The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a military decoration of the United States Army that is presented to soldiers who have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service to the government in a duty of great responsibility. The performance must be such as to merit recognition for service that is clearly exceptional. The exceptional performance of normal duty will not alone justify an award of this decoration.
Vincent Keith Brooks is a retired United States Army general who last commanded United States Forces Korea, United Nations Command, and ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command. He previously served as the commanding general of United States Army Pacific and prior to that as the commanding general of Third Army. Brooks was the United States Central Command Deputy Director of Operations during the War in Iraq, and frequently briefed the media, which raised his public profile. He also served as the Chief of Army Public Affairs The Pentagon. He was the deputy commander of 1st Cavalry Division in Baghdad during the 2006–2008 "surge" and upon returning to the United States became the commanding general of the same division. He later was commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division. Brooks assumed command in Korea on April 30, 2016 and was succeeded by Robert B. Abrams in November 2018, and he retired on January 1, 2019.
General Joseph Lawton Collins was a senior United States Army officer. During World War II, he served in both the Pacific and European Theaters of Operations, one of a few senior American commanders to do so. He was Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the Korean War.
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is a public university in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Founded in 1871, it later became the first teachers college in Pennsylvania. Shippensburg University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) is a joint task force of United States Africa Command (AFRICOM). It originated under Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa (OEF-HOA) as part of the United States response to the September 11, 2001 attacks.
The U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (SWCS) – known informally as "Swick" – primarily trains and educates United States Army personnel for the United States Army Special Operations Command and United States Special Operations Command, which includes Special Forces, Civil Affairs, and Psychological Operations personnel. Its purpose is to recruit, assess, select, train and educate the U.S. Army Civil Affairs, Psychological Operations and Special Forces Soldiers by providing training and education, developing doctrine, integrating force-development capability, and providing career management.
Richard Giles Stilwell was a United States Army general who served as Commander United States Forces Korea from 1973 to 1976, and acting Commander of the U.S. Army Pacific from September to December 1974. He was not closely related to General Joseph W. Stilwell.
Early Commissioning Program (ECP) is a U.S. Army ROTC program that allows graduates of one of the nation's four Military Junior Colleges (MJC) to become commissioned officers in the reserve components in two years, instead of the usual four. Upon completion at MJCs, ECP LTs must go on to finish a bachelor's degree before serving as active duty officers or continuing a career in the reserve components. They must graduate within the next 24 months after receiving early commission. While attending their 4-year university, ECP LTs will be serving in a non-deployable status.
Brigadier General Hector E. Pagan is a United States Army officer who is the first Hispanic of Puerto Rican descent to become Deputy Commanding General of the U.S.Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Special Operations Command Korea or SOCKOR, the United States (U.S.) Theater Special Operations Command (TSOC) in the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a Sub-Unified Command assigned under the Combatant Command (COCOM) of United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), who delegated Operational Command (OPCON) of SOCKOR to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) Commander, who further delegated OPCON of SOCKOR to the United States Forces Korea (USFK) Commander.
Brigadier General David G. Fox is a retired United States Army officer who served as the commanding general of the Installation Management Command Korea Region.
United States Army Reserve Legal Command (USARLC) is headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and was activated on 16 September 2009. It is part of United States Army Reserve Command.
Major General Daniel Francis McDaniel, is a senior officer in the Australian Army. He served as the acting Special Operations Commander Australia from September 2013 to December 2014, after Major General Gus Gilmore was reassigned. He was seconded to the United States Army Pacific as Deputy Commanding General – North from January 2019 to January 2022.
Timothy R. Coffin is a retired United States Army brigadier general who became the 33rd Commanding General of the White Sands Missile Range on 2 July 2014.
Thomas David "Tom" Waldhauser is a retired United States Marine Corps general who was the Commander of United States Africa Command. He previously served as Director for Joint Force Development, J7 on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Commanding General, I Marine Expeditionary Force, and Commanding General, United States Marine Forces Central Command. Waldhauser is an alumnus of Bemidji State University.
Austin Scott Miller is a retired four-star general in the United States Army and former Delta Force commander who served as the final commander of NATO's Resolute Support Mission and United States Forces - Afghanistan from September 2, 2018 to July 12, 2021. He previously served as the commander of Joint Special Operations Command from March 30, 2016 to August 2018. He participated in numerous combat operations, such as the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993, and, since 2001, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He retired from the Army in December after relinquishing command in July 2021. Miller currently serves on the board of advisors for Striveworks.
Jonathan Patrick Braga is a United States Army lieutenant general serving as the commanding general of United States Army Special Operations Command since 13 August 2021. He previously served as a deputy commanding general of United States Army Pacific from August 2020 to July 2021, as commander of Special Operations Command Pacific from July 2018 to August 2020, and before that as operations director of Operation Inherent Resolve, the official name for the US war on ISIS.
Major General William Willis Eagles was a decorated officer in the United States Army. A graduate of the United States Military Academy (USMA), he is most noted for his service during World War II as Commanding General (CG) of the 45th Infantry Division from 1943 to 1944.
George N. Appenzeller is a United States Army major general who has served as the Deputy Commanding General for Operations of the United States Army Medical Command since July 2022. He most recently served as the Assistant Director for Combat Support and Director of Healthcare Operations of the Defense Health Agency from July 2020 to July 2022. Previously, he served as the Commanding General of Regional Health Command-Central from July 16, 2019 to July 2, 2020.
Maria Lodi Barrett is a United States Army Lieutenant general who serves as the commanding general of the United States Army Cyber Command since May 3, 2022. She most recently served as commanding general of the Network Enterprise Technology Command in Fort Huachuca, Arizona. She is the elder sister of Brigadier General Paula Lodi. Barrett and Lodi are the United States Army's first ever sister general officer tandem.
