Cmdr. Michael Schmidt
Commanding Officer, Navy Information Operations Command (NIOC) Whidbey Island
24 June 2025
Cmdr. Michael Schmidt is a native of Minnesota, and started his Navy career in January 1991 attending Recruit Training in San Diego, Calif. During his career, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Russian from Excelsior College in 2004 and a Masters in Operational Art and Science from the Air Command and Staff College in 2018.
While enlisted, Cmdr. Schmidt served at Naval Security Group Activity Misawa, Japan, Rota, Spain, Fort Meade, and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency supporting the Open Skies Treaty. As a Cryptologic Technician Interpretive, he tested in Russian, Ukrainian, and Serbo-Croatian; qualified as an Airborne Mission Supervisor on the EP-3E and Interpreter / Sensor Operator on board multiple Open Skies aircraft, accruing almost 5,000 flight hours. Additionally, he deployed with VQ-6 to the USS Eisenhower, USS Trenton, HMCS Charlottetown, and served four months in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. He was commissioned as a Cryptologic Limited Duty Officer (LDO) in 2007. In 2016 he redesignated as a Restricted Line Cryptologic Warfare Officer (1810).
As an officer, he served at Navy Information Operations Command (NIOC) Bahrain, where he qualified as a Special Evaluator on the EP-3 supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. At NIOC Maryland, he managed the Advanced Language Response Team (ALRT), establishing operational opportunities for his Sailors across the Intelligence Community. During his tour as the Officer in Charge, NIOD Kaneohe Bay, his Sailors deployed to support P-3 missions in 5
th, 6
th, and 7
th Fleet. At NIOC Hawaii he qualified as NSA Senior Operations Officer, served as the Air Operations Department Head and NIOC Hawaii N1. While at U.S. Central Command, he served in the J2 ISR Division, responsible for the allocation of airborne ISR assets across the CENTCOM area of responsibility. He reported to Bahrain in August 2020 to serve as the NIOC Bahrain XO until October 2021 when the command was disestablished. He served as the Chief Staff Officer at Task Force 59, supporting 5
th Fleet operational requirements with unmanned systems and Artificial Intelligence. In March 2023, he reported to Commander, Carrier Strike Group THREE in Bremerton, Wash., to serve as the Deputy Information Warfare Commander, Integrated Fires Officer and Maritime Fires Officer. He deployed with ABESG in 2024 to support operations in 7
th and 5
th Fleet AORs, enabling kinetic and non-kinetic effects in support of Strike Group operations.
Cmdr. Schmidt’s military awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal (seven awards), Aerial Achievement Medal (two awards), Joint Service Commendation Medal (two awards), and various campaign and unit decorations.