Capt. Richard J. Schleicher was commissioned in 1957 from the Navy Recruit Officer Training Program at Villanova University where he received a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree.
Following commissioning, Capt. Schleicher served on USS Saratoga (CVA-60) and in the commissioning crew of USS Independence (CVA-62). After a tour of duty with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Structures Research Laboratory at Langley Air Force Base, Va.. he attended the U.S. Naval Submarine School and received nuclear power training at New London and Windsor Locks, Conn.
Capt. Schleicher qualified in submarines on USS Abraham Lincoln (SSBN-602) (Blue) and was engineer officer of the commissioning crew of USS Nathanael Greene (SSBN-636) (Gold).
After a total of six deterrent Polaris patrols, he reported to commander, Submarine Squadron 15 stall in Guam, as material office.
After a four year tour a executive officer on USS Seadragon (SSN-584), Capt Schleicher made five deterrent Poseidon patrols as commanding officer, USS Tecumseh (SSBN-628) (Blue). In July, 1975, Capt Schleicher reported to the staff of commander, Submarine Squadron 16 in Rota, Spain as deputy commander readiness and training and later assumed an additional position as chief staff officer. Following the relocation of Submarine Squadron 16 from Spain to Kings Bay, Georgia, Capt. Schleicher served as head of the Trident Program Coordination branch in the Strategic Submarine Division of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations Submarine Warfare in Washington D.C. until he assumed duties as commanding officer, Service School Command, San Diego, in November, 1982. On June 28, 985, Capt. Schleicher assumed duties as chief of staff at NTC and became center commander on June 25, 1986. John Finn Hall (see page 106) was dedicated at Recruit Training Command during Capt. Schleicher’s tenure.
Upon retirement from the Navy in 1987, Capt. Schleicher became a San Diego Community College science instructor at the Navy’s Broadened Opportunity for Officer Selection and Training (BOOST) college prep program where he taught until the school moved to Rhode Island in 1994.
As of 1997, he was the educational coordinator for the San Diego Model Railroad Museum in Balboa Park and a part time science instructor for San Diego Community College. Capt. Schleicher’s decorations include the Legion of Merit (two awards); Meritorious Service Medal; Navy Commendation Medal (two awards); Meritorious Unit Commendation; the National Defense Service Medal; the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; the Vietnam Service Medal; the Sear Service Ribbon and the SSBN Deterrent Patrol Pin (11 patrols).
Capt. Schleicher is from Huntington Beach, Calif. and is married to the former Margaret DeVylder of Cheshire, Conn. They have one son, Raymund, and currently lives in San Diego.
