Retired November 7, 2013
Chief of Staff,
Illinois Air National Guard
Brigadier General James W. Schroeder is the Chief of Staff, Illinois Air National Guard. He is responsible for the command, control and operations of plans and programs affecting more than 3,000 Illinois Air National Guard personnel located at Scott Air Force Base, Peoria and Springfield, Illinois. His broad range of responsibilities include insuring combat readiness and mission capability of three major air bases comprised of flying wings, command and control facilities, logistics and mission support units, providing combat trained personnel to meet all United States Air Force mission requirements.
General Schroeder received his commission in 1982 as a graduate of the United States Air Force Officer Training School. A proud achievement of his early career was assisting in the initial setup of the aerial refueling training operation at Geilenkirchen Air Base, Germany. His involvement helped pave the way for the on-going rotation of Air National Guard refueling units to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization base. During Operations Desert Shield/Storm, he was recognized as accumulating the most flying hours of any member in the expeditionary wing. General Schroeder flew Combat Air Patrol sorties in support of Operation Noble Eagle and deployed to fly combat support missions in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
1981 Western Illinois University, Bachelor of Science, Industrial Technology,
Macomb, Illinois
2002 Air War College, by correspondence
1. February 1982 - May 1982, Student, Officer Training School, Lackland Air
Force Base Annex, Texas
2. June 1982 - June 1983, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin Air
Force Base, Texas
3. June 1983 - November 1983, Student, KC-135, Castle Air Force Base, California
4. November 1983 - July 1985, Copilot, KC-135A, McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas
5. July 1985 - January 1987, Copilot, KC-135R, McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas
6. January 1987 - June 1989, Aircraft Commander, KC-135R, McConnell Air Force
Base, Kansas
7. June 1989 - February 1990, Inactive Reserve Status, Lowry Air Force Base,
Colorado
8. February 1990 - August 1991, Copilot, KC-135E, 108th Air Refueling Squadron,
O'Hare International Airport Air Reserve Station, Illinois
10. August 1991 - December 1994, Aircraft Commander, 108th Air Refueling
Squadron, O'Hare International Airport Air reserve Station, Illinois
11. December 1994 - July 1997, Flight Test Officer, 126th Logistics Squadron,
O'Hare International Airport Air Reserve Station, Illinois
12. July 1997 - October 1999, Flight Commander, 108th Air Refueling Squadron,
O'Hare International Airport Air Reserve Station, Illinois
13. October 1999 - April 2001, Commander, 126th Aircraft Generation Squadron,
Scott Air Force Base, Illinois
14. April 2001 - July 2007, Director of Operations, Headquarters, Illinois Air
National Guard, Camp Lincoln, Springfield, Illinois
15. July 2007 - August 2010, Chief of Staff, Illinois Air National Guard, Camp
Lincoln, Springfield, Illinois
16. September 2010 - December 2011, Assistant Adjutant General-Air, Illinois
National Guard, Camp Lincoln, Springfield, Illinois
17. December 2011 - November 2013, Chief of Staff, Illinois Air National Guard,
Springfield, Illinois
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 4,000
Aircraft flown: KC-135E, KC-135R, KC-135A, T-37, and T-38
Pilot wings from: Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas
Meritorious Service Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf cluster)
Air Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Air Force Achievement Medal
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Combat Readiness Medal (with 1 Silver Oak Leaf Cluster and 2 Bronze Oak Leaf
Clusters)
National Defense Service Medal (with 1 Bronze Service Star)
Southwest Asia Service Medal (with 2 Bronze Service Stars)
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon (with 1 Silver Oak Leaf Cluster)
Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with Silver Hourglass, M Device, and Numeral 2)
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
Air Force Training Ribbon
Kuwait Liberation Medal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Kuwait Liberation Medal Government of Kuwait
Illinois Long and Honorable Service Medal (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Illinois Military Attendance Ribbon (with Bronze Numeral 8)
1989 - Present, Pilot, American Airlines
2000 - 2006, Board of Directors, Council Member, Geneva Lutheran Church,
Geneva, Illinois
2006 - 2007, Parent Board, Advancement Committee, Bradley University, Peoria,
Illinois
Second Lieutenant 25 May 1982
First Lieutenant 25 May 1984
Captain 25 May 1986
Major 15 August 1995
Lieutenant Colonel 6 November 1999
Colonel 20 March 2004
Brigadier General 7 November 2008
(Current as of June 2014)