Commandant of the Army War College
Senior U.S. Army officer commanding the United States Army War College
Seal of the Army War College
The "Light of Learning" statue at the Army War College
The commandant of the Army War College is the senior United States Army officer commanding the United States Army War College . As a direct reporting unit of the United States Army, the commandant is responsible to the Secretary of the Army and Chief of Staff of the United States Army for the successful running of the Army War College. Since 1986, the commandant's official residence is Quarters 1 in Carlisle Barracks .[1] [2]
The position dates from 27 November 1901, when General Order 155 established a War College Board to advise the President of the United States and the direct the "intellectual exercise" of the Army. Major General Samuel B.M. Young was appointed president of the Board, thus making him the first President of the Army War College , despite the college only beginning operations under his successor, Brigadier General Tasker H. Bliss .[3] The position was retitled as Commandant of the Army War College with the appointment of Major General James W. McAndrew to the presidency in 1919.[4] Five commandants later became superintendent of the United States Military Academy .
The commandantship was vacant for two separate periods, both during wartime when classes were suspended: from August 1918 to June 1919 (during World War I ) and from July 1940 to January 1950 (during World War II and the early postwar era).[4]
The commandant, since 1986, has consistently held the rank of major general .
Commandants
List of commandants in chronological order [4]
#[a]
Rank[b]
Name
Photo
Term began
Term ended
Term length
Notes[c]
1
Major General
Samuel B. M. Young
1 July 1902
15 August 1903
1 year, 45 days
Oversaw the initial establishment of the Army War College. Later served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1903 to 1904 under the General Staff Act of 1903, which also enshrined the office of president of the Army War College into statutory law.
2
Brigadier General
Tasker H. Bliss
15 August 1903
15 April 1905
1 year, 243 days
3
Brigadier General
Thomas H. Barry
4 December 1905
21 February 1907
1 year, 79 days
Later served as Superintendent of the United States Military Academy from 1910 to 1912.
4
Brigadier General
William W. Wotherspoon
9 October 1907
19 June 1909
1 year, 253 days
5
Brigadier General
Tasker H. Bliss
21 June 1909
1 December 1909
163 days
Later served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1917 to 1918.
6
Brigadier General
William W. Wotherspoon
1 December 1909
13 January 1912
2 years, 43 days
Later served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army in 1914.
7
Brigadier General
Albert L. Mills
2 February 1912
31 August 1912
211 days
Medal of Honor recipient in the Spanish–American War . Previously served as Superintendent of the United States Military Academy from 1898 to 1906. Later served as Chief of the Militia Bureau from 1912 to 1916.
8
Brigadier General
William Crozier
1 September 1912
1 July 1913
303 days
9
Brigadier General
Hunter Liggett
1 July 1913
22 April 1914
295 days
10
Brigadier General
Montgomery M. Macomb
22 April 1914
12 October 1916
2 years, 173 days
11
Brigadier General
Joseph E. Kuhn
1 February 1917
25 August 1917
205 days
May 1917
June 1919
25 months
Army War College classes suspended during World War I .
12
Major General
James W. McAndrew
15 June 1919
6 July 1921
2 years, 21 days
13
Major General
Edward F. McGlachlin Jr.
14 July 1921
30 June 1923
1 year, 351 days
14
Major General
Hanson E. Ely
1 July 1923
30 November 1927
4 years, 152 days
15
Major General
William D. Connor
20 December 1927
30 April 1932
4 years, 132 days
16
Major General
George S. Simonds
1 May 1932
31 January 1935
2 years, 275 days
17
Major General
Malin Craig
4 February 1935
1 October 1935
239 days
Later served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1935 to 1939.
–
Colonel
Walter S. Grant (Acting)
3 October 1935
23 June 1936
264 days
18
Brigadier General
Walter S. Grant
24 June 1936
30 June 1937
1 year, 6 days
19
Major General
John L. DeWitt
30 June 1937
30 November 1939
2 years, 153 days
20
Brigadier General
Philip B. Peyton
1 December 1939
30 June 1940
212 days
1 July 1940
25 January 1950
9 years, 208 days
Army War College classes suspended during and after World War II .
21
Lieutenant General
Joseph M. Swing
1 April 1950
31 July 1951
1 year, 121 days
22
Lieutenant General
Edward M. Almond
31 August 1951
6 December 1952
1 year, 97 days
23
Major General
James E. Moore
20 April 1953
5 February 1955
1 year, 291 days
24
Major General
Clyde D. Eddleman
27 May 1955
10 October 1955
136 days
Later served as Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1960 to 1962.
25
Major General
Max S. Johnson
10 October 1955
11 February 1959
3 years, 124 days
26
Major General
William P. Ennis Jr.
16 February 1959
31 July 1960
1 year, 166 days
27
Major General
Thomas W. Dunn
8 August 1960
16 February 1962
1 year, 192 days
28
Major General
William F. Train
1 May 1962
30 June 1964
2 years, 60 days
29
Major General
Eugene A. Salet
1 July 1964
22 August 1967
3 years, 52 days
30
Major General
William J. McCaffrey
15 September 1967
6 July 1969
1 year, 294 days
31
Major General
George S. Eckhardt
7 July 1969
15 March 1971
1 year, 251 days
32
Major General
Franklin M. Davis Jr.
4 May 1971
26 June 1974
3 years, 53 days
33
Major General
DeWitt C. Smith Jr.
1 July 1974
31 July 1977
3 years, 30 days
34
Major General
Robert G. Yerks
1 August 1977
31 July 1978
364 days
35
Major General
DeWitt C. Smith Jr.
1 August 1978
30 June 1980
1 year, 334 days
36
Major General
Jack N. Merritt
1 July 1980
22 July 1982
2 years, 21 days
37
Major General
Richard D. Lawrence
2 August 1982
22 September 1983
1 year, 51 days
Later served as president of the National Defense University from 1983 to 1986.
38
Major General
Thomas F. Healy
26 October 1983
19 June 1985
1 year, 236 days
39
Major General
James E. Thompson Jr.
20 June 1985
30 September 1987
2 years, 102 days
40
Major General
Howard D. Graves
1 October 1987
7 July 1989
1 year, 279 days
Later served as Superintendent of the United States Military Academy from 1991 to 1996.
41
Major General
Paul G. Cerjan
10 July 1989
18 August 1991
2 years, 39 days
42
Major General
William A. Stofft
19 August 1991
25 July 1994
2 years, 340 days
43
Major General
Richard A. Chilcoat
29 July 1994
25 July 1997
2 years, 361 days
44
Major General
Robert H. Scales Jr.
3 August 1997
28 July 2000
2 years, 360 days
45
Major General
Robert R. Ivany
31 July 2000
28 July 2003
2 years, 362 days
46
Major General
David H. Huntoon Jr.
15 August 2003
21 January 2008
4 years, 159 days
Later served as Superintendent of the United States Military Academy from 2010 to 2013.
47
Major General
Robert M. Williams
22 January 2008
20 June 2010
2 years, 149 days
48
Major General
Gregg F. Martin
21 June 2010
14 June 2012
1 year, 359 days
Later served as President of the National Defense University from 2012 to 2014.
49
Major General
Anthony A. Cucolo III
15 June 2012
13 June 2014
1 year, 363 days
50
Major General
William E. Rapp
13 June 2014
28 July 2017
3 years, 45 days
51
Major General
John S. Kem
28 July 2017
30 July 2020
3 years, 2 days
52
Major General
Stephen J. Maranian
30 July 2020
31 August 2021
1 year, 32 days
Later served as Commanding General, 56th Artillery Command from 2021 to 2023.
Directed revisions and innovations in curriculum and teaching methodologies, and hired faculty experienced with emerging issues.[5]
53
Major General
David C. Hill
31 August 2021
Incumbent
2 years, 309 days
Oversaw innovations to both resident and distributed learning curricula as well as the construction of a state of the art academic facility.
See also
Notes
^ Repeat terms are to be bracketed with the same number. This is not an official numbering.
^ Highest rank held by the officeholder while serving as Commandant.
^ Achievements of the officeholder while serving as Commandant; notable military or political positions held post-commandantship, in particular leadership of other military institutions such as the U.S. Military Academy or U.S. Army Command and General Staff College .
References
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