Colleen L. McGuire

Last updated
Colleen L. McGuire
BG McGuire.jpg
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service1979–2011
Rank Brigadier General
Commands held United States Army Criminal Investigation Command
United States Disciplinary Barracks
705th Military Police Battalion
Battles/wars Iraq War
Awards Army Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit (3)
Bronze Star Medal

Brigadier General Colleen L. McGuire is a retired officer of the United States Army. She was the Commanding General of the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command and the 13th Provost Marshal General, the first woman to hold either position. McGuire was also the first woman to be commandant of the United States Disciplinary Barracks, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Contents

Early life and education

McGuire grew up in Missoula, Montana, in a military household as the oldest of six children. [1] Her father served 30 years in the United States Army Reserve. [1] McGuire graduated from Sentinel High School in 1975. [2] While in high school, she started in the Army Reserves. [1] She attended the University of Montana (UM), graduating in 1979. [3] [4] McGuire was a radio/television major at UM and a member of the cheerleading squad, the school's Women's Rugby Club, and was a member of the Delta Gamma sorority. [1] [5] Also at the university, she was involved in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC). [2] McGuire was a member of the 279th Engineer Company at Fort Missoula through the ROTC Simultaneous Membership Program. At that time her father, William McGuire, was the first sergeant of the company. [6]

Military career

McGuire was commissioned as an officer in the United States Army Military Police Corps in 1979 upon graduation from the University of Montana. [6] [7] She first served in Germany with the 709th Military Police Battalion. [6] In 1989, McGuire worked as a staff officer for the Office of the Chief of Public Affairs in The Pentagon. [7] She was deployed to Somalia in 1993 and 1994. [3] McGuire was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1996. [4] She became the commander of the 705th Military Police Battalion in Fort Leavenworth in 1998. [6]

When the United States Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth were re-opened in 2002, McGuire became the first woman in charge of the prison. [8] [9] She went on to work as the assistant commandant of the United States Army Military Police School. [7] Starting in 2007, McGuire served 18 months as the provost marshal of the multinational corps in Iraq. [1] She was the first woman to serve as a provost marshal in the United States. [7] McGuire was also the senior advisor to the corps commander stationed in Baghdad. [9] In Iraq, she took fire while traveling by convoy and was there when a bullet passed through her barracks. [10] In 2008, she was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. [1] [11] Also in 2008, she led the Army Suicide Prevention Task Force. [6]

Brigadier General McGuire takes oath of office in Washington D.C. in 2010. Brig. Gen. Colleen McGuire takes oath of office in Washington DC in 2010.jpg
Brigadier General McGuire takes oath of office in Washington D.C. in 2010.

McGuire became the 13th Provost Marshal General of the Army, and first woman to hold the office, on 15 January 2010, commanding the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID). [12]

In 2012, McGuire retired from the army. [3] The next year, she started working for Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel to help him study sexual assault in the army. [3] McGuire also worked as the Executive Director of Delta Gamma Fraternity in Columbus, Ohio. [10] In 2014, she moved to Kalispell, Montana, to spend more time with family. [3] McGuire also owns a cattle ranch in Eastern Oregon. [13]

Honors

McGuire was awarded the Legion of Merit and a Bronze Star Medal, among other military decorations and awards. [7]

In 2010 McGuire was awarded the University of Montana Distinguished Alumni Award. [14]

In 2019, McGuire was inducted into the US Army Women's Hall of Fame. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Missoula, Montana</span> City in Montana, United States

Missoula is a city in and the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is located along the Clark Fork River near its confluence with the Bitterroot and Blackfoot Rivers in western Montana and at the convergence of five mountain ranges, thus it is often described as the "hub of five valleys". The 2020 United States Census shows the city's population at 73,489 and the population of the Missoula Metropolitan Area at 117,922. After Billings, Missoula is the second-largest city and metropolitan area in Montana. Missoula is home to the University of Montana, a public research university.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Disciplinary Barracks</span> Military correction facility in Fort Leavenworth, KS

The United States Disciplinary Barracks (USDB), colloquially known as Leavenworth, is a military correctional facility located on Fort Leavenworth, a United States Army post in Kansas.

The Missoulian is a daily newspaper printed in Missoula, Montana, United States. The newspaper has been owned by Lee Enterprises since 1959. The Missoulian is the largest published newspaper in Western Montana, and is distributed throughout the city of Missoula, and most of Western Montana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military Police Corps (United States)</span> U.S. Armys uniformed law enforcement branch

The United States Army Military Police Corps (USAMPC) is the uniformed law enforcement branch of the United States Army. Investigations are conducted by Military Police Investigators under the Provost Marshal General's Office or Special Agents of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Barnet Fry</span> Union Army General

James Barnet Fry was an American soldier and prolific author of historical books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Missoula Internment Camp</span>

Fort Missoula Internment Camp was an internment camp operated by the United States Department of Justice during World War II. Japanese Americans and Italian Americans were imprisoned here during this war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omar Bundy</span> United States Army officer

Major General Omar Bundy was a career United States Army officer who was a veteran of the American Indian Wars, Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War, Pancho Villa Expedition, and World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebecca S. Halstead</span>

Rebecca Stevens "Becky" Halstead is a former United States Army officer and the first female graduate of West Point to become a general officer. She was the 34th Chief of Ordnance and Commandant of the United States Army Ordnance Center and Schools at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Army Provost Marshal General</span> U.S. Army staff position responsible for investigations of Army personnel

The provostmarshal general is a United States Army staff position that handles investigations of U.S. Army personnel. It is the highest-ranking provost marshal position in the U.S. Army, reporting to the Chief of Staff of the United States Army. The position brings all aspects of law enforcement in the U.S. Army in a single office.

Debra Cecille Magpie Earling is a Native American novelist, and short story writer. She is a member of the Bitterroot Salish (tribe). She is the author of Perma Red and The Lost Journals of Sacajewea, which was on display at the Missoula Museum of Art in late 2011. Her work has also appeared in Ploughshares, the Northeast Indian Quarterly, and many anthologies.

<i>Montana Kaimin</i> Student newspaper in Missoula, Montana

The Montana Kaimin is the University of Montana's student-run independent newspaper located in Missoula, Montana. The paper is printed once a week, Thursday, with special editions printed occasionally and is online at MontanaKaimin.com. The Kaimin covers news, sports, arts and culture, and opinion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Sentinel</span> Mountain in Montana, United States

Mount Sentinel, originally known as "Mount Woody," is a small mountain located immediately east of the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana. At a height of 1,958 feet and an elevation of 5,158 feet (1,572 m), Mount Sentinel also features the hillside letter "M", a large concrete structure 620 feet (189 m) up its western face.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Missoula, Montana</span>

The history of Missoula, Montana begins as early as 12,000 years ago with the end of the region's glacial lake period with western exploration dating back to the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804–1806. The first permanent settlement was founded in 1860.

The culture of Missoula, Montana is influenced by the nearby University of Montana in art, sports, and music with the city's location in a mountain river valley also encouraging outdoor events and recreation.

Big Sky High School is an American public high school in Missoula, Montana, United States, opened in 1980. The school made Missoula the first city in Montana to have four secondary schools. It is a part of the Missoula County Public Schools.

Beth Lo in Lafayette, Indiana is an American artist, ceramist and educator. Her parents emigrated from China.

Fred R. Van Valkenburg is an American politician in the state of Montana. He served in the Montana Senate from 1979 to 1998. In 1993 he was President of the Senate, and in 1985, 1987, and 1991 he was majority leader of the Senate. An attorney, Van Valkenburg attended the University of Montana, earning his J.D. degree in 1973. From 1998 to 2014, he was the county attorney for Missoula County, Montana. He has also served as city attorney of Missoula and deputy county attorney of Missoula County.

Marjorie Bear Don't Walk is an Ojibwa-Salish health care professional and Native American fashion designer. She is most known as an advocate for reforms in the Indian Health Service, and specifically the care of urban Native Americans. In addition, she is a fashion designer who has targeted career women, designing professional attire which incorporated traditional techniques into her clothing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disappearance of Susan Pearson</span> Unsolved disappearance which occurred in 1966

Susan Elizabeth Pearson is an American woman who went missing under mysterious circumstances in Missoula, Montana. A native of Portland, Oregon, Pearson was a graduate student and instructor at the University of Montana (UM) at the time of her disappearance. She disappeared days before she was scheduled to submit her doctoral thesis, as well as administer an exam for a business course she was teaching.

Henrietta Mann is a Native American academic and activist. She was one of the designers of the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Montana and Haskell Indian Nations University's Native American studies programs. In 2000 she became the first American Indian to hold the endowed chair of Native American studies at Montana State University and was honored with the Montana Governor's Humanities Award. She retired in 2004 and became a special advisor to the president of Montana State University.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kelly, Jamie (2010-02-01). "UM Grad Named 'Top Cop'". The Missoulian. pp. A1. Retrieved 2020-03-11– via Newspapers.com.
  2. 1 2 "Colleen L. McGuire". The Missoulian. 1978-07-24. p. 3. Retrieved 2020-03-11– via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Briggeman, Kim (12 January 2020). "Missoula woman reached dizzying heights in the Army". Missoulian. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  4. 1 2 "Army". The Missoulian. 1996-12-08. p. 47. Retrieved 2020-03-11– via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Candidates Selected for Military Ball". The Missoulian. 1978-01-30. p. 7. Retrieved 2020-03-11– via Newspapers.com.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "USACIDC Commanding General". U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command. Archived from the original on 2010-03-02. Retrieved 2010-02-17.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Castro, Jeffrey (15 January 2010). "First Woman Becomes Army Provost Marshal General". Archived from the original on 2010-02-24. Retrieved 2010-02-17.
  8. ↑ Borman, Dawn (2002-09-26). "New Leavenworth Military Prison Unveiled". The Leaf-Chronicle. p. 13. Retrieved 2020-03-11– via Newspapers.com.
  9. 1 2 "Saga of Fort Leavenworth Castle". Fort Leavenworth Castle. Archived from the original on 2010-07-09. Retrieved 2010-02-17.
  10. 1 2 Phillips, Jeb. "Ex-general leads fellow women to help vets", The Columbus Dispatch , February 11, 2013. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  11. ↑ Kelly, Jamie (1996-12-08). "Army". The Missoulian. pp. 6A. Retrieved 2020-03-11– via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "First woman becomes Army provost marshal general".
  13. ↑ "Veteran Inducted Into Women's Foundation Hall of Fame". Daily Inter Lake. 8 March 2019. Archived from the original on 7 June 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  14. ↑ "UM To Honor Four Distinguished Alums At Homecoming". UM News – The University Of Montana. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  15. ↑ "US Army Women's Hall of Fame Inductees". Army Women's Foundation. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.