Lieutenant General Robert E. Schmidle, Jr., USMC (Ret.)
Deputy Commandant for Aviation
Robert E. Schmidle, Jr., is a native of Newtown, Connecticut. He earned an undergraduate degree in history from Drew University and received a Master of Arts in Philosophy from American University. He is presently working on his doctorate at Georgetown University. He has also received numerous other educational degrees and certifications through the military.
He has served as Deputy Commander for U.S. Cyber Command, Assistant Deputy Commandant of the Marine Corps for Programs and Resources, Deputy Chief of Staff for Integrated Product Team 1, and other staff positions. Operational assignments include multiple tours flying the F-4 and F/A-18 aircraft as well as serving as the operations officer and air officer of an Infantry Battalion, First Battalion 9th Marines.
He has been Commanding General of First Marine Aircraft Wing, Commanding Officer of Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force (Experimental), and Commanding Officer of Marine Fighter Attack Squadrons 251 and 115.
His last service prior to retirement was as the Marine Corps Deputy Commandant for Aviation.
In the News…
A review of the U.S. Navy claims its surface fleet would be outgunned, outnumbered, and unprepared in a potential conflict with China, owing to a leadership class that’s more concerned with being “woke” than with warfighting — but there may be a way to stop the trend.
The report, commissioned by members of both the House and Senate, was largely prompted by several collisions at sea involving U.S. Navy warships in the Pacific, but also examined recent Naval disasters, including the mysterious fire that led to the USS Bonhomme Richard being decommissioned and the surrender of two small aircraft to Iran.
“Many sailors found their leadership distracted, captive to bureaucratic excess, and rewarded for the successful execution of administrative functions rather than their skills as a warfighter,” according to the report, which was prepared by retired flag officers Marine Lieutenant General Robert Schmidle and Navy Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery.
The report also revealed a lack of rehabilitation for personnel mistakes, inadequate surface warfare officer training, underinvestment in surface ship maintenance, increasing micromanagement by higher command, and over-responsiveness to the current media culture.
