LtCol Craig Schnappinger

LtCol Craig Schnappinger is the Marine Corps senior military fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). The son of a career Coast Guard Officer, he attended officer candidate school and was commissioned in 2005, attended The Basic School in 2006, and graduated Basic Communications Officer Course in 2007.

Throughout his career, Schnappinger has deployed multiple times in support of security response missions, combat operations, and security cooperation missions to multiple combatant commands. His operational tours include: communications officer and platoon commander, Combat Logistics Battalion 5, Operation Iraqi Freedom; aide de camp to the commanding general of 2d Marine Aircraft Wing, Operation Enduring Freedom; company commander and operations officer, Marine Wing Communications Squadron 28, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing; communications officer and S6, 2d Marine Regiment, 2d Marine Division, Operation Odyssey Resolve, Operation Nimble Shield; communications officer and J6, Task Force Southwest, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Freedom Sentinel.

Schnappinger’s previous supporting establishment tours include: company commander, series Commander, and operations officer Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego; presidential communications officer, and commanding officer, Presidential Communications Command, White House Communications Agency, White House Military Office, Washington, D.C.

From 2023–2025, Schnappinger served as the commanding officer of Marine Wing Communications Squadron 28, Marine Air Control Group 28, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, NC. Schnappinger led 552 marines and sailors successfully executing: two deployments supporting crisis response operations in Africa, three marine expeditionary units, one special purpose marine air ground task force, and one deployment in support of Operation Prosperity Guardian.

Schnappinger earned his BA in business management from Fairfield University in 2004 and his MS in Military Studies from the Marine Corps University in 2020. Schnappinger is a communications officer, an advanced communications officer, a weapons and tactics instructor, a graduate of expeditionary warfare school, a graduate of marine corps command and staff college, a graduate of the joint forces staff college, and a joint qualified officer.

Schnappinger's awards include: Defense Meritorious Service Medal (1); Meritorious Service Medal (2); Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (2); Joint Service Achievement Medal (1); Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (2); Joint Meritorious Unit Award; National Defense Service Medal; Iraqi Campaign Medal (2), Afghanistan Campaign Medal (2); NATO Medal – ISAF Afghanistan; NATO Medal ; NATO Medal – Resolute Support Mission Afghanistan; Global War on Terrorism Medal (1); Armed Forces Service Medal (1).