Raymond T. Odierno
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| Raymond T. Odierno | |
|---|---|
| Born (born 1954) | |
 General Raymond T. Odierno, USA |
|
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1976-present |
| Rank | General |
| Commands held | Multi-National Force Iraq Multi-National Corps-Iraq III Corps 4th Infantry Division 1st Cavalry Division Artillery |
| Battles/wars | Gulf War Iraq War |
| Awards | Defense Distinguished Service Medal (2) Distinguished Service Medal (2) Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit (6) Bronze Star |
General Raymond T. Odierno, (born 1954) USA, is the current Commanding General, Multi-National Force—Iraq (MNF-I). He assumed command on September 16, 2008. He previously served as Commanding General, III Corps, from May 2006 to May 2008. As the day-to-day Commander of the MNC-I, he was the operational architect of the Iraq War troop surge of 2007 and is credited with implementing the counterinsurgency strategy that, along with the earlier rise of the Sunni Awakening militia movement, led to the decrease in violence during his tenure in Iraq from late 2006 to early 2008. The Weekly Standard has argued that his employment of forces to quell violence across Iraq "redefined the operational art of counterinsurgency". [1]
Prior to commanding III Corps, he served as Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington, where he was the primary military advisor to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice from 3 November 2004 to 1 May 2006.
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[edit] Early life and education
General Odierno grew up in Rockaway, New Jersey[2], where he attended Morris Hills High School[3], followed by the United States Military Academy at West Point. He graduated in June 1976 with a Bachelor of Science Degree. Later, General Odierno attended North Carolina State University and the Naval War College, receiving masters degrees in Nuclear Effects Engineering and National Security and Strategy, respectively. General Odierno is also a graduate of the Army War College.
[edit] Personal life
In August 2004, his son, Lieutenant Anthony Odierno, lost his arm while leading a patrol with the 1st Cavalry Division near Baghdad International Airport.[4]
[edit] Media Engagement
While serving as the Commanding General of Multi-National Corps - Iraq, Gen. Odierno was instrumental in informing the American, international, and Pan-Arab audience about the difficulties and progress of surge operations. He conducted well over 100 interviews with such media outlets as NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, CNN, BBC, Washington Post, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, McClatchy Newspapers, Reuters, Associated Press, Time Magazine, Newsweek, US News and World Report, and many others. Gen. Odierno was responsible for building a state of the art broadcast studio, which allowed live interviews as well as numerous press events. He dedicated the studio to Marine Corps Major Megan McClung who was killed in action in Ramadi, Iraq, in December 2006.
Upon his return from Iraq in February 2008, Gen. Odierno visited New York City to speak at several institutions and media outlets about the success of the surge. He spoke at the National Committee on American Foreign Policy, the Links Club, and the Union League Club of New York where he also received an achievement award for his lifetime of service to the nation. During this visit he conducted interviews with the New York Times Editorial Board, ABC's Good Morning America Editorial Board, New York Post Editorial Board, FOX & Friends, and Brian and the Judge Radio Show.
In March 2008 Gen. Odierno made a trip to Washington DC and spoke with audiences at the Brookings Institution, White House Key Opinion Makers, the Heritage Foundation[5], and the National War College. He conducted interviews with Wolf Blitzer, Ralph Peters from the New York Post[6], and more than 20 journalists from various media outlets during a Pentagon Press Corps briefing[7]. Gen. Odierno also briefed President Bush on the situation in Iraq and progress made during the surge during this visit.
Upon returning to Iraq in September 2008, Gen. Odierno assumed the role of Commanding General for Multi-National Force - Iraq. He immediately engaged the American audience during a 60 Minutes interview in which he laid out his vision for a stable Iraq. The program was viewed by 18 million viewers and received praise for its informative nature, helping to highlight the road that lay ahead for a successful Iraq. Gen. Odierno continued his mission to inform the American, international, and Pan-Arab audiences regarding the changing nature of Iraq by conducting numerous interviews with all major U.S. networks, cable news outlets, and major newspapers and magazines. This was an important step following the signing of the security agreement as the world wanted to know what the role of the U.S. was in the future of Iraq. Gen. Odierno also realized the importance of informing the Middle Eastern audience and reached over 20 million Arab speaking viewers during a one-hour interview with reporter Elie Nakouzi from Al-Arabiya television in Dubai.
During a May 2009 visit to Washington DC and New York City, Gen. Odierno spoke to audiences at the Naval War College (where he also received a distinguished alumni award), the Army War College, Institute of World Politics, and the NYU Stern School of Business commencement ceremony.
Odierno also participated in a series of press engagements centered on the June 30, 2009 transition of security for Iraqi cities to the Government of Iraq. He conducted live interviews with CNN's State of the Union, FOX News Sunday, and PBS' Newshour with Jim Lehrer. He also held a press conference at Al-Faw Palace with Baghdad-based western media as well as a remote press conference with the Pentagon Press Corps.
[edit] Career history
General Odierno's initial tours took him to United States Army Europe and U.S. Seventh Army, Germany, where he served as a Platoon Leader and Survey Officer of the 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery, 56th Field Artillery Brigade. He later served as Aide-de-Camp to the Pershing Missile Brigade’s Commanding General. Following completion of the Artillery Officer Advanced Course, General Odierno was assigned to the XVIII Airborne Corps Artillery at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he commanded Service Battery and Alpha Battery. Subsequently, he served as the Battalion S3 in the 1st Battalion, 73rd Field Artillery. During Operation Desert Storm, General Odierno served as the Executive Officer for the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery, and then he held the same position in Division Artillery, 3rd Armored Division.
General Odierno went on to command 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery, 7th Infantry Division, followed by command of the Division Artillery, 1st Cavalry Division. He later commanded the 4th Infantry Division and the III Corps.
His significant staff duties include Arms Control Officer, Office of the Secretary of Defense; Chief of Staff, United States V Corps, United States Army Europe; Assistant Division Commander (Support), U.S. 1st Armored Division; Deputy Commanding General, Task Force Hawk, Albania; Director, Force Management, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans, United States Army, Washington, D.C.; and Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C., where he was the primary military advisor to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
[edit] Assignments
| From | To | Assignments |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 1976 | Jan 1978 | Support Platoon Leader, later Firing Platoon Leader, C Battery, 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery, 56th Field Artillery Brigade, United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany |
| Jan 1978 | Oct 1979 | Survey Officer, 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery, 56th Field Artillery Brigade, United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany |
| Nov 1979 | Jul 1980 | Student, Field Artillery Advanced Course, Fort Sill, Oklahoma |
| Aug 1980 | Dec 1980 | Liaison Officer, 1st Battalion, 73d Field Artillery, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina |
| Dec 1980 | Dec 1982 | Commander, Service Battery, later A Battery, 1st Battalion, 73d Field Artillery, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina |
| Dec 1982 | May 1983 | Assistant S-3 (Operations), 1st Battalion, 73d Field Artillery, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina |
| Jun 1983 | May 1984 | S-3 (Operations), 3d Battalion, 8th Field Artillery, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina |
| Jun 1984 | Aug 1986 | Student, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina |
| Sep 1986 | Jun 1989 | Nuclear Research Officer, later Chief, Acquisition Support Division, Defense Nuclear Agency, Alexandria, Virginia, later detailed as Military Advisor for Arms Control, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, DC |
| Jun 1989 | Jun 1990 | Student, United States Naval Command and Staff Course, Newport, Rhode Island |
| Jul 1990 | Dec 1990 | Executive Officer, 2d Battalion, 3d Field Artillery, 3d Armored Division, United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany |
| Dec 1990 | Jun 1991 | Executive Officer, Division Artillery, 3d Armored Division, United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany. Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Saudi Arabia |
| Jun 1991 | May 1992 | Executive Officer, 42d Field Artillery Brigade, V Corps, United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany |
| Jun 1992 | Jun 1994 | Commander, 2d Battalion, 8th Field Artillery, 7th Infantry Division(Light), Fort Ord, California (relocated to Fort Lewis, Washington) |
| Jun 1994 | Jun 1995 | Student, United States Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania |
| Jun 1995 | Jun 1997 | Commander, Division Artillery, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas |
| Jun 1997 | Aug 1998 | Chief of Staff, V Corps, United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany |
| Aug 1998 | Jul 1999 | Assistant Division Commander (Support), 1st Armored Division, United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany to include duty as Deputy Commanding General for Ground Operations, Task Force Hawk, Operation Allied Force, Albania |
| Jul 1999 | Jul 2001 | Director, Force Management, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans, United States Army, Washington, DC |
| Oct 2001 | Aug 2004 | Commanding General, 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Hood, Texas. Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq |
| Aug 2004 | Oct 2004 | Special Assistant to Vice Chief of Staff, United States Army, Washington, DC |
| Oct 2004 | May 2006 | Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, DC |
| May 2006 | Dec 2006 | Commanding General, III Corps and Fort Hood, Fort Hood, Texas |
| Dec 2006 | Feb 2008 | Commanding General, III Corps and Commander, Multi-National Corps-Iraq, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq |
| Feb 2008 | Sep 2008 | Commanding General, III Corps and Fort Hood, Fort Hood, Texas |
| Sep 2008 | Present | Commander, Multi-National Force-Iraq, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq |
[edit] Operation Iraqi Freedom
General Odierno is currently serving his third deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
[edit] Operation Iraqi Freedom I
Odierno commanded the U.S. 4th Infantry Division (4th ID) from October 2001 to June 2004, during which he deployed the division to Operation Iraqi Freedom from March 2003 to April 2004. Originally, the 4th Infantry Division was designated to enter Iraq through Turkey, though diplomatic complications prevented such a maneuver. Eventually, Odierno and the 4th Infantry Division deployed into Iraq from Kuwait, and despite the diplomatic complications, still executed the most rapid deployment of heavy armored forces in history.
The division did not deploy in time to start the invasion but joined it as a follow-on force in April 2003, attacking toward Tikrit and Mosul, and later played a major role in the post-war occupation. Headquartered in the restive Sunni Triangle north of Baghdad, the division was responsible for one of the most violent regions of Iraq, as remaining elements of Saddam Hussein’s regime struggled to regain control. In a major accomplishment late in the deployment, Odierno’s troops captured Saddam Hussein in December 2003.
Odierno’s tenure as 4th ID commander in Iraq and his unit’s actions there have subsequently come under criticism from several sources. Some have been critical of 4th ID’s belligerent stance during their initial entry into Iraq after the ground war had ceased, arguing that the unit’s lack of a ‘hearts and minds’ approach was ineffective in quelling the insurgency.[8]
In his unit’s defense, Odierno and others have argued that enemy activity in the 4th ID’s area of operations was higher than in any other area of the country because of the region’s high concentration of Sunni resistance groups still loyal to Saddam Hussein’s regime. His unit was headquartered in Hussein’s hometown and this environment necessitated a different approach from those of units located in the more peaceful regions in the south and the north of the country. [9][10]
[edit] The Surge 2007-2008
In his second Iraq deployment, Odierno was the commander of Multi-National Corps-Iraq from December 2006 to February 2008. In this role, he served as the day-to-day commander of all Coalition Forces in Iraq and was one of the primary architects of the troop “surge” into Baghdad.
[edit] Planning for The Surge
Upon Odierno’s arrival to Baghdad in December 2006, General George Casey, then the Multi-National Force- Iraq commander (the senior military leader in Iraq), charged Odierno with the task of breaking the cycle of violence and bringing a measure of stability to the country in order to provide “breathing room” for political progress to solve Iraq’s long-term problems.
Odierno and his team recognized that reducing the violence required securing the population—what he described as “job one”–and stopping “accelerants”, his term for those carrying out the attacks and thus triggering subsequent reprisals. His team recognized that although previous efforts to clear Baghdad of insurgents had met with some success, these gains were temporary because the Coalition lacked sufficient forces to hold the areas, and the challenges involved with securing the population were simply too great for the Iraqi Security Forces at the time. [10]
Previous strategies had called for minimizing the U.S. presence as much as possible, but Odierno recognized that securing the population was a prerequisite for further progress and that he currently did not have enough troops to accomplish the task. Therefore, he and several others recommended to President Bush that he order a temporary troop increase to help stem the violence. President Bush announced what came to be known as the “Surge” in January 2007 and ordered 5 additional brigades to Iraq.[11]
[edit] Implementing the new strategy
Odierno and his team decided that creating stability in Iraq required more than just greater resources; it required a change in mindset. They determined that they must prioritize the protection of the population, creating safe neighborhoods and markets and allowing Iraqis to go about their daily lives. They also decided that the Coalition needed a more balanced approach in its targeting of extremists, and they convinced the Iraqi Government that Shiite militia groups could no longer be given a “free pass” to commit extra-judicial killings.[12]
As the additional brigades began to arrive in the first months of 2007, the Coalition began moving its forces off large bases and deployed them to live on small outposts in population centers across Iraq, concentrating in and around Baghdad.
Throughout a series of offensives commanded by Odierno, Coalition Forces placed significant emphasis on providing 'essential services', 'encouraging local governance', and 'separating the ‘irreconcilables’ from those willing to make peace with the legitimate government of Iraq' according to his controversial British political advisor Emma Sky - whose previous role under the Coalition Provisional Authority was heavily criticised by President Talabani but was praised by officials such as former US Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz.[13]
While planning and conducting these operations, Odierno concentrated efforts to deepen growing alliances with groups of “concerned local citizens” that had agreed to work with Coalition Forces to bring security to their neighborhoods. The movement, known as the “Awakening”, started in Anbar province in 2006 and grew throughout 2007, spreading across much of the country. Later called the “Sons of Iraq”, many of these individuals were former insurgents who had been appalled at the wanton violence and chaos wrought by Al Qaeda in Iraq and had subsequently decided to support government stability efforts. As the U.S.-funded effort spread, more and more Iraqis began to join. Soon groups were mobilizing across the country to quell violence; this represented a marked improvement from late 2006, when extremists were mobilizing for civil war.
[edit] The results of the Surge
This comprehensive approach to counterinsurgency – conducting simultaneous, large-scale operations to strike multiple enemy concentrations and bases of support while continually focusing on protecting the populace and reconciling with those willing to make peace with the government – led to dramatic decreases in attacks through Iraq. In December 2006, Coalition Forces were sustaining more than 1,200 attacks per week, and the civilian death toll for the month was over 3,000. When Odierno and his team finished their tour in February 2008, civilian casualties were down 70%, and attacks on Coalition Forces had dropped to their lowest levels since 2004. In the Baghdad security districts, specifically, ethno-sectarian attacks and deaths had decreased by 90%, although there is a debate how much of that is due to the Surge as opposed to the competition of ethnic cleansing in the city's neighborhoods. According to most observers the situation in Iraq had been “utterly transformed” [1] , but there is serious concern whether that success will not be reversed through the lack of progress in the Iraqi internal political process.
[edit] Command of Multi-National Force-Iraq
General Odierno’s third deployment to Iraq began on September 16, 2008 when he assumed command of Multi-National Force-Iraq. Returning to Iraq less than 7 months after finishing his previous deployment, he is currently the senior military commander in Iraq. He faces the challenge of sustaining the security gains of the past while reducing the Coalition presence and helping the Iraqi government achieve reconciliation and lasting stability.
[edit] Promotions
| Rank | Date Of Appointment |
|---|---|
 2LT |
2 Jun 1976 |
 1LT |
2 Jun 1978 |
 CPT |
1 Aug 1980 |
 MAJ |
1 Dec 1986 |
 LTC |
1 Feb 1992 |
 COL |
1 Sep 1995 |
 BG |
1 Jul 1999 |
 MG |
1 Nov 2002 |
 LTG |
1 Jan 2005 |
 GEN |
16 Sep 2008 |
[edit] Decorations and badges
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Kagan, Frederick W. and Kimberly Kagan, “The Patton of Counterinsurgency,” The Weekly Standard, Volume 13: Issue 25, 10 March 2008.
- ^ Cloud, David S. “U.S. Military Leader in Iraq Talks of ‘Thinning the Lines’”, The New York Times, May 26, 2007. Accessed February 27, 2008. “‘We’ll do this in a very deliberate and slow way’, General Odierno, a 1976 West Point graduate from Rockaway, N.J., said in an interview here.”
- ^ Manochio, Matt. “Morris general oversaw capture”, Daily Record (Morristown), December 14, 2003. Accessed February 27, 2008. “Raymond T. Odierno, 48, is a 1972 graduate of Morris Hills High School.”
- ^ Ricks, Thomas E. "The Dissenter Who Changed the War", Washington Post, 8 February 2009.
- ^ http://www.heritage.org/press/events/ev030508b.cfm
- ^ http://www.nypost.com/seven/03072008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/lessons_from_the_general_100869.htm
- ^ http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=4167
- ^ Ricks, Thomas E. (July 25, 2006). Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq. Penguin Press HC. p. 153. 159420103X.
- ^ Peters, Ralph (August 28, 2007). "He’s a Fighter: How Odierno is Building Peace". The New York Post. http://www.nypost.com/seven/08282007/postopinion/opedcolumnists/hes_a_fighter.htm?page=0.
- ^ a b Filkins, Dexter. “Back in Iraq, Jarred by the Calm”, The New York Times, 21 September 2008.
- ^ Gordon, Michael. “Troop ‘Surge’ Took Place Amid Doubt and Debate”, New York Times, 31 August 2008.
- ^ Odierno, LtGen Raymond T. (13 March 2008). The Surge in Iraq: One Year Later. Heritage Lecture # 1068. The Heritage Foundation. http://www.heritage.org/Research/NationalSecurity/hl1068.cfm. Retrieved on 2008-10-01. "Changing our approach also meant introducing more balance in our targeting by going after both Sunni and Shia extremists. I should point out that this modification required the government of Iraq’s cooperation, and it is significant to note that we got it. Shia militia leaders conducting extra-judicial killings would no longer get a free pass.".
- ^ Sky, Emma, “Iraq 2007 – Moving Beyond Counterinsurgency Doctrine”, Rusi, Volume 153, No. 2, April 2008, pp 30-34.
[edit] External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Raymond T. Odierno |
- Official Multi-National Force Iraq Website
- Official Multi National Corps Iraq Website
- Raymond T. Odierno at the Internet Movie Database
- BBC, Profile
- Facebook profile
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Peter W. Chiarelli |
Commanding General, Multi-National Corps Iraq 2006-2008 |
Succeeded by Lloyd Austin |
| Military offices | ||
| Preceded by David H. Petraeus |
Commanding General, Multi-National Force Iraq 2008-present |
Succeeded by incumbent |
