Benjamin S. Griffin

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General Benjamin S. Griffin assumed the duties of Commanding General, U.S. Army Materiel Command on November 5, 2004. Prior to this assignment, he served as the Department of the Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G-8.

General Griffin began his career when he was commissioned as an Infantry officer in July 1970 following graduation from Officer Candidate School, Fort Benning, Georgia. He served two tours at Fort Bragg, North Carolina in the 82nd Airborne Division: in the 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry Regiment as a rifle platoon leader and company executive officer, and in the 3rd Battalion (Airborne), 325th Infantry Regiment as a commander of Company C and a S-3 Air (Operations) officer. General Griffin also worked as a G3 operations officer, Headquarters, 82nd Airborne Division.

General Griffin's overseas assignments included a tour in Korea as a Company Commander and Brigade S-2 in the 2nd Infantry Division. He served two tours in Germany in the 8th Infantry Division as Secretary of the General Staff and Mechanized Infantry Battalion Executive Officer in the 2nd Battalion (Mechanized), 87th Infantry. He was also Commander of the 3rd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment.

His later assignments included: Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff of the Army in Washington, D.C., and Commander of the 2nd Brigade, 6th Infantry Division (Light) in Alaska. In August 1994, he served as Executive Officer to the Commanding General, U.S. Army Forces Command, Fort McPherson, Georgia.

Following his assignment in Georgia, General Griffin took command of Joint Task Force 6, Fort Bliss, Texas. He then served as the Assistant Division Commander (Support), 1st Cavalry Division in Fort Hood, Texas.

In July 1997, he became the Director of Force Programs, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans in Washington, D.C. General Griffin returned to Fort Hood from June 1999 to October 2001 to command the U.S. 4th Infantry Division.

General Griffin's awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit (with three Oak Leaf Clusters), the Meritorious Service Medal (with four Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Commendation Medal (with one Oak Leaf Cluster), the Army Achievement Medal (with one Oak Leaf Cluster), the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, and the Army General Staff Badge.

General Griffin received a bachelor's degree in Business Management from Old Dominion University in 1969 and a master's degree in Business Administration from Mercer University in 1981.

His military education includes the Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Command and General Staff College, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at the National Defense University.