with oak leaf cluster
- Aerial Achievement Medal
- Air Force Commendation Medal
- Southwest Asia Service Medal with three bronze stars
- Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
- Humanitarian Service Medal
- Bulgarian Medal of Saint George – First Degree
- Romanian National Order for Merit in Knight Rank with Military Cluster
- Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)
- Kuwait Liberation Medal (Government of Kuwait)
OTHER AWARDS
- 2004 General and Mrs. Jerome O'Malley Award, Best Wing Command Team in USAF
EFFECTIVE DATE OF PROMOTION
- Second Lieutenant May 6, 1981
- First Lieutenant May 6, 1983
- Captain May 6, 1985
- Major April 1, 1993
- Lieutenant Colonel January 1, 1997
- Colonel April 1, 2000
- Brigadier General April 16, 2007
- Major General August 6, 2010
- Lieutenant General September 2, 2013
(Current as of Sep 2013)