Lieutenant Colonel (R) Paul J. Chernauskas graduated, cum laude, with a bachelor’s degree in economics from Syracuse University in 1969. He also holds a master’s degree in management from Central Michigan University and completed the Senior Executive Fellows Program at Harvard University. In his senior year at Syracuse, LTC Chernauskas served as the Army ROTC Brigade Commander and Army/Air Force Joint Corps Commander and graduated as the top Distinguished Military Graduate at Syracuse University and received his commission in the Regular Army in 1969.
LTC Chernauskas served as a platoon leader in the 82d Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, NC, before a tour in Vietnam as an infantry platoon leader and company commander with the 173d Airborne Brigade. From 1971-74, he was assigned to the 519th Military Intelligence Battalion at Fort Bragg, in various analytical production leadership positions. After 4 years in Germany with U.S. Army Europe and the Berlin Brigade, then Major Chernauskas was assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency from 1980-83. After attending the Command and General Staff College Course, LTC Chernauskas served with the 500th Military Intelligence Brigade, Japan, as the S3 (Operations Officer). From October 1986 to October 1987, LTC Chernauskas served as the Operations Officer, Research and Analysis Directorate, at the U.S. Army Foreign Science & Technology Center, in Charlottesville, VA, before becoming the Director of Intelligence Operations, U.S. Army National Ground Intelligence Center (NGIC), Charlottesville, VA. LTC Chernauskas retired from the Army in 1991, and is a Department of the Army civilian employee, serving as the Director of Collection & Exploitation at the NGIC. He is responsible for managing the Army’s Foreign Materiel Program, as well as the Center’s Signatures, Media Exploitation, Biometrics, and Geospatial Intelligence Programs. LTC Chernauskas’ military awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal for Valor with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Meritorious Service Medal, two Oak Leave Clusters, the Air Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, and numerous service and campaign ribbons. He also earned the Combat Infantryman’s Badge and Parachutist’s Badge.
LTC Chernauskas and his wife, Penny, have three married sons: Brian, David, and Kenny, as we as six grandchildren.