Military career
Schmidt attended the United States Military Academy, graduating as a member of the class of 1992. She was commissioned as a military intelligence officer and began her career as a platoon leader in the 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea. She later served as company commander in the 82nd Airborne Division before serving as the intelligence officer for the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment and later for the entire division.
During the September 11 attacks, Schmidt served as military intern in the office of Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz. She left the Pentagon for her morning run around 8:00 AM and was on her way back when Flight 77 hit the building. She recounts not seeing the plane hit the building, but seeing the explosion which she initially believed to be a bomb.
She later described the attacks as vital to her decision of staying in the military instead of choosing a different career path, something she had been considering up to that point.
She also served as senior intelligence officer and squadron commander for the 1st Special Operations Detachment-Delta.
Schmidt later became the intelligence brigade commander for Joint Special Operations Command, chief of staff for the 82nd Airborne Division and eventually served as chief of the initiatives group for the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army.
She was promoted to brigadier general on June 2, 2018. Her initial general officer assignment was as Director of Intelligence (J-2) of US Special Operations Command until June 2019.
In June 2019, she assumed the role of deputy commanding general, 10th Mountain Division (Light). She was then assigned as Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence of the Resolute Support Mission and Director of Intelligence for United States Forces-Afghanistan from July 2020 to the end of the U.S. involvement in July 2021.
Schmidt was promoted to major general on July 29, 2021, and assigned as Director of Operations for the Defense Intelligence agency until 2022.
She then worked as the director of force development of the United States Army until August 2023. From August to September 2023, she served as deputy commanding general of the I Corps. In September 2023, she assumed command of the 7th Infantry Division, a position she held until October 2025.
Schmidt was promoted to lieutenant general on December 5, 2025, in her current role as Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence (G-2) of the United States Army.
She has completed 15 deployments to Iraq and three to Afghanistan, earning her twelve Overseas Service Bars.
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