David McKiernan

Lt. Gen. David D. McKiernan is the Commanding Officer of the Third U.S. Army and U.S. Army Forces Central Command (CENTCOM) and the Coalition Forces Land Component Command (CFLCC).

General McKiernan "drew up the plan to take Iraq and was in command of the ground forces that did it. The advance to Baghdad in 16 days was highly successful." 

According to his CFLCC Biography, Lieutenant General David D. McKiernan assumed command of Third U.S. Army/U.S. Army Forces Central Command and the Coalition Forces Land Component Command Sept. 4, 2002. Prior to assuming command here, he served as the Army's Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations - G3 in Washington, D.C.

Lt. Gen. McKiernan entered the Army in 1972, receiving an ROTC commission from the College of William and Mary. Following the Infantry Officer Basic Course, he was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 63rd Armor, 1st Infantry Division. While there, he served as Scout Platoon Leader and Tank Company Executive Officer until 1975. Upon his reassignment to the 2nd Infantry Division, Republic of Korea, he joined the 4th Squadron, 7th Cavalry as a Troop Executive Officer and Squadron Motor Officer until returning to the Armor Officer Advanced Course in 1976.

Following the Armor Officer Advanced Course, Lieutenant General McKiernan served in the 2nd Battalion, 33rd Armor, 3rd Armored Division, Kirchgoens, Federal Republic of Germany, from 1977 to 1981 as the Battalion Motor Officer, Tank Company Commander and Battalion S3. After attending Command and General Staff College, he was assigned to Headquarters, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command as a staff officer in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Training. Returning to the 3rd Armored Division in 1984, he served as the 1st Brigade S3, Executive Officer of 2nd Battalion, 32nd Armor and as Division G3 Training Officer. Departing 3rd Armored Division in 1987, Lt. Gen. McKiernan served as the Armor Assignments Officer, Colonels Division, United States Army Personnel Command prior to returning to Germany to assume command of 1st Battalion, 35th Armor (Iron Knights), 1st Armored Division in July 1988.

Following battalion command in July 1990, he became a Senior Task Force Observer/Controller at the Combat Maneuver Training Center (CMTC), Hohenfels, Germany. In December 1990, Lt. Gen. McKiernan was attached to Headquarters, VII Corps to run the Corps Tactical Command Post during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He returned briefly to CMTC and subsequently attended the U.S. Army War College.

Joining 1st Cavalry Division in 1992, Lt. Gen. McKiernan served as Division G3, then as Commander, 1st Brigade (Iron Horse). Following brigade command, he was assigned as Executive Officer to the Commander, U.S. Army Forces Command from 1995 to 1996. In July 1996, Lt. Gen. McKiernan joined the Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina and served as Deputy Chief of Staff G2/G3 both there and in Rheindahlen, Germany. Lt. Gen. McKiernan was next assigned to the 1st Infantry Division in November 1997 where he served as the Assistant Division Commander (Maneuver) in Germany until August 1998. From August 1998 until September 1999, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations at Headquarters, U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army during a period of simultaneous operations in Bosnia, Albania and Kosovo. Returning to Fort Hood, Texas, Lt. Gen. McKiernan commanded the 1st Cavalry Division from October 1999 through October 2001. -

SourceWatch Resources

 * Operation Iraqi Freedom
 * Operation Iraqi Freedom: Year Two
 * U.S. Central Command
 * Who leaked the 'Taguba Report'?