Speaker Biographies

General Peter J. Schoomaker

General Peter J. Schoomaker became the 35th Chief of Staff, United States Army, on August 1, 2003.

Prior to his current assignment, Schoomaker spent 31 years in a variety of command and staff assignments with both conventional and special operations forces. He participated in numerous deployment operations, including Desert One in Iran, Urgent Fury in Grenada, Just Cause in Panama, Desert Shield/Desert Storm in Southwest Asia, and Uphold Democracy in Haiti. He has supported various worldwide joint contingency operations, including those in the Balkans.

Early in his career, Schoomaker was a reconnaissance platoon leader and rifle company commander with the 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Division; a cavalry troop commander with the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Germany; and the S-3 operations officer of the 1st Battalion, 73rd Armor, 2nd Infantry Division, in Korea. From 1978 to 1981, he commanded a squadron in the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-D. Schoomaker then served as the squadron executive officer of the 2nd Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, in Germany. In 1983, he returned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to serve as special operations officer, J-3, Joint Special Operations Command. From 1985 to 1988, Schoomaker commanded another squadron in the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-D. He returned as the commander, 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-D, from 1989 to 1992. Subsequently, he served as the assistant division commander of the 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas, followed by a tour in the headquarters staff of the Department of the Army as the deputy director for operations, readiness, and mobilization.

Schoomaker served as the commanding general of the Joint Special Operations Command from 1994 to 1996. The following year, he commanded the United States Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. His most recent assignment prior to assuming duties as the Army chief of staff was as commander of the United States Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, from 1997 through 2000.

Schoomaker’s awards and decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, two Army Distinguished Service Medals, four Defense Superior Service Medals, three Legions of Merit, two Bronze Star Medals, two Defense Meritorious Service Medals, three Meritorious Service Medals, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Master Parachutist Badge and HALO Wings, the Special Forces Tab, and the Ranger Tab.

Schoomaker received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wyoming and a master’s degree in management from Central Michigan University. His military education includes the Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, the National War College, and the John F. Kennedy School of Government Program for Senior Executives in National and International Security Management.