Richard Scholtes

Last updated
Richard A. Scholtes
MGEN Richard A Scholtes.JPEG
Major General Richard A. Scholtes
Born (1934-03-18) 18 March 1934 (age 88)
Joliet, Illinois, U.S.
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service1951–1986
Rank Major General
Commands held 2nd Armored Division
Joint Special Operations Command
Brigade 76, 4th Infantry Division
2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division
1st Battalion, 61st Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Division
Battles/wars Vietnam War
Awards Silver Star Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Soldier's Medal
Bronze Star Medal (2)
Purple Heart (2)
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal (6)

Richard Adrian Scholtes [1] [2] (born 18 March 1934) [3] is a retired United States Army major general who served as the first commander of Joint Special Operations Command. [4] [5] Scholtes' experience as the commander of Joint Special Operations Task Force 123 during the United States invasion of Grenada made him an important figure in the reorganization of the US special operations community. After his tenure as JSOC commander, Scholtes retired from active service so he could candidly testify in August 1986 before Congress about the perceived need for a separate, four-star, special operations command. Then-Senator William Cohen described Scholtes' testimony as vital in the decision of Congress to create the United States Special Operations Command. [6]

Scholtes enlisted in the Army on 31 October 1951. He is a 1957 graduate of the United States Military Academy with a B.S. degree in military science. Scholtes later earned an M.B.A. degree in data processing from George Washington University. [1] [2] [3]

Awards and decorations

Silver Star ribbon.svg
Defense Superior Service Medal ribbon.svg Legion of Merit ribbon.svg Soldier's Medal ribbon.svg
Valor device.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze Star ribbon.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Purple Heart ribbon.svg
Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg
Air Medal ribbon.svg Award numeral 6.png Army Commendation Medal ribbon.svg Army Good Conduct ribbon.svg
Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg
National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg
Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg
Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg
Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg
Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg
Vietnam Service Medal ribbon.svg
Army Service Ribbon.svg
Army Overseas Service Ribbon.svg
Award-star-silver-3d.png
Award-star-silver-3d.png
Vietnamese Gallantry Cross ribbon.svg
Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal ribbon-First Class.svg
Vietnam Staff Service Medal ribbon-First Class.svg Vietnam Civil Actions Medal ribbon-First Class.svg Vietnam Campaign Medal ribbon with 60- clasp.svg

Related Research Articles

The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and forms military policy with the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS), both federal executive departments, acting as the principal organs by which military policy is carried out. All six armed services are among the eight uniformed services of the United States.

Naval Postgraduate School US Navy graduate academy in Monterey, California, United States

The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) is a public graduate school operated by the United States Navy and located in Monterey, California.

Robert Kingston

Robert Charles Kingston was a United States Army general who served as the commander of U.S. Central Command.

George Lee Butler US Air Force general

George Lee Butler, sometimes known as Lee Butler, is an American retired military officer. He was commander in chief, United States Strategic Command, and the last commander of Strategic Air Command. Following his retirement from the military he became active in the nuclear disarmament movement, calling for the outright abolition of nuclear weapons.

Robert W. Cone US Army general

Robert William Cone was a United States Army four-star general who last served as the commanding general of United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). He assumed command of TRADOC on 29 April 2011. He previously served as the commander of Fort Hood and III Corps on 22 September 2009, with which he deployed to Iraq in February 2010, and served as the Deputy Commanding General for Operations, United States Forces – Iraq, until February 2011. Prior to that, he served as the Special Assistant to the Commanding General of TRADOC. He retired in 2014.

Herbert Altshuler American major general (born 1945)

Herbert Lewis "Buz" Altshuler is a retired American major general who served as director of strategy and plans for USAFRICOM, and commanded United States Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne) (USACAPOC) from 2001 to 2007.

David A. Morris is an American major general (retired) who is the founder and owner of Decisive Edge, LLC, a consulting firm focused on the development of business strategies for the Special Operations and intelligence communities.

Walter L. Sharp US Army general

Walter Lawrence "Skip" Sharp, is a retired United States Army four-star general, who last served as the Commander, United Nations Command, Commander, ROK-US Combined Forces Command and Commander, U.S. Forces Korea from June 3, 2008 to July 14, 2011. He previously served as the Director of the Joint Staff from 2005 to June 2008. Sharp retired from the Army in July 2011.

David R. Hogg United States Army general

Lieutenant General David Richard Hogg is a retired United States Army officer. He served as a United States Military Representative to the NATO Military Committee (USMILREP). He relieved Vice Admiral Richard K. Gallagher and assumed the assignment in 2012. He retired in 2015. Prior to the assignment, General Hogg served as the Commanding General of United States Army Africa (USARAF) from June 10, 2010 to August 3, 2012.

Robert B. Abrams US Army general

Robert Bruce Abrams is a retired four-star general in the United States Army who last served as the commander of United States Forces Korea. He concurrently served as the commander of United Nations Command and commander of R.O.K.-U.S. Combined Forces Command. He previously served as the 22nd commanding general of United States Army Forces Command from August 10, 2015 to October 17, 2018. He is a 1982 graduate of the United States Military Academy where he was commissioned as an armor officer. During his years of active service, he has held command and staff positions across the Army and joint community in Germany, the United States, Southwest Asia and South Korea. Abrams comes from a family of career military officers. His father was former Army Chief of Staff General Creighton W. Abrams Jr., and both of his elder brothers, Creighton and John, were Army general officers.

John J. Tolson United States Army general

John J. Tolson III was a lieutenant general in the United States Army. During the Vietnam War, he helped implement the airmobile concept use of helicopters in combat with the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). Tolson credited the U.S Marines for first using helicopters to transport troops into combat in the Korean War, making the ground fight a three-dimensional war, thus freeing troops from the tyranny of terrain.

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.

Paul LaCamera U.S. Army general

Paul Joseph LaCamera is a United States Army four-star general and infantry officer who serves as commander of the United Nations Command, ROK/US Combined Forces Command and United States Forces Korea since July 2, 2021. LaCamera most recently served as commanding general of United States Army Pacific from November 18, 2019 to June 3, 2021. He previously served as the commanding general of XVIII Airborne Corps. His other assignments include the commander of Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve and as the commanding general of the 4th Infantry Division. LaCamera is a native of Westwood, Massachusetts. He was nominated to replace General Robert Abrams as the next commander of United Nations Command, R.O.K.-U.S. Combined Forces Command, and U.S. Forces Korea, on December 2, 2020, however his nomination was returned to the president on January 3, 2021, without action. He was renominated on April 27, 2021.

Timothy Szymanski

Timothy Gerard "Tim" Szymanski is a retired United States Navy vice admiral who last served as deputy commander of United States Special Operations Command from October 15, 2018 to December 2021. He is the former commander of United States Naval Special Warfare Command in Coronado, California.

Gustave F. Perna United States military officer

Gustave F. Perna is a retired United States Army four-star general who last served as the chief operating officer of the federal COVID-19 response for vaccine and therapeutics. He previously served as the chief operating officer of Operation Warp Speed from July 2020 until the operation's duties and responsibilities were transferred to the White House COVID-19 Response Team in February 2021. As chief operating officer of COVID-19 response, he oversaw the logistics in the United States federal government's distribution of the vaccine to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Senate confirmed his nomination as chief operating officer on July 2, 2020, and he assumed the office shortly after.

Daniel R. Schroeder United States Army general

Daniel Richard Schroeder is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who served as Deputy Commander in Chief, United States Army Europe and Seventh Army.

Austin S. Miller American Army General

Austin Scott Miller is a retired four-star general in the United States Army and former Delta Force commander who served as the final commander of NATO's Resolute Support Mission and United States Forces - Afghanistan from September 2, 2018 to July 12, 2021. He previously served as the commander of Joint Special Operations Command from March 30, 2016 to August 2018. He participated in numerous combat operations, such as the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993, and, since 2001, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He retired from the Army in December after relinquishing command in July 2021. Miller currently serves on the board of advisors for Striveworks.

Mary M. Jackson American vice admiral

Mary Marcella Jackson is a retired United States Navy officer.

References

  1. 1 2 U.S. Army Register: Active and Retired List. Vol. I. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1 January 1962. p. 484. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
  2. 1 2 "Class of 1957—Register of Graduates". Official Register of the Officers and Cadets. United States Military Academy. 1969. p. 731. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
  3. 1 2 "Major General Richard A. Scholtes". Army Executive Biographies. Headquarters, Department of the Army. 1985. p. 391. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
  4. Jeff Gerth, Philip Taubman; et al. (8 June 1984). "U.S. MILITARY CREATES SECRET UNITS FOR USE IN SENSITIVE TASKS ABROAD". New York Times.
  5. Philip Taubman (5 December 1984). "U.S. MILITARY TRIES TO CATCH UP IN FIGHTING TERROR". New York Times.
  6. US Special Operations Command. "Tip of the Spear" (PDF). specialoperations.net.