Colorado Springs Military Navigators

Lt Col Mike Schmid, USAFR, retired.

Mike Schmid was born in 1952 at Barksdale AFB, LA and grew up in an AF family.  He came to faith in Christ in 1971 while a cadet at the USAF Academy, where he heard the Gospel for the first time and was then discipled by other cadets trained by The Navigators.  The Academy years were foundational for personal discipleship and ministry training through the Navigators.  

After graduating from the USAF Academy in 1974, he completed flight training at Craig AFB, AL where he met and married his wife Lorelei.  He flew B-52H bombers as an aircraft commander from 1975-1982.  His assignments included Castle AFB, CA; Kincheloe AFB, MI; Anderson AFB, Guam; and Ellsworth AFB, SD.  During their years on active duty, Mike and Lorelei continued to reach, disciple and equip air force men and women wherever they were stationed.

  In September 1982 Mike resigned his regular Air Force commission and joined The Navigators, serving the military in Colorado Springs.  He and Lorelei pioneered new ministries at Peterson AFB, Fort Carson, Schriever AFB and Cheyenne Mountain AFS.  In 1986 they began training Navigator Military Intern Staff and were asked to serve as Area Supervisor for the Northern Rocky Mountain Region Military Ministries.  Mike was part of the Navigators military launching task force and was selected to serve on the initial Military Leadership Team of the newly formed US Military Ministry entity in 1991.  

Mike served on the Navigators national Military Leadership Team from 1991 to October 2004.  In this role, Mike and Lorelei together have partnered in overseeing and shepherding Navigator Military Staff and their spouses throughout the Rocky Mountain, Texhoma, Southwest, California, Northwest and Pacific Regions of the Navigators Military Ministries.  In addition, he coordinated the ministries of Strike Force (a short term missionary development and deployment initiative), the Military Resource Action Team and our ministry initiatives serving to advance the Gospel within nine foreign nations’ militaries.  In addition, Mike has served in the Air Force Reserves as Deputy Director of Plans and Programs Division, North American Air Defense Command and was in that role in the months after 9-11 until his retirement after thirty years of service in July 2004. 

Currently Mike serves as the Director of Field Ministries for the Navigator Military Laborers Network.  In this capacity he and Lorelei coach and develop active duty and civilian laborer/leaders around the world as they evangelize, establish and equip military men and women to reach people in their spheres of life to live as fruitful followers of Jesus Christ where they live, work and play. 

Mike and Lorelei have two married daughters.  Jodie is married to Major Kevin Patrick currently stationed at Randolph AFB, TX.  Jessica is married to Captain Brian Kinney currently stationed at Wright Patterson AFB, OH.