Gary E. Luck

Last updated
Gary E. Luck
General Gary Edward Luck.JPEG
Brigadier General Gary E. Luck in 1983
Born (1937-08-05) August 5, 1937 (age 86)
Alma, Michigan
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service1959–1996
Rank General
Commands held United States Combined Forces Command Korea
XVIII Airborne Corps
Joint Special Operations Command
2nd Infantry Division
Battles/wars Vietnam War
Gulf War
Awards Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Army Distinguished Service Medal (2)
Legion of Merit (2)
Distinguished Flying Cross (4)
Bronze Star Medal (3)
Purple Heart

Gary Edward Luck (born August 5, 1937) [1] is a retired four-star general of the United States Army. Following his retirement, he was a senior advisor to the United States Joint Forces Command prior to that command's inactivation. He is currently a Senior Fellow for the National Defense University in support of the Pinnacle, Capstone, and Keystone programs.

Contents

Education

Receiving a bachelor's degree in engineering from Kansas State University in 1959, Luck also holds a master's degree from Florida State University and a doctorate in business administration (Operations Research and Systems Analysis, a/k/a ORSA) from George Washington University. In addition, Luck has attended numerous military schools and courses, to include the Armor Basic and Advanced Officer courses, Army Aviator training, the Armed Forces Staff College, and the United States Army War College. [2]

Military career

Luck is a combat veteran of both the Vietnam War and the Gulf War and has held a variety of command and staff positions throughout his army career, to include: Chief of Staff, 8th Infantry Division, U.S. Army, Europe; Director, Force Programs, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans, HQ Department of the Army; Assistant Division Commander, 101st Airborne Division; Commanding General, 2nd Infantry Division, Korea; Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command (1989–1990); Commanding General, U.S. Army Special Operations Command; and Commanding General, XVIII Airborne Corps during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm (1990–1993).

His last military assignment before retiring from active duty was as Commander-in-Chief, United Nations Command (Korea)/Combined Forces Command/United States Forces Korea. [2] During this time the United States and North Korea nearly went to war over North Korea's development of weapons-grade plutonium at the Yongbyon nuclear facility and threat to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Luck warned President Bill Clinton that a renewal of the Korean conflict would cost "A million, a hundred billion, and a trillion," meaning 1 million American casualties, $100 billion in economic costs to the United States, and $1 trillion in industrial damage to South Korea. The crisis was ultimately defused by the successful negotiation of the USA-DPRK Agreed Framework, but North Korea eventually acquired nuclear weapons. [3]

General Luck, then a major general, served as officer in charge of Operation Pocket Planner in November 1987, where members of the United States Army Special Operations Command responded to the Atlanta prison riots. [4]

Post-military life

Since his retirement from the Army, Luck has served in a variety of senior advisory positions in support of the United States Department of Defense, overseeing exercise control during Exercise Millennium Challenge 2002, and as an advisor to then-Commander of United States Central Command, General Tommy Franks, prior to the US led invasion of Iraq in 2003. He was sent back to Iraq in early 2005 in order to investigate various areas of operation, identifying any weaknesses and reporting back to commanders at The Pentagon with a confidential assessment on what could be done to install democracy in Iraq and to set a date for the withdrawal of American and coalition forces. That same year, Luck was also the 2005 recipient of the Doughboy Award from the National Infantry Association. [5]

Awards and decorations

Combat Infantry Badge.svg Combat Infantryman Badge [2]
ArmyAvnBadge.png Basic Army Aviator Badge
Master Parachutist badge (United States).svg Master Parachutist Badge
AirAssault.svg Air Assault Badge
Ranger Tab.svg Ranger Tab
ViPaBa.jpg Vietnamese Parachutist Badge
United States Army Staff Identification Badge.png Army Staff Identification Badge
Defense Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg
Army Distinguished Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Legion of Merit ribbon.svg
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Distinguished Flying Cross ribbon.svg
Distinguished Flying Cross with three oak leaf clusters
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze Star ribbon.svg
Bronze Star Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Purple Heart ribbon.svg Purple Heart
Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal ribbon.svg Valor device.svg Award numeral 1.png Award numeral 5.png Air Medal with Valor device and bronze award numerals 15
Army Commendation Medal ribbon.svg Army Commendation Medal
United States Army and U.S. Air Force Presidential Unit Citation ribbon.svg Army Presidential Unit Citation
Valorous Unit Award ribbon.svg Valorous Unit Award
Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg Army Meritorious Unit Commendation
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg
National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star
Silver-service-star-3d.svg
Vietnam Service Medal ribbon.svg
Vietnam Service Medal with five service stars
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Southwest Asia Service Medal ribbon (1991-2016).svg
Southwest Asia Service Medal with two service stars
Humanitarian Service ribbon.svg Humanitarian Service Medal
Army Service Ribbon.svg Army Service Ribbon
Army Overseas Service Ribbon.svg Award numeral 3.svg Army Overseas Service Ribbon with award numeral 3
Tong-il Security Medel Ribbon.svg Order of National Security Merit, Tong-il Medal (Republic of Korea)
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal ribbon-Second Class.svg
Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal with service star (2nd class)
King Faisal Award, 2d Class Ribbon.png King Faisal Award, 2nd class
Legion Honneur Officier ribbon.svg French Legion of Honour, Officer
Gallantry Cross Unit Citation.png Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
Vietnam Campaign Medal ribbon with 60- clasp.svg Vietnam Campaign Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) ribbon.svg Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)

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References

  1. ↑ "Gary Luck 1937 - Google Search". www.google.com.
  2. 1 2 3 http://scs.georgetown.edu/departments/35/us-strategic-leadership-center-at-georgetown/about-the-program/faculty%5B%5D
  3. ↑ Cha, Victor D. (2013). The Impossible State: North Korea, Past and Future. Internet Archive. New York: Ecco. pp. 285–287. ISBN   978-0-06-199850-8. LCCN   2012009517. OCLC   1244862785.
  4. ↑ "That time Delta Force got called in to sort out a Georgia prison riot". Sofrep. 28 June 2016.
  5. ↑ "The Wexford Group". Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-07-22.
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