William B. Caldwell

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William B. Caldwell IV

Photographed as the commander of 82nd Airborne Division.
Allegiance United States Army
Years of service 1976 - present
Rank Major General
Unit Multi National Force-Iraq
Commands 82nd Airborne Division
1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division
Battles/wars Operation Iraqi Freedom
Operation Restore Hope/Restore Democracy
Operation Desert Shield/Storm
Operation Just Cause (Panama)
Awards Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal

Major General William B. Caldwell IV is an American military officer who serves as chief spokesman and Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Effects for the Multi-National Force in Iraq.

Originally from Columbus, Georgia, Caldwell's family moved frequently because his father was in the military.

During Caldwell's early childhood, his father was stationed at the United States Military Academy. Growing up there gave him a chance to interact with West Point cadets, who helped teach some youth sports teams, which deeply influenced him:

I found that I just really had a great respect and admiration for the cadets at the academy. I thought, 'Boy, I'd love to do something like that one day.' Then with time, I thought I'd like to serve in the armed forces, and so that led me to apply for the military academy.

After graduation from West Point in 1976, Caldwell served in posts throughout the country and overseas. He continued his education with a master's degree in systems technology from the U. S. Naval Post Graduate School and then a master of military art and science from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.

Caldwell learned early on that the military required him to be flexible and ready for new challenges. One month prior to leaving his battalion command position in the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii, for example, his commanding general sent him to Haiti to work as his political-military liaison in the U.S. Embassy during Operation Uphold Democracy in the mid-1990s.

Caldwell took his communications, intelligence and operations cells and worked in the embassy for six months. "I gave up command, formed this organization and took off to go work in an American embassy, which I'd never done in my life," he recalled. "In fact, I'm not even sure I'd ever been in an American embassy overseas in my life. I literally started from scratch."

After his tour in Haiti, Caldwell went on to study at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. He commanded the 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, at Fort Drum, New York. He worked in the Office of the Director for Strategic Plans and Policy on the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon, and later served as the executive assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Caldwell's duties once again tested his readiness and flexibility after the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001. During this time, Caldwell was serving as deputy director for operations, U.S. Pacific Command, in Hawaii. The command's focus shifted from regional war plans to the global war on terrorism.

The headquarters changed to a 24-7 operations center, Caldwell said. "So, instead of having a cell of about six or eight people that worked 24-7, we now had a cell of about 50 people that worked 24-7."

The operation required reserve component personnel to play a crucial role, the general noted. "They were indispensable in the execution of our operations in the Pacific, absolutely indispensable," he said. "They brought a wealth of knowledge that a lot of our folks who had just come in for the first time in the command did not have. So they proved their weight in gold."

In July 2002, Caldwell was assigned to his current position as senior military assistant to the deputy secretary of defense. In this position he served his boss during the preparation, execution, and follow on for Operation Iraqi Freedom and other aspects of the global war on terrorism.

Contents

[edit] Source of comissioned service

United States Military Academy

[edit] Military schools attended

  • Infantry Officer Basic Course
  • Armor Officer Advanced Course
  • United States Army Command and General Staff College
  • School of Advanced Military Studies
  • Senior Service College Fellowship - Harvard University

[edit] Educational degrees

[edit] Foreign language

[edit] Quotes

"Developing these forces is not a sprint; it's a marathon. The Iraqi security force is making progress toward ensuring that Iraq's future will be determined by Iraqis who want unity and prosperity, and not by outside forces who seek to sow chaos and discord."
At a news conference from Baghdad Dec. 5, 2006

[edit] Major duty assignments

  • Rifle Platoon Leader, later Executive Officer, B Company, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 508th Infantry, 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
  • Scout Platoon Leader, later Commander, Combat Support Company, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 508th Infantry, 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
  • Aide-de-Camp to the Division Commander, 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
  • Student, Armor Officer Advanced Course, United States Army Armor School, Fort Knox, Kentucky
  • Assistant S-4 (Logistics), 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany
  • Commander, B Company, later S-3, 1st Battalion, 46th Infantry, 1st Armored Division, United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany
  • Student, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California
  • Student, United States Army Command and General Staff Officer Course, United States Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
  • Student, School of Advanced Military Studies, United States Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
  • Chief, G-3 (Plans), 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina and OPERATION JUST CAUSE, Panama
  • Executive Officer, 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina and Operations Desert Shield/Storm, Saudi Arabia
  • (Operations), 3rd Brigade, 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina and OPERATIONS DESERT SHIELD/STORM, Saudi Arabia
  • White House Fellow, Office of the Associate Director, Office of Public Liaison, The White House, Washington, DC
  • Commander, 4th Battalion, 27th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division (Light), Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
  • Politico-Military Officer, United States Embassy, Haiti, 25th Infantry Division (Light) and OPERATION RESTORE/UPHOLD DEMOCRACY, Haiti
  • Member, Transition Team for the Chief of Staff, Army, United States Pacific Command, Fort Shafter, Hawaii
  • Student, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
  • Commander, 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (Light), Fort Drum, New York
  • Chief, Strategic Concepts Branch, Office of the Director for Strategic Plans and Policy, J-5, The Joint Staff, Washington, DC
  • Executive Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Joint Staff, Washington, DC
  • Assistant Division Commander (Operations), 25th Infantry Division (Light), Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
  • Deputy Director for Operations, J-3, United States Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii
  • Senior Military Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense, Office of the Deputy Secretary of Defense, Washington, DC
  • Commanding General, 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

[edit] U.S. decorations and badges

[edit] External link

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