Raymond T. Odierno
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| Raymond T. Odierno | |
|---|---|
 Lieutenant General Raymond T. Odierno |
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| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1976-present |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Commands held | Multi-National Corps-Iraq III Corps (United States) 4th Infantry Division 1st Cavalry Division Artillery |
| Battles/wars | Operation Desert Storm Operation Iraqi Freedom |
| Awards | Army Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit Bronze Star |
Lieutenant General Raymond T. Odierno is the Commanding General of U.S. III Corps. As III Corps uncased its colors at Camp Victory in Baghdad, Odierno also assumed responsibility as the Commanding General of the Multi-National corps in Baghdad. His previous assignment brought him to the Pentagon in Washington D.C. as the Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 3 November 2004 to 1 May 2006. Additionally, he served as the Senior Military Advisor to the Secretary of State and accompanied Dr. Condoleezza Rice on State visits. On 23 April 2008, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced that Odierno would take over as Commanding General of the Multi-National Force - Iraq (MNF-I) following the promotion of General Petraeus to lead Central Command. [1]
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[edit] Early life and education
General Odierno grew up in Rockaway, New Jersey[2] where he attended Morris Hills High School[3], followed by the United States Military Academy at West Point, and graduated in June 1976 with a Bachelor of Science Degree. Later, General Odierno attended North Carolina State University and the Naval War College, receiving Masters degrees in Nuclear Effects Engineering and National Security and Strategy, respectively. General Odierno is also a graduate of the Army War College.
[edit] Operation Iraqi Freedom
Odierno commanded the U.S. 4th Infantry Division (4th ID) from October 2001 to June 2004 during which he deployed the division to Operation Iraqi Freedom from March 2003 to April 2004. Originally the 4th Infantry Division was designated to deploy into Iraq through Turkey, though diplomatic complications prevented such a maneuver. Eventually, Odierno and the 4th Infantry Division deployed into Iraq from Kuwait, and despite the diplomatic complications, it still marks the most rapid deployment of heavy armored forces in history. Later in the deployment, Odierno's troops captured Saddam Hussein in December 2003.
Odierno's tenure as 4th ID commander in Iraq and his unit's actions there have subsequently come under criticism from several sources. Many officers from the 1st Marine Division were critical of 4th ID's belligerent stance during their initial entry into Iraq after the ground war had ceased and the unit's lack of a 'hearts and minds' approach to counter-insurgency. Several authors have echoed similar criticisms shared with them by other military personnel in the theater. In his unit's defense Odierno strenuously argued that the situation was that such an approach was required and subsequent insurgent activity justified the actions of 4th ID as former insurgents began to join the fight against Islamic extremist groups, such as al-Qaeda, in 2007.[4][5]
In his second Iraq deployment, Odierno served as the commander of Multi-National Corps-Iraq. During Operation Iraqi Freedom 06-08, he and General David Petraeus were the primary architects of the troop “surge” into Baghdad. Running counter to previous strategies that sought to draw down the American presence in Iraq, Petraeus and Odierno increased the U.S. presence in Iraq to 20 Brigade Combat Teams from the previous level of 15.[6] The “surge” deployed troops to many parts across Iraq, concentrating in and around Baghdad and culminating in the Iraqi led Operation Fardh al-Qanoon that began in March of 2007. In conjunction with his counterpart in the Iraqi Army, Lieutenant General Abud Qanbar, the push into Baghdad included the establishment of dozens of Combat Outposts and Joint Security Stations throughout the city. Capitalizing on the initial success of Fardh al-Qanoon,[7]Odierno then launched Operation Phantom Thunder just north of Baghdad in the Diyala, Babil, and Salah-ah-Din provinces as well as just to the west in the Al-Anbar province. Forcing many of Baghdad’s extremists from the capital, Odierno sought to root out extremist influences around the city and initiated Operation Phantom Thunder in June of 2007.[8]
Much of the early successes experienced during Phantom Thunder and other operations in Iraq following the surge capitalized on the reconciliation efforts of the Coalition. The “Anbar Awakening” movement began in response to the brutality the citizens of the Anbar Province in Iraq were experiencing. As local sentiments in Anbar and other provinces began to rise up against al-Qaeda, Multi-National Corps-Iraq seized upon the opportunity and began working with concerned Iraqi citizens to improve security conditions.[9]
[edit] Assignments
General Odierno’s initial tours took him to United States Army Europe and U.S. Seventh Army, Germany where he served as Platoon leader and Survey Officer of the 1st Battalion, US 41st Field Artillery Brigade, 56th Field Artillery Brigade as well as Aide-de-Camp to the Brigade’s Commanding General. Following completion of the Artillery Officer Advance Course, General Odierno was assigned to the XVIII Airborne Corps Artillery at Fort Bragg, North Carolina where he commanded Service Battery, Alpha Battery, and served as Battalion S3 in the 1st Battalion, 73rd Field Artillery. Additionally, during Operation Desert Storm, General Odierno served as the Executive Officer first for the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery and then the Division Artillery, 3rd Armored Division.
Prior to commanding the U.S. 4th Infantry Division, General Odierno went on to command 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery, 7th Infantry Division followed by command of the Division Artillery, 1st Cavalry Division. Significant staff duties includes Arms Control Officer, Office of the Secretary of Defense; Chief of Staff, United States V Corps, United States Army Europe; Assistant Division Commander (Support), U.S. 1st Armored Division; Deputy Commanding General, Task Force Hawk, Albania; and Director, Force Management, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans, United States Army, Washington D.C. and Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington D.C. where he was the primary military advisor to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
During his tenure as commander of the U.S. 4th Infantry Division, his troops were repeatedly accused of using excessive force, specifically during cordon-and-search operations.
Odierno was nominated as the next Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army on February 5, 2008. His nomination has been pulled, and now has been nominated to fill Gen Petraeus position as the Commanding General of the Multinational Force.
[edit] Awards and decorations
Lieutenant General Odierno's awards include:
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Army Distinguished Service Medal |
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Defense Superior Service Medal |
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Legion of Merit (with one silver oak leaf cluster) |
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Bronze Star |
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Defense Meritorious Service Medal |
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Meritorious Service Medal (with three oak leaf clusters) |
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Army Commendation Medal |
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Army Achievement Medal |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Petraeus picked to lead Central Command - CNN.com
- ^ Cloud, David S. "U.S. Military Leader in Iraq Talks of ‘Thinning the Lines’", The New York Times, May 26, 2007. Accessed February 27, 2008. "'We’ll do this in a very deliberate and slow way', General Odierno, a 1976 West Point graduate from Rockaway, N.J., said in an interview here."
- ^ Manochio, Matt. "Morris general oversaw capture", Daily Record (Morristown), December 14, 2003. Accessed February 27, 2008. "Raymond T. Odierno, 48, is a 1972 graduate of Morris Hills High School."
- ^ Ricks, Thomas E. (July 25, 2006). Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq. Penguin Press HC, The, 153. 159420103X.
- ^ Peters, Ralph (August 28, 2007), “He's a Fighter: How Odierno is Building Peace”, The New York Post, <http://www.nypost.com/seven/08282007/postopinion/opedcolumnists/hes_a_fighter.htm?page=0>
- ^ Associated Press (August 7, 2007), Surge: U.S. Troops in Iraq Top Out at 162K, <http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=3455387>
- ^ CNN (March 5, 2007), Suicide Car Bomb Kills 28 in Baghdad, <http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/03/05/iraq.main/index.html>
- ^ Federal News Service (July 19, 2007), Defense Department Briefing, <http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=574&topicId=25098&docId=l:643808015&start=22>
- ^ Roggio, Bill (June 1, 2007), “Amariyah, the Anbar Salvation Council, and Reconciliation”, The Weekly Standard, <http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2007/06/amariyah_the_anbar_salvation_c.asp>
[edit] External links
- Official Multi-National Force Iraq Website
- Official Multi National Corps Iraq Website
- Raymond T. Odierno at the Internet Movie Database
