General Peter J. Schoomaker graduated from the University of Wyoming in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education and entered the Army with a commission through Army ROTC as a Second Lieutenant in Armor Branch.   He holds a Master of Arts Degree in Management from Central Michigan University, and an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Hampden-Sydney College. His military education includes the Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School, the U. S. Army Command and General Staff College, the National War College, and the John F. Kennedy School of Government Program for Senior Executives in National and International Security Management.

General Schoomaker retired from active service on 1 December 2000 as the Commander-in-Chief, United States Special Operations Command and was recalled to active duty as the 35th Chief of Staff, United States Army, on 1August 2003.  On 10 April 2007, he returned to retired status after more than 35 years of service in a variety of command and staff assignments with both conventional and special operations forces. During his service, he participated in numerous operations including DESERT ONE in Iran, URGENT FURY in Grenada, various operations in Lebanon and El Salvador, JUST CAUSE in Panama, DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM in Southwest Asia, and UPHOLD DEMOCRACY in Haiti. He supported many other worldwide joint contingency operations, including those in the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq and the Global War on Terror on every continent.

Early in his career, General Schoomaker served eight years in Cavalry, Infantry, and Armor assignments in the United States, Germany, and Korea.  In January 1978, he joined the newly forming Delta Force as one of the original operational troop commanders in the rank of Captain and continued to serve there in a variety of command assignments over much of the next 14 years.  As a Colonel, he commanded Delta Force from June 1989 until June 1992 when he departed for his first General Officer assignment as a Brigadier General.
General Officer  assignments included:  Assistant Division Commander, First Cavalry Division,  Fort  Hood, Texas from July 1992 until July 1993;  Deputy Director for Operations, Readiness, and Mobilization at Headquarters, Department of the Army, from July 1993 until July 1994; Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) at Ft Bragg, NC from July 1994 until July 1996; and Commanding General, US Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) at Ft Bragg, NC from August 1996 until October 1997.  On 31 October 1997, he was promoted to General and subsequently served as the Commander-in-Chief, United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) at MacDill AFB, Florida until retiring on 1 December 2000.

General  Schoomaker’s  awards and decorations include three Defense  Distinguished Service Medals, three Army Distinguished Service Medals, four Defense Superior Service Medals, three  Legions of Merit, two Bronze Star Medals, the Combat Infantryman Badge, Master Parachutist Badge and HALO Wings, the Special Forces Tab, and the Ranger Tab. Foreign  awards include: the Brazilian Order of Military Merit (Degree of Grande Official), the Canadian Military Service Cross, the Chilean Cross of Victory, the French Republic Commander of the Legion of Honor, the Italian Joint Forces Decoration of Honor, the Japanese Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, the Spanish Grand Cross of Military Merit (White),  the Turkish Legion of Merit, and Thai Jump Wings.     

General Schoomaker serves as a Director for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, consults widely, and serves on the boards of several public and privately held companies.   He and his wife have two daughters and one son.