Brigadier General Chris Spillman, U.S. Army, Retired, mentors Army corps and division senior leaders and staff in the planning, preparation, and execution of large-scale combat operations in support of joint and combined operations during Army Warfighter Exercises.  In this role he is responsible for setting direction and focus for Army trainers in the collection of observations and insights that assist the training audience in advancing leader development and mission readiness.  

Prior to joining the Mission Command Training Program, Spillman was the director of Strategy and Business Development, Integrated Air & Missile Defense for the Combat Systems & Mission Readiness division of Northrop Grumman’s Defense Systems sector.  In this role, he was responsible for developing strategies to provide software and hardware networked capabilities to U.S. and partner nations that integrate land, air, sea, and space-based sensors with kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities to defeat current and emerging air threats.

Before joining Northrop Grumman, Spillman worked as a senior associate for Booz Allen Hamilton advising the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of Defense.  Spillman has also worked as an independent consultant specializing in joint air and missile defense operations and training and as an advisor for Stellar Solutions in support of the Missile Defense Agency.

With almost 38 years of active-duty service, Spillman served in a variety of leadership and staff roles and has substantial experience leading air and missile defense warfighting commands deployed around the globe.  As Commandant of the Army’s Air Defense Artillery School and as the Chief of Air Defense Artillery, he led transformational efforts to adapt air and missile defense doctrine, organization, training and leader development for emerging capabilities. On the Department of the Army Staff, Spillman supported Army planning, programming, budgeting and execution processes and analysis of Army long-range strategic capabilities requirements for air defense and field artillery weapons systems programs and capabilities.  

Spillman earned a bachelor’s degree in social sciences from California State University, San Bernardino, a master’s degree in management from Saint Mary University, Leavenworth, KS. and a master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the Air War College, Maxwell AFB, AL.

During his years of service, Spillman earned numerous military awards and decorations including the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal and the Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters. Spillman is member of the Ancient Order of Saint Barbara and the Association of the United States Army.

Raised in Santa Rosa, California, he now resides in Kansas City, Missouri with his wife of 39 years, Joanne. They have four children and six grandchildren.