US Army Retired | Major General Jeffrey Schloesser
INTELLIGENT
He was highly intelligent – book smart and street smart.
I can only assume intelligence is the outcome of all the training he had as a pilot, the tactical and command positions he held, the years of professional schooling he stores in his memory and the many mentors he had along the way.
During the interview, with ease and confidence, he was quickly able to discuss maters of national security.. then switch to topics like; what it takes to prep and deploy a division size element across the world to fight a war. He was sharp.
WHAT IS THE WORD..SYMPATHY, EMPATHY, CHARGE, PROTECTION?
I don’t know what the word is. Maybe it’s care?… but he CARED about his troops. He cared about the people assigned to his unit that he was assigned to command. I can not even begin to image the responsibility of commanding 20,000 troops in war; where life and death is imminent. He went to bat for his soldiers (as any good commander should). You will hear in the interview — he wanted to lead a division in combat. Almost like it was his calling.
FAMILY MAN
30+ years in the U.S. Army, dozens of moves (PCS’s) and deployments all the while being a father and a husband. All I can say to this is…. thank the Heavens I was single with no children during my Army days and combat deployments.
Jeff Schloesser is a retired Army Major General who commanded the 101st Airborne Division for thirty-three months, including fifteen months in combat in Afghanistan. In his thirty-four year Army career he served in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, Albania, Kuwait, Haiti, Jordan, Korea, and twice in Germany.
He was an assistant division commander in the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq 2003-04, the first Global War on Terrorism Planning Director in the Pentagon after 9/11, and the first Deputy Director at the National Counterterrorism Center for Strategic Operational Planning. Learn More.
An aviator, Jeff commanded two battalions of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and a brigade task force in Albania and Kosovo.
