Tomorrow Commander Brian L. P. Schulz will be relieved by Commander Chelsey Zwicker as the Commanding Officer, Navy Information Operations Command, Yokosuka.  

Commander Schulz was honored to serve as Commander, Task Group 1070.2 and Commanding Officer, U.S. Navy Information Operations Command Yokosuka, from July 2019 to June 2021. He led a team of 150 Forward Deployed Naval Forces (FDNF) Japan Sailors across two distinct sites conducting SIGINT, CYBER, and EW operations in support of C7F.

Inheriting a high performing team with an incredible history of achievements and success, he focused on realigning the Command across six distinct lines of effort focused at combating Great Power Competition. His team deployed 6,000 days to meet 100% of Commander, Seventh Fleet tasking, processed over 3 Million electronic signals, conducted 100 installations and removals on 22 platforms, developed and implemented a Five Year Japanese Partner Engagement Strategy, and drove the successful recertification and ensuing operations of the Navy’s only forward-deployed Cyber Protection Team.

Even in the face of COVID-19 and the ensuing challenges, his team never faltered! Over the past two years, his team was recognized with numerous awards and accolades, to include: 2019 & 2020 Retention Excellence Award, 2019 EIWS Pennant, 2020 CFAY Men’s Captains Cup Champions, 2020 CFAY Women’s Captains Cup Champions, 2020 FCC/C10F Sailor of the Year, 2020 NAVIFOR Sailor of the Year, 2019 CAPT Rochefort Award Winner, 2019 USO Japan Salute to Service Award Winner, and the 2020 US Japan Navy Friendship Association Award.

Commander Schulz’s biography:

CDR Brian L. P. Schulz, USN
Commanding Officer, NIOC Yokosuka // Commander, CTG 1070.2

Commander Brian Schulz was born in Round Rock, Texas and was commissioned as a Naval Cryptologist in 2002 after earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Quantitative Economics from the United States Naval Academy.

His initial tour was at Naval Security Group Activity Kunia, Hawaii, where he served as Senior Operations Watch Officer, Subsurface Direct Support Officer, and augmented the Commander, Seventh Fleet, Information Operations Directorate embarked in USS BLUERIDGE.

In 2005, he reported for flight duty to Navy Information Operations Command (NIOC) Misawa, Japan.  During this tour, he served as a Special Evaluator onboard VQ EP-3E reconnaissance aircraft, forward-deployed Officer-in-Charge, and Operations Department Head.

In 2008, he reported the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, where he earned a Master of Science Degree in Information Warfare Systems Engineering.  Additionally, he served as a Director’s Fellow with the 2010 Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Strategic Studies Group (SSG) XXIX and completed a second Master’s degree in Strategic Intelligence.

In 2010, he reported to the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he served as the JSOC SIGINT Chief and completed multiple deployments to Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa in support of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) Joint Task Forces.

In 2013, he reported to NIOC Colorado in Aurora, Colorado, where he served as the Executive Officer for Sailors conducting operations within the Aerospace Data Facility Colorado and as the Deputy Commander of Task Force 1080.

In 2015, he reported to Duke University as the Navy’s Federal Executive Fellow (FEF) at the Duke Sanford School for Public Policy and the Triangle Institute for Counterterrorism Studies.  Upon the completion of this fellowship, he reported to the Navy Personnel Command in Millington, Tennessee, where he served as the Cryptologic Warfare Junior Officer Detailer.

In 2017, he reported to Commander Naval Forces Europe/Naval Forces Africa/Sixth Fleet in Naples, Italy, where he served as the Deputy Director of Intelligence and Force Cryptologist across the three combined staffs.

In 2019, he reported to NIOC Yokosuka, Japan, where he currently serves as the NIOC Commanding Officer and Commander of Task Group 1070.2.

Over the course of his career, he has been awarded various personal and unit awards as a result of the hard-work and determination of the various teams he has been honored to lead.  He is married to the former Ellie Robinson and they have three beautiful children, Sadie, Zeke, and Silas.  His hobbies include working-out, reading, and exploring the world with his wife and children.

Congratulations skipper on a successful command tour!