Colonel Jimmy Schlabach is currently serving as the Commander, 91st Operations Group, Minot Air Force Base, N.D. He commands a group of three missile squadrons and an operations support squadron, providing nuclear combat capability to the Commander, United States Strategic Command, in support of national objectives. He is responsible for the safe, secure, and reliable operations of 150 Minuteman III ICBMs operated from 15 remote missile alert facilities in support of missile field activities dispersed over 8,500 square miles.
Colonel Schlabach graduated from Purdue University with a degree in Social Studies Education in 1998 and was commissioned through Officer Training School in 2000. He served in a variety of command and operations assignments, to include most recently serving as the Deputy Commander, 90th Operations Group at Francis E. Warren AFB, WY as well as Commander of the 319th Missile Squadron, where he served eighty Airmen and their families while charged with providing up to fifty ICBMs in support of US Strategic Command. Additionally, he was assigned to the Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, NV, during which time, he was part of the team of initial cadre instructors that developed and began the ICBM Weapons Instructor Course. He was also assigned
to the Nuclear Operations Division, Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington D.C. where he was the author of the Nuclear Decision Handbook and part of a team that represented the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff for all nuclear-related issues.
Colonel Schlabach has over 7,000 hours of strategic nuclear alert duty in the Minuteman III weapons system, including during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks as well as the during the opening hours of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM.
EDUCATION
1998 Bachelor of Arts, Social Studies Education, Purdue University 2004 Squadron Officer School, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2006 Masters of Science, Information Technology Management, Touro University 2009 Air Command and Staff College, Air University (Correspondence)
2010 ICBM Weapons Instructor Course, Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev. 2013 Masters of Science, Military Strategy, Marine Corps University, Quantico, Va.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 2000 – September 2000, Student, ICBM Initial Qualification Training, 392nd Training Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
2. October 2000 – October 2004, ICBM Operations Crew Commander, Instructor, and Senior Crew Evaluator, 91st Operations Group, Minot AFB, N.D.
3. October 2004 – August 2008, Commander, ICBM Test Management Flight, Test Manager, Test Director, and Chief, Mission Operations, 576th Flight Test Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
4. August 2008 – July 2009, Chief, Force Applications Testing, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
5. July 2009 – June 2012, Assistant Director of Operations for Integration and Academics, Instructor, and Initial Cadre, USAF Weapons School, 315th Weapons Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
6. June 2012 – June 2013, Student, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, Quantico, Va.
7. June 2013 – June 2016, Operations Officer, Nuclear Operations Division, J-33, Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
8. June 2016 – May 2018, Chief of Safety, 90th Missile Wing, F. E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
9. May 2018 – June 2020, Commander, 319th Missile Squadron, F. E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
10. June 2020 – June 2021, Deputy Commander, 90th Operations Group, F. E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
11. July 2021 – July 2022, Student, Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.
12. July 2022 – Present, Commander, 91st Operations Group, Minot AFB, N.D.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters Air Force Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Jan. 14, 2000
First Lieutenant Jan. 14, 2002
Captain Jan. 14, 2004
Major Sept. 1, 2009
Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 2015
Colonel Apr. 1, 2021
(Current as of JULY 2022)