Lt. Col. Schmittou was born in Hopkinsville, Kentucky in 1933. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, as an aviation cadet, in 1952 and retired in 1973, with 21 years of service. At the time of his retirement in 1973, he had more supersonic flying time than any other RSO/Navigator in the U.S. Air Force. Schmittou flew combat missions for the U.S. Air Force, in the SR-71 Blackbird aircraft, over North Vietnam for five consecutive years, beginning in May 1969, with the last one in February 1973. He also flew missions ordered by the National Security Agency over North Korea. All missions flown over North Korea were without Geneva Convention protection.

If any crewmember were shot down and captured, they would not be prisoners of war but would be treated as spies. Lt. Col. Schmittou arrived at Beale Air Force Base, California in April 1965 and was sent to the Lockheed Aircraft Plant in Burbank, California. Instructors were Kelly Johnson and Lockheed's top engineers and designers. Schmittou was a Reconnaissance Systems Officer, RSO, on the first SR-71 crew to be declared combat ready. Upon returning to Beale Air Force Base, Lt. Col. Schmittou helped to set up and organize the SR-71 training and standardization programs for the cadre of aircrews to follow him. He was the fourth crewmember with recognition for over 900 hours flying time in the SR-71. There are only a total of 18 aviators that have accomplished this goal.