Major Christopher C. Schutte

Maj. Christopher C. Schutte is an Air Force Special Warfare Tactical Air Control Party officer and commander of the 169th Air Support Operations Squadron, Peoria Air National Guard Base, Peoria, Illinois. His previous assignment was with 435th Air Ground Operations Wing, Ramstein Air Base, through Active Duty Operational Support as director of operations. There, he directed the stand up of its first Wing Operations Center and the operational alignment of three groups in a synchronized effort for the wing’s re-mission to support United States Air Force Europe and the emerging threat to North Atlantic Treaty Organization and European partners.

Maj. Schutte enlisted into the Air Force in October 1993 and was initially trained as a Security Policeman and stationed at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Then in November 2001, he enlisted in the Air National Guard and attended the Tactical Air Control Party training course pipeline. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2011 and after 13 years of enlisted service he earned his commission through Air Force Officer Training School at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, in 2012 while remaining in the Tactical Air Control Party career field as an Air Liaison Officer and Air Force Special Warfare Tactical Air Control Patrol officer.

Maj. Schutte’s diverse Total Force background includes two combat deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, one combat deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and one deployment in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. He is a certified Joint Terminal Attack Controller, JTAC instructor, standardization evaluator examiner, Air Support Operations Center air tasking order manager and has earned U.S Army Parachutist wings and graduated the U.S. Army's Reconnaissance Surveillance and Leader's Course. Prior to his current position, the major was the director of the Wing Operations Center, 435th Air Ground Operations Wing, Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

EDUCATION
2004 Tactical Air Control Party Apprentice Course, Air Education and Training Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2004 Army Basic Airborne Course, 350th Special Warfare Training Squadron, Fort Benning, Ga.
2004 United States Air Force Survival School, 17th Training Wing, Fairchild AFB, Wash.
2004 Airman Leadership School, Air University, McGhee Tyson ANGB, Tenn. 
2007 Associate of Information Systems Technology, Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2008 Joint Firepower Course, Air Combat Command, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2008 Joint Terminal Attack Controller Qualification Course, Air Education and Training Command, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2011 Army Reconnaissance Surveillance Leaders Course, Air Education and Training Command, Fort Benning, Ga.
2011 Bachelor of Arts, Organizational Studies, University of Oklahoma, Norman 
2012 Air Liaison Officer Qualification Course, Air Combat Command, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2013 Army Joint Special Operations Task Force Staff Course, Air Education and Training Command, Fort Lewis, Wash. 
2015 Army Basic Instructor Course, Air Education and Training Command, Fort Sill, Okla.
2016 Squadron Officer School, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2018 Echelon Above Brigade Airspace Course, Air Education and Training Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla. 
2020 Air Support Operations Center Course, Air Combat Command, Nellis, AFB. Nev.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. October 1993–November 1993, Student, Basic Military Training, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
2. November 1993–February 1994, Student, Security Police Specialist, Lackland AFB, Texas
3. February 1994–October 1997, Security Policeman, Tinker AFB, Okla.
4. November 2003–April 2004, Student, Tactical Air Control Party Specialist Course, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
5. April 2004–November 2007, Tactical Air Control Party Specialist, 165th Air Support Operations Squadron, Brunswick, Ga. (January 2005–July 2005, Battalion TACP, Ghazni Forward Operating Base, Afghanistan; January 2006–April 2006, Battalion TACP, Forward Operating Base Wilson, Iraq)
6. November 2007–March 2012, Battalion TACP NCO in Charge, Flight Chief, 146th Air Support Operations Squadron, Will Rogers Air National Guard Base, Okla. (July 2011–December 2011, Enlisted Battalion Air Liaison Officer, Forward Operating Base Mehtar Lam, Afghanistan)
7. March 2012–May 2013, Battalion Air Liaison Officer, 146th Air Support Operations Squadron, Will Rogers ANGB, Okla.
8. May 2013–July 2015, Battalion Air Liaison Officer, 116th Air Support Operations Squadron, Camp Murray, Wash.
9. July 2015–July 2017, Officer in Charge, 137th Special Operations Group, Will Rogers ANG Base, Okla.
10. July 2017–April 2018, Chief of Scheduling, 15th Air Support Operations Squadron, Fort Stewart, Ga. (November 2017–April 2018, Operations Officer, Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, Southwest Asia)
11. April 2018–November 2019, Flight Commander, 15th Air Support Operations Squadron, Fort Stewart, Ga. 
12. Nov 2019–July 2020, Chief of Weapons and Tactics, 15th Air Support Operations Squadron, Fort Stewart, Ga.
13. July 2020–January 2022, Assistant Director of Operations, 168th Air Support Operations Squadron, Peoria, Ill.
14. January 2022–January 2023, Director of Operations, 435th Air Ground Operations Squadron, Ramstein AB, Germany
15. January 2023–Present, Commander, 169th Air Support Operations Squadron, Peoria, Ill.

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal
Army Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster

STATE AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Illinois Military Attendance Ribbon
Georgia Special Operations Ribbon
Oklahoma Good Conduct Ribbon

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2004 Distinguished Graduate, Tactical Air Control Party Apprentice Course
2012 Colonel Everett “Bud” Day Award, Officer Training School

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant March 2, 2012 
First Lieutenant March 2, 2014 
Captain March 2, 2016 
Major March Sept. 17, 2021

(Current as of January 2024)