Peter J. Schoomaker

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General Peter J. Schoomaker

Peter Jan Schoomaker (born February 12, 1946 in Detroit , Michigan ) is a former general in the US Army and was the 35th Chief of Staff of the Army (CSA) from 2003 to 2007 . His appointment was unusual in that he was being taken out of retirement to take up the post. He has more than 30 years of service with a wide variety of conventional uses and special forces experience. In April 2007, he then passed the post to General George W. Casey, Jr. , the former commander of the Multi-National Force Iraq .

Military career

Schoomaker graduated from the University of Wyoming in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science . He also holds a Masters of Arts in Management from Central Michigan University and an Honorary Doctorate in Law from Hampden-Sydney College .

He participated in many operations including: Eagle Claw in Iran , Urgent Fury in Grenada , Just Cause in Panama , Desert Shield / Desert Storm in Kuwait and Iraq, and Uphold Democracy in Haiti .

Schoomaker's career began as a platoon leader on a reconnaissance platoon . Later he served as a company commander of a company of the 2nd Battalion of the 4th Infantry Division in Fort Hood ( Texas ).

Schoomaker at a press conference, 2006.

He then served in South Korea as an Operations Officer ( S3 ) of the 1st Battalion, 73rd US Tank Regiment, 2nd US Infantry Division . He was promoted to major in July 1979 and commanded a squadron of 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment - Delta (Delta Force) from 1978 to 1981 in Fort Bragg , North Carolina . After studying at Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth , Kansas , Schoomaker served as Executive Officer (XO) of 2nd Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Germany. In August 1983 he returned to Fort Bragg to serve as Operations Officer (J3) for the US Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1985, he again commanded a squadron of the Delta Force from 1985 to 1988. After further studies at the National War College , he returned to the Delta Force to command it from 1989 to 1992 as Colonel (1990). He then served as assistant division commander of the 1st US Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, before being transferred to the Department of the Army , where he served as assistant director of operations, readiness and mobilization.

Schoomaker was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in 1993 and served as Commanding General of the US Joint Special Operations Command from 1994 to 1996 , was promoted to Major General in 1996 and then commanded the US Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg until 1997 . From 1997 to 2000, the last use before his first retirement was that of the Commander of the US Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base , Florida . On August 1, 2003, three years after his retirement, he was finally reactivated and named 35th Chief of Staff of the Army .

In January 2007 it was announced that General George W. Casey, Jr. , former Commander of the Multi-National Force Iraq , would succeed Schoomaker to the post of Chief of Staff of the Army . After confirmation by the Armed Services Committee of the US Senate , he finally handed over the post to Casey on April 10, 2007 and retired again.

Schoomaker is married and has two daughters and one son.

Awards

Selection of decorations, sorted based on the Order of Precedence of Military Awards :

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  1. Gates shakes up US command in Iraq (CNN January 5, 2007; English)
  2. Casey Takes Over Army Helmet (defenselink.mil from April 10, 2007; English)

Web links