Col. John W. Schmidtke is the Commander, 505th Command and Control Wing, Detachment 1 at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Det. 1’s mission is to provide airpower expertise and exercise support to the Mission Command Training Program. The detachment provides airpower academics during MCT and doctrinally correct, theater-specific airpower integration and replication in MCTP exercises. Det. 1 provides observer, coach/trainer support and U.S. Air Force exercise control to prepare warfighters for future operations through U.S. Army Mission Rehearsal and Warfighter exercises. As Commander, he is the principal airpower advisor to the U.S. Army’s Training and Doctrine Command, Combined Arms Center. He leads a team responsible for advising the command on present and future weapon systems, ordnance, tactics, procedures, capabilities, and limitations as they affect force structure, concepts, doctrine, training, modeling, simulation, acquisition, and analysis programs.
Col. Schmidtke, originally from Mexico, Mo., commissioned in 2002 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program at Colorado State University, Fort Collins. He is a Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Electromagnetic Warfare Combat Systems Officer. Prior to his current position, the colonel was the Chief, Military Leadership, Air Force Element, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
He also served as the Chief, Airborne Sensitive Reconnaissance Operations securing mission approval for combatant commands at the Secretary of Defense and Presidential level and commanded the 461st Operations Support Squadron, was the Director of Operations for the 16th Airborne Command and Control Squadron and 461st Air Control Wing Chief of Safety at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., in support of the E-8C Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System. Col. Schmidtke is a Master Navigator and Electromagnetic Warfare Officer with more than 2,700 flight hours in the E-8C JSTARS, RC-135S COBRA BALL, and T-43.
EDUCATION
2002 Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins
2003 Aerospace Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2008 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2011 Master of Business Administration, Ashford University, Clinton, Idaho
2014 U.S. Army CGSC, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
2018 Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
ASSIGNMENTS
- June 2002 – December 2003, Student, Joint Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas
- December 2003 – March 2006, RC-135S EWO, 45th Reconnaissance Squadron, Offutt AFB, Neb.
- March 2006 – August 2006, RC-135S Instructor EWO, Deputy Chief of Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence, 45th RS, Offutt AFB, Neb.
- August 2006 – February 2007, RC-135S Standards and Evaluation EWO, 45th RS, Offutt AFB, Neb.
- February 2007 – August 2008, Chief, RC-135S COBRA BALL Training, 338th Combat Training Squadron, Offutt AFB, Neb.
- August 2008 – January 2009, Flight Commander, 338th CTS, Offutt AFB, Neb.
- January 2009 – May 2009, Student, E-8C JSTARS Navigator Training, 330th CTS, Robins AFB, Ga.
- May 2009 – May 2010, E-8C Navigator, Chief Squadron Safety, 12th AACS, Robins AFB, Ga.
- June 2010 – March 2011, E-8C Instructor Navigator, Chief, Squadron Safety, 12th AACS, Robins AFB, Ga.
- April 2011 – July 2012, E-8C Instructor Navigator, Operations Group Executive Officer, 116th/461st Operations Group, Robins AFB, Ga.
- July 2012 – June 2013, E-8C Evaluator Navigator, Deputy Chief, Operations Group Standards and Evaluation, 461st Operations Group, Robins AFB, Ga.
- June 2013 – June 2014, Student, U.S. Army CGSC, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
- June 2014 – September 2016, Chief, Airborne Sensitive Reconnaissance Officer, Joint Force Component Command for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance, U.S. Strategic Command, Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C.
- September 2016 – December 2016, Student, E-8C Instructor Navigator, 330th CTS, Robins AFB, Ga.
- December 2016 – November 2017, Chief of Safety, 461st ACW, Robins AFB, Ga.
- November 2017 – September 2018, Director of Operations, 16th AACS, Robins AFB, Ga.
- September 2018 – September 2020, Commander, 461st Operations Support Squadron, Robins AFB, Ga.
- September 2020 – June 2023, Chief, Military Leadership, AFLEM U.S. Army CGSC, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
- June 2023 – present, 505th Command and Control Wing, Detachment 1, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2014 – September 2016, Chief, Airborne Sensitive Reconnaissance Officer, Joint Force Component Command for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance, U.S. Strategic Command, Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C., as a major
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: master navigator
Flight hours: 2,791
Aircraft flown: E-8C, RC-135S, and T-43
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 29, 2002
First Lieutenant May 29, 2004
Captain May 29, 2006
Major July 1, 2012
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 2017
Colonel Jan. 1, 2024
(Current as of June 2024)