Kenneth A. Koon

Last updated April 14, 2019

Kenneth A. Koon is a brigadier general in the Wisconsin Army National Guard.^[1]

In the United States Armed Forces, brigadier general is a one-star general officer with the pay grade of O-7 in the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Air Force. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. The rank of brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed services. The NATO equivalent is OF-6.

The Wisconsin Army National Guard (“Guard”) has dual state and federal roles, and is jointly funded and maintained by both governments. Its federal mission is to provide trained units to the United States Army in time of war or national emergency. Its state mission is to help civil authorities protect life and property and preserve peace, order, and public safety in times of natural or human-caused emergencies. The governor, who is the commander in chief of the Guard when it is not activated for federal service, appoints the adjutant general who directs the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs, of which the Guard is a part. Members of the National Guard are typically part-time soldiers who attend unit drills one weekend per month and serve a two-week annual tour of active duty. All officers and enlisted personnel must meet the same physical, education, and other eligibility requirements as members of the active-duty services.

Biography

Koon is a native of Waunakee, Wisconsin. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and Silver Lake College.^[2]

Waunakee, Wisconsin Village in Wisconsin, United States

Waunakee is a village in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 12,097 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area. Waunakee bills itself as "The Only Waunakee in the World." The village was named as #78 in CNN Money's "Top 100 Best Places to Live" for small towns in 2009.

Silver Lake College is a four-year, Catholic liberal arts college located in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States, in the Diocese of Green Bay. Founded as an academy in 1885 by the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity, the college achieved four-year college status in 1935 and was then called Holy Family College. In 1972 the college became separately incorporated from the Franciscan order, and was renamed Silver Lake College of the Holy Family. Robert B. Callahan is the college's president.

Career

Koon originally enlisted in the United States Army in 1977. He was stationed at Fort Sill as a member of the Military Police Corps. Later, he transferred to the United States Army Reserve and was assigned to the 84th Division. In 1982, Koon received his commission through the Reserve Officers' Training Corps.

The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution. As the oldest and most senior branch of the U.S. military in order of precedence, the modern U.S. Army has its roots in the Continental Army, which was formed to fight the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783)—before the United States of America was established as a country. After the Revolutionary War, the Congress of the Confederation created the United States Army on 3 June 1784 to replace the disbanded Continental Army. The United States Army considers itself descended from the Continental Army, and dates its institutional inception from the origin of that armed force in 1775.

Fort Sill, Oklahoma is a United States Army post north of Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles southwest of Oklahoma City. It covers almost 94,000 acres (38,000 ha).

Military Police Corps (United States) military police

The Military Police Corps is the uniformed law enforcement branch of the United States Army. Investigations are conducted by Military Police Investigators or the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command (USACIDC), both of which report to the Provost Marshal General.

After transferring to the Wisconsin Army National Guard, Koon was assigned to the 127th Infantry Regiment. During the Iraq War, he commanded Forward Operating Base Grizzly and Camp Ashraf. Later, he was assigned to Fort McCoy, Wisconsin.

The 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment traces its origins to the 4th Infantry Battalion, Wisconsin National Guard.

The Iraq War was a protracted armed conflict that began in 2003 with the invasion of Iraq by a United States-led coalition that overthrew the government of Saddam Hussein. The conflict continued for much of the next decade as an insurgency emerged to oppose the occupying forces and the post-invasion Iraqi government. An estimated 151,000 to 600,000 or more Iraqis were killed in the first three to four years of conflict. In 2009, official US troops were withdrawn, but American soldiers continued to remain on the ground fighting in Iraq, hired by defence contractors and private military companies. The U.S. became re-involved in 2014 at the head of a new coalition; the insurgency and many dimensions of the civil armed conflict continue. The invasion occurred as part of a declared war against international terrorism and its sponsors under the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush following the unrelated September 11 terrorist attacks.

FOB Grizzly was a U.S. Army Forward Operating Base located within Camp Ashraf, Iraq. It was near Al Khalis, approximately 20 kilometers west of the Iranian border and 60 km (37 mi) north of Baghdad.

In addition to his civilian education, Koon is a graduate of the United States Army War College, the United States Army Airborne School, the United States Army Command and General Staff College and the Joint Forces Staff College.

The United States Army War College (USAWC) is a U.S. Army educational institution in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on the 500-acre (2 km²) campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks. It provides graduate-level instruction to senior military officers and civilians to prepare them for senior leadership assignments and responsibilities. Each year, a number of Army colonels and lieutenant colonels are considered by a board for admission. Approximately 800 students attend at any one time, half in a two-year-long distance learning program, and the other half in an on-campus, full-time resident program lasting ten months. Upon completion, the college grants its graduates a master's degree in Strategic Studies.

The United States Army Airborne School – widely known as Jump School – conducts the basic paratrooper training for the United States armed forces. It is operated by the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 507th Infantry, United States Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia. The Airborne School conducts the Basic Airborne Course, which is open to troops of both genders from all branches of the United States Department of Defense, Reserve Officer Training Corps, and allied military personnel. All students must volunteer to attend the course.

The United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military officers. The college was established in 1881 by William Tecumseh Sherman as the School of Application for Infantry and Cavalry,, a training school for infantry and cavalry officers. In 1907 it changed its title to the School of the Line. The curriculum expanded throughout World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War and continues to adapt to include lessons learned from current conflicts.

Awards he has received include the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal and the Overseas Service Ribbon. In addition, Koon is a member of the Order of Saint Barbara.

Bronze Star Medal United States military decoration for wartime meritorious service or valor

The Bronze Star Medal, unofficially the Bronze Star, is a United States decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone.

The Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) is a military award presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States subsequent to January 16, 1969.

The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration which is presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. For valorous actions in direct contact with an enemy, but of a lesser degree than required for the award of the Bronze Star Medal, a Commendation Medal with "V" Device or Combat "V" is awarded; the "V" device may be authorized for wear on the service and suspension ribbon of the medal to denote valor. On January 7 2016, The "C" Device or Combat "C” was created and may be authorized for wear on the service and suspension ribbon of the Commendation Medal to distinguish an award for meritorious service or achievement under the most arduous combat conditions. A Commendation Medal with Combat Device is unofficially named the “Combat Commendation” and is often considered to be a higher level form of the Commendation Medal, regardless of the Awarding Branch. Retroactive award of the “C” device is not approved for medals awarded before 7 January 2016. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fifth version existing for acts of joint military service performed under the Department of Defense.

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References

↑ "Gov. Walker swears in new Wisconsin Army Guard general officer". Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System. Retrieved 2014-05-09.
↑ "Brigadier General Kenneth A. Koon". Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs. Retrieved 2014-05-09.

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[1] "Gov. Walker swears in new Wisconsin Army Guard general officer". Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System. Retrieved 2014-05-09.

[2] "Brigadier General Kenneth A. Koon". Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs. Retrieved 2014-05-09.

Kenneth A. Koon

Contents

Biography

Career

Related Research Articles

References