Lieutenant Colonel Ben Schneller is the Commander of 2nd NATO Signal Battalion (2NSB) headquartered at Grazzanise Airbase, Italy. 2NSB is a joint and multi-national element comprised of Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Service Members from nine Allied Nations. The Battalion provides Communication Information Systems to deployed NATO Headquarters across the Area of Operations.
Lieutenant Colonel Ben Schneller was born in Omaha Nebraska and raised in an Air Force family. He commissioned from the University of Portland ROTC program in 2003 as a distinguished Military Graduate. Upon earning his commission, LTC Schneller attended the Armor Officer Basic Course at Fort Knox and received the Draper Leadership award. Following his first assignment in the Republic of Korea, LTC Schneller attended the Signal Officer Basic Qualification Course at Fort Gordon, GA and transitioned to the Signal Corps.
Lieutenant Colonel Schneller's leadership positions include Tank Platoon Leader, Company Commander for 472nd Signal Company, and Detachment Commander for Deployable Communication Detachment-Alpha 2nd NATO Signal Battalion. He has held a variety of staff positions including Battalion/Squadron Signal Officer (S6), Battalion Operations Officer (S3), Brigade Signal Officer (S6), Division Chief/Instructor US Army Signal School, and Professor of Military Science at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. He is a graduate of the Armor Officer Basic Course, Signal Captain Career Course, and Command and General Staff College. LTC Schneller has been stationed across the United States at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Fort Leavenworth, and Fort Gordon as well as overseas in Korea, Alaska, and Italy.
Lieutenant Colonel Schneller's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, NATO Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters and Army Achievement Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters. He is authorized to wear the Meritorious Unit Citation with Oak Leaf Cluster, Parachutist Badge, Senior Army Instructor Badge, and the Combat Action Badge.
Lieutenant Colonel Schneller and his wife Kim have been married for seventeen years. They have a daughter Kendal who is 16 years old and a son Ryan who is 12.