Edward J. Dillenschneider, M.A.

Edward J. Dillenschneider, M.A. is the Chief of Strategic Planning and Management at the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Washington DC; he is responsible for enterprise strategic planning. Ed also is a board member and committee chairman of the Association for Strategic Planning. He was commissioned in the New Mexico Army National Guard as an Air Defense Artillery Officer. He completed his twenty-eight years of uniformed military service in January 2007 as a reserve officer on active duty.
 
Some of his early memorable assignments include serving as a Duster Platoon Leader in the New Mexico National Guard, Redeye Section leader in the 82nd Airborne Division, and Detachment and Company Executive Officer in the 7th Special Forces Group Airborne. As special plans and operations officer at US Army South he was responsible for some interesting and significant operations as well as the start of his career in strategic planning. Duties as Commander ODA 741, 3rd Battalion 7th Special Forces Group Airborne included missions in Bolivia, Argentina, Venezuela, and Panama. Ed next worked as a plans officer at XVIIIth Airborne Corps Fort Bragg NC, including key roles in planning and executing of operation JUST CAUSE. He then served as Director of Counter Narcotics Plans and Operations, US Military Group, Colombia, including significant national policy responsibilities and work with senior Colombian officials.
 
He left active duty in May 1992 as part of the end of the Cold War drawdown then serving as a reserve mobilization operations and plans officer in the US Special Operations Command South from 1992–1998. During this time he also managed a retail scuba diving company and cofounded a tourism ground transportation company in Orlando Florida that he served as vice president of until 2006. From 1999–2004 while serving as a Futures Strategy Officer in the United States Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida he was responsible for analyzing future operating environments and identifying future Special Operations Forces (SOF) capabilities requirements and operating concepts.
 
From March 2004–January 2010, Ed was assigned as a Chief of Plans, Policy, and Strategy and then after his retirement as senior policy and strategy analyst, United States Special Operations Command South, headquartered at Homestead Air Force Reserve Base, Florida. Responsible for planning, policy, and strategy of special operations forces in support of the U.S. Southern Command’s geographic area of Central and South American and the Caribbean for the war on terrorism and the security of the United States of America. During this tour he was directly responsible for the strategies that resulted in the freeing of the American Contractor hostages that were being held in Colombia and the arrest of the group plotting the terrorist attack against the fuel systems of La Guardia Airport in New York City. During this time he also managed a USA Hockey Junior team and was Commissioner of the South East Junior Hockey League.
 
His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Defense Superior Service Award, five Joint Meritorious Unit Awards, Joint Service Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Combat Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Ranger Tab, Special Forces Tab, Meritorious Service Medal, Master Parachutist Badge, Army Service Ribbon, Tampa Chamber of Commerce Army Reserve officer of the year, and the Habitat for Humanity golden hammer award.
 
He earned his Associate of Arts Degree from the New Mexico Military Institute, his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Recreation and Theater from Eastern New Mexico University, and his Master’s Degree in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix. He has completed the Army Civilian Education System Advanced Course, is a Certified Strategic Management Professional, a Professional Association of Diving Instructors Master Diver Trainer, and a High School and youth Football Official. He is married (25 years in October 2011), and has five adult children and six grandchildren.