A Phi Beta Kappa, Lieutenant Colonel Charles R. Shrader earned a bachelor's degree at Vanderbilt University and a doctorate in history at Columbia University. He also completed courses of study at the Airborne School, the Transportation Officer Advanced Course, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (USACGSC) and the U.S. Army War College (USAWC).

He has taught European history at the U.S. Military Academy, military history at USACGSC, and military history and strategy at USAWC. He also served in the Republic of Vietnam with the 11th Transportation Battalion and the 48th Transportation Group and in Germany with the 4th Transportation Brigade and the 53d Transportation Battalion. Formerly Chief of the Research Committee, Combat Studies Institute, USACGSC, he is now Chief of the Oral History Branch, U.S. Army Military History Institute, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania.

His published works include several articles in various scholarly and military journals.