Presently, Scales is the Exercise Manager for Public Health Preparedness and Response (PHPR) at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, GA. He is responsible for leading the program that designs, develops and conducts the CDC.s preparedness and response exercises and the agency.s participation in national level exercises in the support of CD preparedness activities.

In this capacity, Scales provides homeland security exercise and evaluation guidance and leadership to agency-wide exercise and planning efforts, and assists in the development of training and exercise programs across CDC Centers, Institutes and Office and with its international partners across the globe. He also represents the CDC at interagency and international conferences and is the CDC.s primary representative to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security National Exercise Program.

Additionally during CDC emergency response operations, Scales assumes the role of the Planning Section Chief as part the agency.s Incident Management staff. He has participated in CDC responses to the Swine Influenza A (H1N1) outbreak, the BP Deep Water Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the Haiti earthquake and cholera outbreak and the recent Japanese earthquake.

His federal service career began December 27, 1982, one day after his 17th birthday and midway through his senior year at EF, when he enlisted in the U.S. Army. His active duty military service began in June 1983 after high school graduation and continued until 2010 when he retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

During his over 27 years in the U.S. Army first as an enlisted soldier and later as an officer, he was awarded 19 medals and campaign ribbons. He served in multiple command and staff positions of increasing responsibility within the Airborne, Infantry, Intelligence, Special Forces, Signal and Aviation units. He is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Scales is a graduate of over 25 military and leadership schools including Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Army Helicopter Flight Training and UH-60 Blackhawk Qualification Course, Airborne School, Air Assault School, Inspector General Qualifications Course, Space Operations Qualification Course, Simulations Operations Qualification Course and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

In 1990, Scales graduated cum laude with Bachelor of Science in Education degree from California University of Pennsylvania.

Prior to joining the CDC, Scales was the Deputy Director of Training, Exercises and Simulation for the Third U.S. Army, which supports all army forces in the U.S. Central Command area of operations. He has traveled extensively throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East in his military assignments. Scales holds a commercial helicopter.s license and is a qualified pilot in command of three different army helicopters.

While at Elizabeth Forward, Scales participated in soccer and track. He was member of the first boys. soccer team and served as a team captain during his senior year. Scales also was an avid swimmer, and served as a lifeguard at the high school pool in addition to teaching swimming lessons on the weekend.

Scales has been married to his wife Dana for 20 years and they have two sons; Austin, age 16, and Cameron, age 13. They reside in the quiet little town of Newnan, GA, just south of Atlanta where he works. Scales still frequents the Elizabeth Forward area which he still calls home and where his parents, brother and sister and their families still reside.