UNITED STATES AIR FORCE


COLONEL JEFFREY H. FISCHER, RETIRED
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE COMMANDER, NATO SPECIAL
OPERATIONS HEADQUARTERS, MONS, BELGIUM


Colonel Fischer retired from the U.S. Air Force as the Executive Assistant to the NATO Special Operations Headquarters (NSHQ) Commander. NSHQ is the senior most Special Operations strategic organization in NATO, crafting doctrine, policy, and strategy as well as ensuring adherence to standardization of operations, tactics, techniques and procedures. Colonel Fischer was the Commander’s principal confidant, trusted advisor and senior manager of the Command Staff. He was the principal gatekeeper of all information in and out of the Commander’s office as well as primary manager of his time.

Colonel Fischer graduated from Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana in 1990 with a history degree. After commissioning, he became a navigator in the EC-130H Compass Call where he was an instructor and weapons officer. Later, he was selected for an exchange with the U.S. Navy flying EA-6B Prowlers off the USS Constellation from 1996 through 1999. Colonel Fischer served in Operations DENY FLIGHT, PROVIDE PROMISE, DELIBERATE FORCE, SOUTHERN WATCH, ALLIED FORCE, ENDURING FREEDOM, and IRAQI FREEDOM. Additionally, he commanded the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Qalat, Afghanistan, was Forward Operating Base Lagman Commanding Officer, and a Deputy Group Commander of the 455th Expeditionary Mission Support Group, Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. Colonel Fischer also has extensive work on the US Air Staff in both requirements and programming. Most recently, he served as the Chairman of the Joint Chief’s Senior Advisor on European Arms Control at the U.S. Mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, then followed as the Senior Defense Official / Defense Attaché to U.S. Embassy Pristina Kosovo. Colonel Fischer is married to the former Barbara Mutsch and father to Tobias Josef Fischer.

Colonel Fischer is a Master Navigator with over 1,800 flying hours; 400 are in combat or combat support in a variety of aircraft.

EDUCATION

1990 Bachelor of Arts degree in History, Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind.

1998 Squadron Officer School, in-residence, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

2000 U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas, Nev.

2001 Master of Business Administration, University of Phoenix, Tucson, Ariz.

2003 Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, in-residence, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

2011 Master of Military Strategic Resourcing, National Defense University, Ft McNair, Washington, D.C.

ASSIGNMENTS


MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Defense Superior Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster

Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters

Legion of Merit

Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters and a “V” device for Combat Valor

Aerial Achievement Medal

Joint Service Commendation Medal

Air Force Commendation Medal

Navy Achievement Medal

Combat Readiness Medal

National Defense Service Medal with one bronze star

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

Kosovo Campaign Medal

Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal

Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

Armed Forces Service

NATO Medal


EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION

Second Lieutenant May 4, 1990

First Lieutenant June 16, 1992

Captain June 16, 1994

Major September 1, 2001

Lieutenant Colonel April 1, 2006

Colonel 1 August, 2011

(Current as of May 2020)