Lieutenant Colonel Paul A. Thomas

Lt. Col. Paul Thomas is a Joint Qualified Army Strategist currently serving as the Chief, Strategic Integration Team, G5 Plans, at U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF). He is a 2003 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry.

Lt. Col. Thomas enlisted in the Army in 1996 as an intelligence analyst and linguist assigned to Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia. Following his commissioning, Lt. Col. Thomas served in the 173rd Airborne Brigade, Vicenza, Italy; 1st and 4th Brigades of the 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas; Army Test and Evaluation Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland; Headquarters, Department of the Army, Arlington, Virginia; and U.S. Army Africa, Vicenza, Italy. His most recent assignment was the Chief, Trends Analysis Branch of the Strategic Trends and Effects Department of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. While serving in that position he completed a nine-month detail to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy where he developed the Department of Defense Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Strategy.

Lt. Col. Thomas’ civilian education includes a Master of Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and an Associate’s Degree in Foreign Language from Monterrey Peninsula College.  His military education includes the Joint and Combined Warfighting School (JPME II), Command and General Staff Course, Basic Strategic Arts Program, Defense Strategy Course, Maneuver Captain’s Career Course, Infantry Officer Basic Course, Ranger School, Airborne School, Air Assault School, Signal Intelligence Analyst Basic Course, and Basic Arabic Course from the Defense Language Institute.

His awards and decorations include two Bronze Star Medals, a Defense Meritorious Service Medal, five Meritorious Service Medals, three Army Commendation Medals, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one Campaign Star, Iraq Campaign Medal with one Campaign Star, Army Service Ribbon, Army Overseas Ribbon with numeral three, Army Staff Identification Badge, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Expert Infantryman’s Badge, Ranger Tab, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Polish Parachutist Badge, German Physical Proficiency Badge, and three Combat Service Bars.