Charles W Thomas (general)

Early military service

A native of Natchitoches, Louisiana and a graduate of Northwestern State University receiving a Bachelor and master's degree in Zoology, Thomas entered the Army in October 1968. Commissioned from Engineer Officer Candidate School on August 23, 1969 as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Military Intelligence Branch, he served consecutive junior officer and command and staff tours with the 25th Infantry Division and the U.S. Army Security Agency in Southeast Asia and Hawaii. After completing the Military Intelligence Officer advanced course in 1974, then Captain Thomas served as aide-de-camp to the Commanding General of the U.S Army Security Agency in Arlington, VA, followed by duty in the Army's Military Personnel Center as a Military Intelligence Officer Career Manager.

Military career

Upon promotion in 1979, Major Thomas served consecutively, as an Infantry Brigade Intelligence Officer (S-2), 124th Military Intelligence Battalion Operations Officer and Executive Officer in the 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Ft. Stewart, GA; subsequently attending the Army's Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas in 1982-83. Returning to Ft. Stewart and the 24th Infantry Division in 1983, he served as the Division Intelligence Officer (G-2) for 16 months. Selected for Battalion Command, then Lieutenant Colonel Thomas assumed command of the 302nd Military Intelligence Battalion in Frankfurt, Germany in January 1985. In March 1987, he assumed duties at the Army's Personnel Center in Alexandria, VA, as Chief of the Military Intelligence Branch. In 1988-89 he attended the National War College in Washington D.C., and upon graduation, went immediately to Military Intelligence Brigade Command in Turkey where he commanded the U.S. Army Field Station, Sinop, Turkey. After his command tour, COL Thomas was assigned to the Joint Staff in the Pentagon where he began duty in the Joint Staff Operations (J-3) as the Deputy for Intelligence in the Special Technical Operations Division of the Current Operations Division (J-33). Prior to the Gulf War, Colonel Thomas was ordered to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and was appointed Director of the Central Command Joint Intelligence Center where he served for the duration of Operation Desert Storm. In April 1991, he returned to his duties on the Joint Staff in the Pentagon.

In October 1991, Colonel Thomas was selected for Brigadier General and assigned as Vice Director for Current Intelligence, Joint Staff and Command Support, J-2/Defense Intelligence Agency. In June 1993, he was reassigned as Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Headquarters, United States Army Europe and Seventh Army in Heidelberg Germany. On November 10, 1994, he assumed command of the United States Army Intelligence Center and Ft. Huachuca and was selected for Major General in July 1995. Thomas's final assignment was as the chief of staff of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, Fort Monroe, Virginia from June 23, 1998 until his retirement, September 30, 2000.

Retirement

Upon retirement Thomas served as the Vice President of Defense and Intelligence Programs at Coleman Research in Washington D.C. until December 31, 2001. Currently he is Vice President for Army & Joint Operations, BAE Systems, Systems Engineering Solutions in Washington D.C. Thomas joined MEVATEC Corporation in January 2002 as the vice president of Washington operations. After MEVATEC’s acquisition by BAE Systems in April, 2003 he transferred to Huntsville as the BAE Systems Analytical Solutions’ vice president for business development. In July 2004 he assumed duties as Vice President & General Manager of BAE Systems Analytical & Ordnance Solutions. A subsequent reorganization in the BAE Systems Customer Solutions Operating Group combined several lines of business into Systems Engineering Solutions and Thomas’ responsibilities expanded their scope for Army & Joint Operations.