Michael L. Oates

Last updated
Michael L. Oates
Army Lt. Gen. Michael L. Oates, director of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization.jpg
Lieutenant General Oates in 2009
Born (1957-08-29) August 29, 1957 (age 64)
West Germany
AllegianceFlag of the United States.svg  United States
Service/branchFlag of the United States Army.svg  United States Army
Years of service1979–2011
Rank Lieutenant General
Commands held Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization
10th Mountain Division
1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division
1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment
Battles/wars Gulf War
Iraq War
Awards Army Distinguished Service Medal (3)
Legion of Merit (2)
Bronze Star Medal (3)

Michael Lee Oates [1] (born August 29, 1957) [2] is a retired United States Army lieutenant general from San Antonio, Texas. He was commissioned in the Infantry upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1979.

Contents

Military career

Oates was promoted to lieutenant general on 30 December 2009 and assumed duties as Director, Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization.

Oates was born in West Germany [2] and raised in San Antonio, Texas. He is a 1975 graduate of TMI Episcopal. [3] His wife Barbara is from San Angelo, Texas and they have three daughters; Katherine, Elizabeth and Margaret.[ citation needed ] Oates’ previous assignment was as Commanding General of the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) and Fort Drum and as Commanding General, Multi-National Division (SOUTH), in Iraq.

Oates was commissioned as an infantry officer following his graduation from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York in 1979. His initial duty assignments included service with the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas and the 2d Battalion, 187th Infantry (Airborne), Republic of Panama. Subsequent tactical assignments included service with the 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and as Commander, 1st Battalion, 22d Infantry, 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York. Oates later commanded the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) from 1998 to 2000 and commanded the 10th Mountain Division (Light) from 2007 to 2009.

Oates' non-tactical assignments include service as an Infantry Assignments Officer; Current Operations Officer in the J3, Joint Staff; Executive Officer to Tom White, Secretary of the Army; and as Chief of Staff to Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, the Chief Operations Officer, Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad, Iraq.

Oates holds a master's degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the United States Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island. He is a graduate of the Army's Command and General Staff College.

British Major General Andy Salmon (left), Multi-National Division-Southeast commander, and Major General Michael L. Oates (right), MND-South commander, shake hands during the transfer of responsibility ceremony in Basra, Iraq Andy Salmon Michael Oates Basra Handover.jpg
British Major General Andy Salmon (left), Multi-National Division-Southeast commander, and Major General Michael L. Oates (right), MND-South commander, shake hands during the transfer of responsibility ceremony in Basra, Iraq

Awards and decorations

Combat Infantry Badge.svg Combat Infantryman Badge
Ranger Tab.svg Ranger tab
USAFSeniorParatrooper.jpg Senior Parachutist Badge
Pathfinder.gif Pathfinder Badge
AirAssault.svg Air Assault Badge
Joint Chiefs of Staff seal.svg Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
United States Army Staff Identification Badge.png Army Staff Identification Badge
10th Mountain Division CSIB.jpg 10th Mountain Division Combat Service Identification Badge
Noribbon.svg Unidentified foreign parachutist badge
ASU overseas service bar.jpg 6 Overseas Service Bars
Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Army Distinguished Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Legion of Merit ribbon.svg
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Bronze Star ribbon.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze Star Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Defense Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Army Commendation Medal ribbon.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg Meritorious Unit Commendation
Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg
National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg
National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star
Southwest Asia Service Medal ribbon (1991-2016).svg Southwest Asia Service Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal ribbon.svg Bronze-service-star-3d.png Bronze-service-star-3d.png Bronze-service-star-3d.png Bronze-service-star-3d.png Iraq Campaign Medal with four campaign stars
Korea Defense Service ribbon.svg Korea Defense Service Medal
Army Service Ribbon.svg Army Service Ribbon
Army Overseas Service Ribbon.svg Army Overseas Service Ribbon
MFO Medal ribbon.png Multinational Force and Observers Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) ribbon.svg Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) ribbon.svg Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

Related Research Articles

Hal Moore US Army general

Harold Gregory Moore Jr. was a United States Army lieutenant general and author. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the U.S. military's second-highest decoration for valor, and was the first of his West Point class (1945) to be promoted to brigadier general, major general, and lieutenant general.

Michael D. Maples United States Army general

Lieutenant General Michael David Maples, USA served as the 16th Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), appointed on November 4, 2005. He was promoted to lieutenant general on November 29. Maples also commanded the Joint Functional Component Command for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (JFCC-ISR) for the United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM). He transferred his Directorship of the Defense Intelligence Agency and his command of JFCC-ISR to LTG Ronald Burgess on March 18, 2009. Maples formally served as the vice director of management of the Joint Staff.

Edward C. Meyer American military officer

Edward Charles "Shy" Meyer was a United States Army general who served as the 29th Chief of Staff of the United States Army.

Thomas R. Turner II United States Army general

Lieutenant General Thomas R. Turner II is a retired United States Army officer, who served as the commander of the 101st Airborne Division and United States Army North, Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

Robert T. Clark United States Army general

Lieutenant General Robert T. Clark is a retired United States Army officer.

Richard A. Cody 31st Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army

Richard Arthur "Dick" Cody is a retired United States Army general who served as the 31st Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army from June 24, 2004 to July 31, 2008. He retired from the Army on August 1, 2008.

Benjamin S. Griffin American military person

Benjamin Saunders Griffin, was a four-star general in the United States Army. He served as the Commanding General, United States Army Materiel Command from 5 November 2004 to 13 November 2008. Prior to this assignment, he served as the Department of the Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G-8. He retired from the Army after over 38 years of service.

James D. Thurman US Army general

James David Thurman is a retired United States Army general who served as the Commander of United Nations Command, R.O.K.-U.S. Combined Forces Command, and United States Forces Korea from July 14, 2011 until October 2, 2013. He previously served as the 18th Commanding General, United States Army Forces Command from June 3, 2010 to July 8, 2011 and as Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7. He was the former commanding general of United States V Corps in Heidelberg, Germany from January 19, 2007 to August 8, 2007.

John M. Brown III US Army general

John M. Brown III is a retired lieutenant general of the United States Army. He served as Commander of United States Army Pacific, headquartered at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, from August 25, 2004 to February 1, 2008. He enlisted in the Army as an infantryman in 1969 and became an officer upon completion of Infantry Officer Candidate School in 1971 where he was commissioned a second lieutenant of Infantry.

R. Steven Whitcomb United States Army general

R. Steven Whitcomb is a retired United States Army lieutenant general. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant upon graduation from the University of Virginia in 1970. In his final assignment he served as Inspector General of the United States Army.

James T. Hill US Army general

General James Thomas Hill is a retired United States Army four-star general who served as commander of United States Southern Command from 2002 to 2004. Hill also served as the Commanding General, I Corps and Fort Lewis.

James L. Terry US Army general

James L. Terry is a retired lieutenant general of the United States Army. Terry has commanded at multiple levels across the Army. Terry's last assignment was as the commanding general of United States Army Central, retiring 17 November 2015. Terry served as the last commander of V Corps before its inactivation in 2013. While commanding V Corps, he concurrently served as Commander, International Security Assistance Force Joint Command (IJC), and as deputy commander of United States Forces Afghanistan. He was the Commanding General of the 10th Mountain Division from 2009 to 2011.

Benjamin Freakley American general (born 1953)

Benjamin C. Freakley is a retired United States Army lieutenant general. From Woodstock, Virginia, Freakley was commissioned as an infantry officer in 1975, and served in Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan before retiring in 2012. After leaving active duty military service, he joined the McCain Institute and Arizona State University.

Malcolm B. Frost United States Army major general (born 1966)

Malcolm Bradley Frost is a retired United States Army major general who last served as Commanding General, Center for Initial Military Training, United States Army, Training and Doctrine Command, Fort Eustis, VA. MG Frost most recently served as Chief of Public Affairs for the U.S. Army at the Pentagon in Washington, DC. Frost's previous assignment was Deputy Commanding General of the 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, NC from March 2014 to March 2015. In March 2014, Frost completed his assignment as Deputy Director for Operations at the National Military Command Center, J3 the Joint Staff at the Pentagon. Prior to that, he completed an assignment as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations (G3/5/7) for the United States Army Pacific (USARPAC). and commanded the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division.

John F. Campbell (general) United States Army general

John Francis Campbell is a retired United States Army general who was commander of the Resolute Support Mission and United States Forces – Afghanistan. He was the 16th and last commander of the International Security Assistance Force. Prior to this, he served as the 34th Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army. He is currently a member of the board of directors of IAP, and BAE Systems, and serves on the advisory board of Code of Support Foundation.

Michael D. Barbero United States Army general

Michael Douglas Barbero is a retired United States Army Lieutenant General.

John Norton (soldier) United States Army general

Lieutenant General John Norton was a general in the United States Army. His decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal and the Silver Star. He was key in founding the Army Air Corps and helped pioneer the use of helicopters in combat, and is a member of the Army Aviation Hall of Fame and the Army Field Experimentation Hall of Fame.

Ronald P. Clark United States Army general

Ronald Patrick "Ron" Clark a United States Army lieutenant general who serves as the commanding general of United States Army Central since 4 August 2021. He most recently served as the Chief of Staff, United States Indo-Pacific Command. He previously served as the commander of the 25th Infantry Division, and, before that, as the Chief of Staff, United States Army Pacific.

John F. Wharton (general) US Army officer (born c. 1957)

Major General John Francis Wharton is a retired United States Army officer and career logistics officer who last served as the commanding general of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Before that, Wharton served as the commanding general of U.S. Army Sustainment Command and Rock Island Arsenal, and as the senior commander for U.S. Army Garrison, Rock Island, Illinois.

Willard Burleson U.S. Army general

Willard McKenzie Burleson III is a United States Army lieutenant general who serves as the Commanding General of the Eighth United States Army and the Chief of Staff of the ROK/US Combined Forces Command.

References

  1. "Michael Lee Oates". West Point Association of Graduates. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  2. 1 2 Register of Graduates and Former Cadets, United States Military Academy. West Point, New York: Association of Graduates U.S.M.A. 1989. p. 871. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  3. "Distinguished TMI Alumni". TMI Episcopal. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
Military offices
Preceded by Commander, 10th Mountain Division
2007–2009
Succeeded by