Richard A. Cody

Richard A. Cody
General Richard A. Cody Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army
Born	August 2, 1950 (1950-08-02) Montpelier, Vermont
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1972–2008
Rank	General
Commands held	101st Airborne Division 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division 1st Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment
Battles/wars	Operation Desert Storm Operation Enduring Freedom
Awards	Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit (5) Distinguished Flying Cross Bronze Star Meritorious Service Medal (5)

Richard A. Cody (born August 2, 1950) 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.

Early life and career

Cody was born in Montpelier, Vermont, on August 2, 1950. He was commissioned a second lieutenant upon graduation in 1972 from the United States Military Academy. His military education includes completion of the Transportation Corps Officer Basic and Advanced Courses; the Aviation Maintenance Officer Course; the AH-1, AH-64, AH-64D, UH-60, and MH-60K Aircraft Qualification Courses; the Command and General Staff College, and the United States Army War College. Cody is a Master Aviator with over 5,000 hours of flight time, and is an air assault graduate.

General Cody at a press conference in 2007.

Prior to his current assignment, Cody spent 32 years in a variety of command and staff assignments, most recently serving as Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3, United States Army. Other key assignments include Commanding General, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell; Director, Operations, Readiness and Mobilization, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans, Headquarters, Department of the Army; Deputy Commanding General, Task Force Hawk, Tirana, Albania; Assistant Division Commander for Maneuver, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; Commander, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Commander, 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division; Aide-de-Camp to the Commanding General, Combined Field Army, Korea; and Director, Flight Concepts Division.

Cody has served several tours with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) as Commander, 1st Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment (Attack) during Operation Desert Storm; Aviation Brigade Executive Officer, 101st Aviation Brigade; Battalion Executive Officer and Company Commander in the 229th Attack Helicopter Battalion, and Battalion S-3 in the 55th Attack Helicopter Battalion. He served as a platoon commander in the 2nd Squadron, 9th Cavalry and A Company (Attack), 24th Aviation Battalion and as Commander, E Company (AVIM), 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Stewart, Georgia.

He and his wife are both avid golfers, and spent much of their free time while stationed at Fort Campbell on the base's golf course. Vicki has written a book about military life for military families. The military's largest Child Development Center (CDC) is named after the Codys. It is called the Cody Child Development Center, which is located on Fort Myer, Virginia.

Medals and awards

	Defense Distinguished Service Medal
	Army Distinguished Service Medal
	Defense Superior Service Medal
	Legion of Merit (with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters)
	Distinguished Flying Cross
	Bronze Star
	Meritorious Service Medal (with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters)
	Air Medal (with Award numeral "3")
	Army Commendation Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters)
	Army Achievement Medal

	Air Assault Badge
	Master Army Aviator Badge
	Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
	Army Staff Identification Badge

Post-army career

General Cody serves on the Advisory Council of Hope For The Warriors, a national non-profit dedicated to provide a full cycle of non-medical care to combat wounded service members, their families, and families of the fallen from each military branch.

References

• The original version of this article incorporated text copied from General Richard Cody's Biography on the website of the US Army. By statute, works authored by US Government employees in the course of their duties are in the public domain.

Military offices
Preceded by George W. Casey, Jr.	Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army June 24, 2004 – July 31, 2008	Succeeded by Peter W. Chiarelli