A Sturgeon Bay native and 33-year U.S. Navy veteran has been promoted to rear admiral

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A Sturgeon Bay native was promoted to rear admiral (upper half) in the U.S. Navy.

Rear Adm. Paul Schlise received his second star recently from Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday. He previously held the rank of rear admiral (lower half), a one-star rank that was called commodore until 1985 and is roughly equivalent to being a brigadier general in other U.S. services.

A rear admiral (upper half), usually addressed simply as rear admiral, is equivalent to a major general and is the highest permanent rank obtainable during peacetime.

In his 33rd year in the Navy, Schlise is a surface warfare officer and was named director of Surface Warfare Division N96 in June 2020. He attended Corpus Christi Catholic School and Sturgeon Bay High School, graduating from the latter in 1985.

He graduated from Marquette University in Milwaukee with a degree in business in 1989 and joined the Navy that year after receiving his commission through the school's Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps program.

“I initially joined the Navy based on the education opportunity afforded via the ROTC scholarship program," Schlise said in a media release. “I had no idea it would lead to a lifelong career, but here we are, 33 years and counting.”

Schlise is serving currently at the Pentagon for a fourth time. His duties there include developing warfighting requirements and serving as resource sponsor for the Navy’s surface forces. He oversees a $131 billion budget across the Future Years Defense Program that covers everything from purchasing new ships and missiles to paying surface fleet sailors' monthly salaries.

Although serving now at the Pentagon, Schlise said his true love is sea duty. He has served as commander of the destroyer USS Halsey, Destroyer Squadron 7 and Carrier Strike Group 10/USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Strike Group. Schlise has completed nine overseas deployments, including with Operation Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Enduring Freedom, and served in shore-based overseas jobs in Singapore and as deputy commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet in Bahrain.

His personal awards include the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal and Navy Achievement Medal.

Schlise said his time spent sailing and fishing on the waters around Door County provided an appreciation for the challenges and sometimes unforgiving nature of sea duty. He noted his time working in his father’s plumbing business and the leadership opportunities afforded through high school academics, athletics and student government as part of the formula to succeed in the military.

“Packerland is founded on Midwestern values — hard work, honesty, trustworthiness and being a good shipmate — attributes that’ll take you a long way in the Navy,” he said. “Regardless of where you came from, whether you decide to serve for three years or 30, hard work is recognized and rewarded.”

Contact Christopher Clough at 920-741-7952, 920-562-8900 or cclough@doorcountyadvocate.com.

RELATED:  New Franken native, Luxemburg-Casco alumni to take command of U.S. Navy air squadron

FOR MORE DOOR COUNTY NEWS: Check out our homepage

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Door County native promoted to rear admiral in the U.S. Navy