Chris Oswalt

Mr. Oswalt is a student of the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State

University (OSU). He is an undergraduate seeking a Bachelor of Science in Public

Policy Analysis with a minor in Science, Engineering, and Public Policy, as well as a

Bachelor of Arts in Arabic. As a Buckeye, he has held positions as a research assistant

with the College of Engineering assigned to OSU Welding Engineering at the Edison

Joining Technology Center; a Veterans Community Advocate with the Office of

Military and Veteran Services assigned to the OSU Athletics Department; and is also a

Founding Father of the OSU Zeta Omega ΖΩ Chapter of the Sigma Tau Gamma ΣΤΓ

Fraternity. Mr. Oswalt plans to complete the Master of Public Administration (MPA)

program and apply his experience and talents to meaningful public policy at the state,

federal, and international levels of government. His key policy interests are energy

solutions, environmental sustainability, space exploration, and veteran advocacy.

Prior to becoming a Buckeye, Mr. Oswalt concluded a 25-year career of combined service as an active-duty U.S. Army

soldier and U.S. Government civilian contractor for the Departments of Defense and State. His assignments included

twelve overseas deployments to Iraq (5), Afghanistan (4), Yemen (1), Africa (1), and Kuwait (1) in support of Operations

DESERT THUNDER, SOUTHERN WATCH, ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM, and INHERENT

RESOLVE.

As an active-duty soldier, Mr. Oswalt served in the Army’s Military Intelligence Corps and was assigned to the XVIII

Airborne Corps (Sky Dragons), America’s premier rapid-deployment unit, and the legendary 5th Special Forces Group

(The Legion) as an Electronic Warfare Signals Intelligence Operator and Arabic linguist. He was also a Non-

Commissioned Officer, paratrooper, team weapons sergeant, battalion armorer, and a graduate of the Arabic language

course at the Defense Language Institute, Presidio of Monterey, CA – earning diploma ratings in reading, writing, and

speaking Modern Standard Arabic as well as the Iraqi, Syrian, and Egyptian dialects.

Service-disabled from a parachuting injury, Mr. Oswalt continued to support military and government operations as a

civilian contractor specializing in security, intelligence, counterterrorism, logistics, and operations management. Key

positions held include Project Manager, Site Manager, and Secretary of the Joint Staff with the Office of Security

Cooperation-Iraq, U.S. Embassy, Baghdad; Program Manager with U.S. Navy Special Surveillance Programs; Director

of Operations, Country Manager, Site Manager, Project Manager, and Compliance Officer with the Defense Logistics

Agency; and Senior Operations Manager with U.S. Central Command.

Mr. Oswalt is an Ohio native born in Wooster and a graduate of Loudonville High School, Class of 1992. He is married

to the former Daisy Maria Santos of Philadelphia and has two daughters, Cassidy and Skylar, and three sons, Gabriel,

Aric, and Xavier. Both Cassidy and Gabriel are currently attending The Ohio State University with their father, a first-

generation college student himself. At the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), Cassidy

is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Environment, Economy, Development, and Sustainability (EEDS) through the

School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR). Gabriel is an Army ROTC cadet seeking a Bachelor of Science

in Aerospace Engineering and pursuing his goal of earning an active-duty commission as an Army helicopter pilot.

Mr. Oswalt continues his service in advocacy, community involvement, and civic engagement through the following

organizations:

• American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics (AIAA)

• OSU Chapter of the Phi Sigma Theta Φ Σ Θ National Honor Society

• OSU Sigma Alpha Pi Σ Α Π Chapter of the National Society of Leadership & Success (NSLS)

• U.S. Army Special Forces Association (SFA); Chapters XLV (OH), LXXV (CA), and XCI (Iraq)

• Defense Language Institute Alumni Association (DLIAA)

• U.S. Army Aviation Association of America (Quad-A)

• U.S. Military Intelligence Corps Association (MICA)

• U.S. Special Operations Association (SOA)

• Student Veterans of America (SVA)