BG (Ret) Edward P. Naessens, Jr. PhD
BG(Ret) Edward Naessens graduated from West Point in 1981 and was commissioned a Lieutenant in the Infantry. His education includes a Master of Science in Physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Nuclear Engineering and Science from RPI. His military education includes
Infantry Officer Basic Course, Armor Officer Advanced Course (Distinguished Honor Graduate), Combined Services Staff College, Command and General Staff College, and the Naval War College where he earned a Master’s Degree in National Security Strategy.
His early assignments included duties as a rifle platoon leader, scout platoon leader, company executive officer, and Aide de Camp with the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii from February 1982 to
February 1984. He served as a motorized rifle company commander, battalion operations officer, and
brigade assistant operations officer with the 9th Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, Washington, from August
1985 to June 1989. Later he served as a battalion executive officer, brigade operations officer, and
brigade executive officer with the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York, from June 1994 to June
1996.
Operational deployments include serving as the task force operations officer with the Multinational Force & Observers (MFO) mission in Sinai, Egypt, from March to October 1988. From February to April 2002, he deployed to Afghanistan as the Deputy CJ5 for CJTF Mountain in support of Operation Anaconda. From June to September 2004, he deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan as the Chief, Military Academy Implementation Support Team, Office of the Military Cooperation-Afghanistan (OMC-A). In this position he began work with the Afghanistan leadership to build the National Military Academy of Afghanistan (NMAA) modeled after West Point. From May to August 2006, he served as the Deputy Brigade Commander of the 17th FA Brigade in Baghdad, Iraq. He served as the Senior Academic Mentor to the NMAA from August 2008 to June 2009 and then as the Team Chief and Senior Advisor from July 2010 to August 2011 as part of the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan (NTM-A)/Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan (CSTC-A) in Kabul, Afghanistan. In May 2015 he deployed to Afghanistan as the Chief of Staff of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Security Assistance (DCOS SA) and CSTC-A through May 2016.
At West Point, BG(Ret) Naessens served as an instructor and Assistant Professor from 1991 to 1994 and as an Academy and Associate Professor from 1999 to 2009. He was selected as Professor of Nuclear Engineering in 2007. In 2009, he was selected as Professor USMA, and Head of the Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering until he retired from the US Army on 31 August 2019.
BG(Ret) Naessens’ awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (4 OLC), Joint Service Commendation Medal (1 OLC), Army Commendation Medal (10 OLC), Army Achievement Medal (5 OLC), Afghanistan Campaign Medal (6 stars), Iraq Campaign Medal (1 star), Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Multinational Force & Observers Medal, NATO Medal, the Expert Infantry Badge, Airborne and Air Assault wings, and the Ranger Tab.
The Naessens reside in Compass Pointe, Leland NC. BG(Ret) Naessens is currently serving as the Director of Engineering at Brunswick Community College teaching and inspiring future engineers. BG(Ret) Naessens is married to Marie Errico of Tarrytown, NY and has three children Shawn Marie (USMA ‘05), Edward, and Allison (ECU ROTC ’12) and seven grandchildren Aiden, Isabella, Ariana, Logan, Skylar, Everest, and Tre.
Infantry Officer Basic Course, Armor Officer Advanced Course (Distinguished Honor Graduate), Combined Services Staff College, Command and General Staff College, and the Naval War College where he earned a Master’s Degree in National Security Strategy.
His early assignments included duties as a rifle platoon leader, scout platoon leader, company executive officer, and Aide de Camp with the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii from February 1982 to
February 1984. He served as a motorized rifle company commander, battalion operations officer, and
brigade assistant operations officer with the 9th Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, Washington, from August
1985 to June 1989. Later he served as a battalion executive officer, brigade operations officer, and
brigade executive officer with the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York, from June 1994 to June
1996.
Operational deployments include serving as the task force operations officer with the Multinational Force & Observers (MFO) mission in Sinai, Egypt, from March to October 1988. From February to April 2002, he deployed to Afghanistan as the Deputy CJ5 for CJTF Mountain in support of Operation Anaconda. From June to September 2004, he deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan as the Chief, Military Academy Implementation Support Team, Office of the Military Cooperation-Afghanistan (OMC-A). In this position he began work with the Afghanistan leadership to build the National Military Academy of Afghanistan (NMAA) modeled after West Point. From May to August 2006, he served as the Deputy Brigade Commander of the 17th FA Brigade in Baghdad, Iraq. He served as the Senior Academic Mentor to the NMAA from August 2008 to June 2009 and then as the Team Chief and Senior Advisor from July 2010 to August 2011 as part of the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan (NTM-A)/Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan (CSTC-A) in Kabul, Afghanistan. In May 2015 he deployed to Afghanistan as the Chief of Staff of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Security Assistance (DCOS SA) and CSTC-A through May 2016.
At West Point, BG(Ret) Naessens served as an instructor and Assistant Professor from 1991 to 1994 and as an Academy and Associate Professor from 1999 to 2009. He was selected as Professor of Nuclear Engineering in 2007. In 2009, he was selected as Professor USMA, and Head of the Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering until he retired from the US Army on 31 August 2019.
BG(Ret) Naessens’ awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (4 OLC), Joint Service Commendation Medal (1 OLC), Army Commendation Medal (10 OLC), Army Achievement Medal (5 OLC), Afghanistan Campaign Medal (6 stars), Iraq Campaign Medal (1 star), Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Multinational Force & Observers Medal, NATO Medal, the Expert Infantry Badge, Airborne and Air Assault wings, and the Ranger Tab.
The Naessens reside in Compass Pointe, Leland NC. BG(Ret) Naessens is currently serving as the Director of Engineering at Brunswick Community College teaching and inspiring future engineers. BG(Ret) Naessens is married to Marie Errico of Tarrytown, NY and has three children Shawn Marie (USMA ‘05), Edward, and Allison (ECU ROTC ’12) and seven grandchildren Aiden, Isabella, Ariana, Logan, Skylar, Everest, and Tre.