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Former Commandants

Former Commandants of the NSO
 

On 12 August 1975, the NATO School (SHAPE) received its Charter and was established as a bilateral institution between the governments of the United States of America and the Federal Republic of Germany. Since that date, fifteen Commandants, twelve Deputy Commandants and nine Command Senior Enlisted Leaders (CSELs) have led School. The gallery below shows the former Commandants, their Deputies and the Command Senior Enlisted Leaders.

To get to know the current Command Team please visit the Senior Leadership Page.

Former Commandants

Colonel Charles F. Drake, USA-A

Charles F. Drake

Colonel (USA-A)
1975-1978

Captain Charles S. Hasier

Charles S. Hasier

Captain (USA-N)
1978-1981

Colonel Fred J. Federici Jr., USA-AF

Fred J. Federici Jr.

Colonel (USA-AF)
1981-1984

Colonel James A. Boyle, USA-A

James A. Boyle

Colonel (USA-A)
1984-1987

Captain Richard G. Simms, USA-N

Richard G. Simms

Captain (USA-N)
1987-1990

Colonel Lance L. Smith, USA-AF

Lance L. Smith

Colonel (USA-AF)
1990-1992

Colonel John W. Lieberherr, USA-AF

John W. Lieberherr

Colonel (USA-AF)
1992-1995

Colonel Richard L. Jaehne, USA-MC

Richard L. Jaehne

Colonel (USA-MC)
1995-1997

Colonel Lloyd W. Buchanan Jr., USA-A

Lloyd W. Buchanan Jr.

Colonel (USA-A)
1997-2000

Captain Richard E. Stevens Jr., USA-N

Richard E. Stevens Jr.

Captain (USA-N)
2000-2003

Colonel Mark P. Sullivan, USA-AF

Mark P. Sullivan

Colonel (USA-AF)
2003-2006

Colonel James J. Tabak, USA-MC

James J. Tabak

Colonel (USA-MC)
2006-2009

Colonel Mark D. Baines, USA-A

Mark D. Baines

Colonel (USA-A)
2009-2013

Colonel Mark D. Baines, USA-A

W. Scott Butler

Captain (USA-N)
2013-2017

Colonel Timothy E. Dreifke, USA-AF

Timothy E. Dreifke

Colonel (USA-AF)
2017-2019

Colonel Michael A. Davis, USA-A

Michael A. Davis

Colonel (USA-A)
2019-2022

Former Deputy Commandants and Chief of Staff

Colonel Hein Haller, DEU-A

Hein Haller

Colonel (DEU-A)
1976-1982

Colonel Herbert Schwarz, DEU-A

Herbert Schwarz

Colonel (DEU-A)
1982-1985

Colonel Hein Haller, DEU-A

Hein Haller

Colonel (DEU-A)
1985-1989

Colonel Rudolph Küper, DEU-A

Rudolph Küper

Colonel (DEU-A)
1989-1992

Colonel Helwig Lenz, DEU-A

Helwig Lenz

Colonel (DEU-A)
1992-1994

Colonel Jürgen Hüffmann, DEU-A

Jürgen Hüffmann

Colonel (DEU-A)
1995-1996

Colonel Jörg Bahr, DEU-A

Jörg Bahr

Colonel (DEU-A)
1996-1999

Colonel (GS) Gerhard Blaesing, DEU-A

Gerhard Blaesing

Colonel (GS) ((DEU-A))
1999-2003

Colonel (GS) Gerhard Schepe, DEU-A

Gerhard Schepe

Colonel (GS) (DEU-A)
2003-2005

Colonel (GS) Wilhelm Bernhard Vitzthum

Wilhelm Bernhard Vitzthum

Colonel (GS) DEU-AF
2005-2008

Colonel (GS) Enrico Werner, DEU-AF

Enrico Werner

Colonel (GS) (DEU-AF)
2008-2016

Colonel Hein Haller, DEU-A

Joachim Schreckinger

Colonel (DEU-A)
2016 - 2020

Former Command Senior Enlisted Leader

CMSgt Gerard Schröder, DEU-AF

Gerard Schröder

CMSgt (DEU-AF)
1989-1993

CMSgt Wilhelm Nitka, DEU-AF

Wilhelm Nitka

CMSgt (DEU-AF),
1993-1995

CMSgt Wolfgang Fischlein, DEU-AF

Wolfgang Fischlein

CMSgt (DEU-AF)
1995-1999

CMSgt Jochen Zimmermann, DEU-AF

Jochen Zimmermann

CMSgt (DEU-AF)
1999-2006

SMSGT Michael Meyer, DEU-AF

Michael Meyer

SMSGT (DEU-AF)
2006-2008

CMSgt Claude Schmitz, LUX-A

Claude Schmitz

CMSgt (LUX-A)
2008-2013

CMSgt Michael McDonald, CAN-A

Michael McDonald

CMSgt (CAN-A)
2013-2015

CMSgt John Linnenbank, NLD-A

John Linnenbank

CMSgt (NLD-A)
2015-2017

CMSgt Miroslav Dulaj, SVK-A

Miroslav Dulaj

CMSgt (SVK-A)
2017-2019