| John F. Mulholland Jr. | |
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| Born | 1954/1955 (age 56–57) Clovis, New Mexico |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1978-present |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Commands held | Current: United States Army Special Operations Command Previous: 193rd Infantry Brigade |
| Battles/wars | First Posted to Panama Canal Zone War on Terrorism |
| Awards | Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit |
Lieutenant General John F. Mulholland, Jr. (born c. 1955)[1] is a general officer of the United States Army and the current commanding general of the United States Army Special Operations Command as of November 7, 2008.
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Born in Clovis, New Mexico, Mulholland grew up in Bethesda, Maryland. He graduated from Furman University in 1978 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history.
Mulholland was commissioned into active duty as a second lieutenant through the Reserve Officers' Training Corps in 1978 and was posted with the 193rd Infantry Brigade in the Panama Canal Zone. He was then moved into Special Forces after graduating the Special Forces Qualification Course at Fort Bragg, NC and joined the 5th Special Forces Group. He remained in the 5th Special Forces Group, where he served as ODA, Company, Battalion/Squadron and Group commander within the Special Forces. At the beginning of the War on Terror, Lt. Gen. Mulholland commanded forces within the scope of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. He was then moved to MacDill Air Force Base where he commanded Special Operations Command Central. After joining SOCC, Lt. Gen Mulholland was very active in the opening days of Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. He was the Commanding General of US Special Forces Command during OEF and OIF, and the Deputy Commanding General of the Joint Special Operations Command.
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Defense Superior Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters |
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Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster |
| Bronze Star Medal | |
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Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster |
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Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters |
| Army Commendation Medal | |
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Joint Service Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters |
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Army Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster |
| Army Presidential Unit Citation | |
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Joint Meritorious Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters |
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Valorous Unit Award with oak leaf cluster |
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National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star |
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Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two service stars |
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Iraq Campaign Medal with three service stars |
| Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal | |
| Global War on Terrorism Service Medal | |
| Armed Forces Reserve Medal | |
| Army Service Ribbon | |
| Overseas Service Ribbon with award numeral 4 |
Mulholland's military education includes a Master of Military Art and Strategy degree (history) from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and a Master of Science degree in national security strategy from the National War College.
He also awarded nineteen Silver Star Medals to members of the 3rd Special Forces Group as a result of an operation in Afghanistan. He is quoted as saying "“If you saw it in a movie, you’d shake your head and say it couldn't happen,” in reference to their actions.
In recognition of his distinguished service to his country, Mulholland received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2011.