Charles L. Taylor was a ROTC distinguished military graduate and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Infantry from the University of Kansas in 1982. He also has a Masters degree in Business from Central Michigan University. In 2002, he completed a Masters in Security and Strategy at the Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, PA.

During his 30 years as a commissioned officer, he served in a variety of command and staff positions at every level of our military from Infantry platoon leader to Joint Staff and Department of Defense organizations. His tours of duty include battalion command of 5-87th Infantry at Fort Kobbe, Panama; serving as the G-3, 10th Mountain Division (Light), Fort Drum, NY; the Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff of the Army in Washington, DC; the Executive Officer to the Under Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Army in Washington, DC; and Commander of 3d United States Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard). Additionally, he served as the Operations Officer for 3d Battalion, 15th Infantry, 24th Infantry Division during Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti, and Operation Iraqi Freedom as a member of the 3rd Army/ CFLCC, in 2003; and as the Deputy Director of Operations of the Multi-National Security Transition Command in 2005-06. In 2008-09, he served as the Deputy Director for Operations of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization in support of Counter IED defeat combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Most recently, he served as the Assistant Division Commander with 2d Infantry Division, 8th United States Army in Korea.

On 11 June 2012, Brigadier General Chuck Taylor assumed the post of Chief of Staff of Third Army/US Army Central (ARCENT), the Army service component of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM). This command exercises administrative control over all US Army forces in the CENTCOM area of responsibility (AOR), conducts sustainment of ground operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and performs theater engagement with 18 countries throughout North Africa, Southwest Asia and Central Asia. The command is home-based at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, SC, with portions of the command continuously deployed to the Middle East countries of Kuwait, Qatar, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Brigadier General Taylor is married to Rebecca, who is an occupational therapist, and they have 3 children.