Lieutenant General Waldhauser was born in South St. Paul, Minnesota, and is a graduate of Bemidji State University. He was commissioned in 1976 as an infantry officer. His company grade assignments included platoon and company commander billets with both the 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions; Commanding Officer of the Marine Detachment aboard the USS Long Beach (CGN-9); and staff of the Commander of Amphibious Squadron Seven.

As a field grade officer, Lieutenant General Waldhauser was a Battalion Landing Team Operations Officer and served on the faculty of the Amphibious Warfare School. During the Amphibious Warfare School tour, he deployed to the staff of the Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Central Command (Forward) during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Lieutenant General Waldhauser also served on the II Marine Expeditionary Force staff and was the Battalion Landing Team Commander of 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment. He also had duty at Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, and the Pentagon with the Joint Staff Combating Terrorism Directorate (J-34).

As a Colonel, Lieutenant General Waldhauser assumed command of the 15th MEU (SOC) in 2000. During this tour, the 15th MEU (SOC) participated in combat operations in Southern Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom and in Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Appointed to the rank of Brigadier General in 2003, his initial assignments as a General Officer were Commanding General, Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, and Deputy Commander, Marine Corps Combat Development Command. From 2006-2007, he served as Chief of Staff, US Special Operations Command, in Tampa, Florida.

As a Major General, he commanded the First Marine Division from September 2007 until July 2009.

Promoted to Lieutenant General in 2009, Lieutenant General Waldhauser served as the Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies, and Operations during 2009-2010. From October 2010 through September 2012, he served as the Commanding General, I Marine Expeditionary Force, and Commanding General, U S Marine Corps Forces Central Command. Lieutenant General Waldhauser served as the Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense from October 2012 through September 2013.

Lieutenant General Waldhauser is currently serving as the Acting Director of Opertions, Joint Staff J3, although he is assigned as the Director for Joint Force Development, Joint Staff J7.

Lieutenant General Waldhauser has attended U.S. Army Ranger School, Jumpmaster School, Amphibious Warfare School, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, and the National War College where he earned a Masters Degree in National Security Strategies.

COL Jim Lowe is a native of Muncy, PA. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY in 1990. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as a Field Artillery Officer and attended the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course.

COL Lowe’s first assignment was at Fort Bragg, NC where he served as a Company Fire Support Officer, Battery Fire Direction Officer, Battery Executive Officer and Battalion S1 in the 82d Airborne Division. Upon completion of the Field Artillery Officer Advanced Course, he was assigned to the 2d Infantry Division in Korea as an Assistant Division Artillery Operations Officer.

COL Lowe returned to Fort Bragg and was assigned to the XVIII Airborne Corps Headquarters as an Assistant Fire Support Coordinator. He then served in the 82d Airborne Division as a Battalion Fire Support Officer and commanded A/1-319th AFAR and Headquarters Battery, 82d Airborne Division Artillery.

Upon completion of command, COL Lowe was assigned to the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, LA as a Firing Battery Observer/Controller and the Senior Fire Support Planner. His next assignment was at Fort Leavenworth, KS for the Command and General Staff College (CGSC).

Following CGSC, COL Lowe’s next assignment was with the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, KY where he deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) as the Division Fire Support Planner for OIF I. He then served as a Battalion Operations Officer and subsequently served as a Battalion Executive Officer, deploying back to Iraq for a second tour for OIF V-VII.

COL Lowe returned to Fort Leavenworth and was assigned to the Battle Command Training Program as an Operations Officer. He then served as the Chief of Fires for the 2d Infantry Division in Korea. Following his return from Korea, he served at the Center for Army Leadership (CAL) at Fort Leavenworth. At CAL, COL Lowe was responsible for the update to FM 6-22, Army Leadership.

COL Lowe was then assigned to Schofield Barracks, HI where he assumed command of 3d Battalion, 7th Field Artillery and deployed to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) 12. While deployed to Afghanistan, Task Force Steel provided fires to two Brigade Combat Teams with nine firing platoons across four provinces in eastern Afghanistan. Task Force Steel also provided security at Torkham Gate in the historic Khyber Pass. Following command, COL Lowe was the Deputy Chief of Staff at the United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) at Camp Smith, HI and the Chief of Fires at the United States Army Pacific (USARPAC) at Fort Shafter, HI. COL Lowe returned to Fort Leavenworth where he is the Director for the Joint Center for International Security Force Assistance (JCISFA). COL Lowe holds a Master’s Degree in Military History from Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge, LA. COL Lowe is a graduate of the following advanced military training: Air Assault, Airborne, Jumpmaster, Pathfinder, Ranger, Joint Targeting, Joint Firepower Control and Joint Air Operations Courses. COL Lowe’s awards include the Bronze Star (2 OLC), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (1 SOLC), Army Commendation Medal (1 SOLC) and Army Achievement Medal (1 SOLC).