Robert J. Taylor, Jr., a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Director for Joint Exercise, Training, and Assessments (J7), United States Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, NE. Mr. Taylor is directly responsible for individual and collective training, integrating command exercises and assessing the command’s campaign effectiveness as a contribution to the global security environment across all USSTRATCOM assigned missions. These missions include the global integration of strategic deterrence, nuclear operations, global strike, advanced analysis, missile defense and joint electromagnetic spectrum operations.
The J7 Director represents the Commander, USSTRATCOM at senior level departmental, interagency and international planning, training, exercise, and assessment strategy meetings and events. In accordance with the Commander’s vision and intent, Mr. Taylor drives a holistic program of internal and external events that demonstrate readiness of USSTRATCOM to execute a decisive response against any adversary threatening U.S. national interests. This constant drumbeat of training and global exercises is the hallmark of USSTRATCOM’s most important mission – strategic deterrence.
Mr. Taylor is a Distinguished Military Graduate of the Army ROTC program at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. He has earned two Master of Arts degrees in Military Art and Science. As a career Army officer, he has been awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal, three Bronze Stars, five Meritorious Service Medals, seven Iraqi Campaign Medals, and is Airborne & Ranger qualified. He has served in key staff positions in Army and Joint units from battalion to unified command level, and has commanded Army units from platoon to brigade. Mr. Taylor has four combat tours in Iraq, deployed special mission capabilities globally, and has an operational deployment as part of Stabilization Force 4-5 in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
EDUCATION
1985 Bachelor of Science, Biology, University of Nebraska, Kearney, NE
1996 Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, KS
1997 Master of Arts, Military Art and Science, School of Advanced Military Studies, Fort Leavenworth, KS
2007 Master of Arts, Military Art and Science, Senior Service College, Advanced Operational Art Studies Fellowship, Fort Leavenworth, KS
2008 National Security Management Fellow, National Security Studies Program, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
2011 Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, VA
2012 U.S. Army Senior Leader Seminar, Eastern Management Development Center, Shepherdstown, WV
2015 U.S. Air Force Enterprise Perspectives Seminar, Alan L. Freed Associates, Washington, DC
CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1982-1985 Armor crewman, 1st Battalion 195th Armor Regiment, Nebraska Army National Guard, Holdrege, NE
1985-1990 Assistant Intelligence Officer (S2) for 3rd Brigade; Intelligence Officer (S2) for 1st Battalion 8th Infantry; Collection and Jamming Platoon Leader and Logistics Officer (S4) for 104th Military Intelligence Battalion, and S2 for 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, CO
1990-1991 Student, Military Intelligence Officer Advanced Course, United States Army Intelligence Center and School, Fort Huachuca, AZ
1991-1993 Intelligence Operations Officer (G2) for 3rd Infantry Division; Commander of A Company, 103rd Military Intelligence Battalion; Assistant Operations Officer (S3) for 103rd Military Intelligence Battalion 3rd Infantry Division, Wurzburg, Germany
1993-1995 Military Intelligence Captain's Assignment Officer, US Army Personnel Command Alexandria, VA
1995-1997 Student, United States Army Command and General Staff College and Advanced Military Studies Program, Fort Leavenworth, KS
1997-1998 Chief, War Plans and Exercises, III Corps, Fort Hood, TX
1998-1999 Battalion Operations Officer (S3) for 312th Military Intelligence Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX, deployed for Operation Joint Forge, Multi-National Division-North, Task Force Eagle, Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Stabilization Force 4-5
1999-2000 Deputy Division Intelligence Officer (G2), 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX
2000-2001 Deputy Commander/Chief of Staff, 504th Military Intelligence Brigade, Fort Hood, TX
2001-2002 Senior Intelligence Officer (G2), 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX
2002-2004 Battalion Commander, 103rd Military Intelligence Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, GA (Deployed for combat operations and the Liberation of Iraq) Operation Iraqi Freedom
2004-2006 Senior Intelligence Officer (G2), 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, GA and Multi-National Division-Baghdad, Operation Iraqi Freedom
2006-2008 Student and Seminar Leader, Senior Service College Fellowship, School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS), Advanced Military Studies Program, Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, KS
2007 Chief, Commander's Initiative Group, Multi-National Corps, Baghdad, Iraq, Operation Iraqi Freedom
2008-2010 Brigade Commander, 704th Military Intelligence Brigade (Army Element Commander in support of the National Security Agency), US Army Intelligence and Security Command, Fort Meade, MD
2010-2011 Senior Intelligence Officer (G2), III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas; dual hatted as the Deputy J2, US Forces-Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn, Iraq
2011-2014 Executive Officer for the Commander, United States Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, NE
2014-2019 Deputy Director for Plans and Policy, United States Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, NE
2019-Present Director, Joint Exercises, Training, and Assessments, United States Strategic Command, Offutt AFB Base, NE
AWARDS AND HONORS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star, 3d award
Meritorious Service Medal, 5th award
Joint Meritorious Civilian Service Award
Army Commendation Medal, 2nd award
Army Achievement Medal, 4th award
Presidential Unit Citation
Joint Meritorious Unit Award, 3rd award
Meritorious Unit Commendation
Iraqi Campaign Medal with seven campaign stars
NATO Medal
Combat Action Badge
Parachute Badge
Ranger Tab
(Current as of August 2019)