U.S. Army Command and General Staff College graduates 1100 officers



U.S. Army Command and General Staff College graduates 1100 officers

A wide view of the stage in Eisenhower Auditorium of the Lewis and Clark Center on Fort Leavenworth during the June 10 graduation ceremony for the CGSOC Class of 2022.Approximately 1,100 officers graduated from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff Officer Course on June 10, 2022, in the Eisenhower Auditorium of the Lewis and Clark Center on Fort Leavenworth. The graduating class included mid-career officers from all American military services as well as 113 international officers representing 87 countries and 12 federal government civilian employees.

General James C. McConville, the 40th Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army (CSA), was the guest speaker. McConville assumed duties as the CSA on Aug. 9, 2019, after most recently serving as the 36th Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army. McConville is a native of Quincy, Massachusetts, and a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. He holds a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and was a National Security Fellow at Harvard University in 2002. McConville graduated from the Command and General Staff College in 1994.

Maj. Edwin den Harder, right, receives the General George C. Marshall Award  from Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. James C. McConville during the CGSOC graduation ceremony on June 10, 2022 at Fort Leavenworth. The award is presented to the Distinguished U.S. student of each graduating CGSOC class.

Maj. Edwin den Harder, right, receives the General George C. Marshall Award from Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. James C. McConville during the CGSOC graduation ceremony on June 10, 2022 at Fort Leavenworth. The award is presented to the Distinguished U.S. student of each graduating CGSOC class.

Fort Leavenworth Commanding General/CGSC Commandant Lt. Gen. Theodore D. Martin introduced McConville who began his remarks by commenting on the presence of international officers in the class. “Keep those relationships strong,” he said. “One thing I’ve learned as the chief of staff of the Army is how important our allies and partners are in preserving the security around the world.”

“I sat where you are sitting 28 years ago in 1994 and I have no idea who our speaker was that year and you probably won’t remember either,” he quipped. “But the strategic environment we were facing – The Soviet Union had collapsed; the Wall had come down; the U.S. led coalition had defeated Saddam Hussein’s army in Desert Storm; a new world order had emerged with the United States as a super power with an unmatched army…Like much of history it was time for the regular Army to draw down [in numbers of troops]. No one in our CGSC class that year predicted what our Army faced just seven years later on 9-11. And no one predicted what we would face for the next 20 years, two decades of conflict in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria. And when you arrived here last summer, no one predicted what we’re seeing in Ukraine right now.”

“We do our best to anticipate what the future fight will be,” McConville continued, “but quite frankly, we usually get it wrong. So we must always be ready. We must always be ready for the future fight because we go to war with the Army we have. We go to war with the Army you lead. So when you get to your units I ask you to remember two things: People First and Winning Matters…”

McConville went on to explain his People First and Winning Matters message ending with “There’s no second place or honorable mention in combat. That’s what the American People expect of us.”

Major Christopher M. Adams, United Kingdom, receives the General Dwight D. Eisenhower Award from Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. James C. McConville during the CGSOC graduation ceremony on June 10, 2022 at Fort Leavenworth. This award is presented to the Distinguished International Officer Graduate of each graduating CGSOC class.

In closing his remarks at the graduation, McConville delighted the students and families by congratulating them and saying “graduation speeches can never be too short.” Retired officers and others in the audience commented that his speech probably set a new CGSC graduation record for brevity while being 100 percent on-target in its message.

After his remarks McConville was presented with an honorary degree from the College from Lt. Gen. Martin and CGSC Dean of Academics Dr. Jack Kem. McConville remained on stage and participated in the presentation of class awards and diplomas. – See the full list of the CGSOC Class of 2022 awards below.

The day prior to graduation, 113 international military students representing 87 countries in this CGSOC class received their CGSC International Officer Graduate Badges during a ceremony in the Eisenhower Auditorium. Brig. Gen. David C. Foley, Deputy Commandant CGSC, and Command Sgt. Maj. William Woods, Command Sgt. Maj. Army University, presented the badges.

International military student participation in cooperative military studies in the United States originated at Fort Leavenworth in 1894. Since then, international military students have become an integral part of the Command and General Staff Officer’s Course. More than 8,200 international officers have studied alongside U.S. military and government civilian counterparts at Fort Leavenworth.

In addition to completing the graduate-level CGSOC course, approximately 57 students were awarded the Master of Military Art and Science Degree. Students earn this master’s degree by successful completion of the Command and General Staff Officers Course, successful completion of an oral comprehensive exam, and writing and orally defending a thesis based on original research.

Officers who do not earn the MMAS may earn the Master of Operational Studies degree from CGSC or other graduate degrees through cooperative programs with civilian universities. CGSC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools to award master’s degrees.

Leo Pendergraft, National Geospatial-intelligence Agency, receives the General Colin L. Powell Interagency Award from Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. James C. McConville during the CGSOC graduation ceremony on June 10, 2022 at Fort Leavenworth. This award is for excellence in scholarship and overall contributions to Interagency Education during each class year.

Leo Pendergraft, National Geospatial-intelligence Agency, receives the General Colin L. Powell Interagency Award from Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. James C. McConville during the CGSOC graduation ceremony on June 10, 2022 at Fort Leavenworth. This award is for excellence in scholarship and overall contributions to Interagency Education during each class year.

The 10-month Command and General Staff Officers Course develops war-fighting and adaptive leadership skills necessary for military officers to be proficient in Unified Land Operations. The College is an educational center of excellence renowned in the study of leadership, the conduct of joint and combined land warfare, and the application of Joint, Interagency, Intergovernmental, and Multinational organizations to synchronize all elements of power to achieve national objectives.

The top awards for the CGSOC Class of 2022 were:

The General George C. Marshall Award is presented to the Distinguished U.S. student of each class. The 2021 General Marshall Award was awarded to Maj. Edwin den Harder, Armor.
Sponsored by the CGSC Foundation through a gift from the Veterans of Foreign Wars

The General Dwight D. Eisenhower Award is presented to the Distinguished International Officer Graduate of each class. The General Eisenhower Award was awarded to Major Christopher M. Adams, United Kingdom.
Sponsored by the CGSC Foundation through a gift from the David G. Beaham Memorial Fund

The General Colin L. Powell Interagency Award recognizes the Distinguished Interagency student in each class. This award is for excellence in scholarship and overall contributions to Interagency Education. The General Powell Award was awarded to Leo Pendergraft, National Geospatial-intelligence Agency.
Sponsored by the CGSC Foundation

Other individual awards for the class:

On June 9, 2022, 113 international military students representing 87 countries in the CGSOC Class of 2022 received their CGSC International Officer Graduate Badges during a ceremony in the Eisenhower Auditorium. Brig. Gen. David C. Foley, Deputy Commandant CGSC, and Command Sgt. Maj. William Woods, Command Sgt. Maj. Army University, presented the badges.

On June 9, 2022, 113 international military students representing 87 countries in the CGSOC Class of 2022 received their CGSC International Officer Graduate Badges during a ceremony in the Eisenhower Auditorium. Brig. Gen. David C. Foley, Deputy Commandant CGSC, and Command Sgt. Maj. William Woods, Command Sgt. Maj. Army University, presented the badges.

The General James M. Wright Award is presented to the distinguished master sustainer in each class – Major Austin Winkler, Logistics
Sponsored by the CGSC Foundation through a gift from Lt. Col. (Ret.) and Mrs. Robert Myers

The General George S. Patton Award is presented to the distinguished master tactician in each class – Major Lauri Teppo, Estonia
Sponsored by the CGSC Foundation

The General Douglas MacArthur Award recognizes scholarship and professional writing on military leadership – Major Michael J. Rasak, Military Intelligence
Sponsored by the General Douglas MacArthur Foundation

The Arter-Darby Award goes to the student for excellent scholarship and writing in military history — Major Michael J. Rasak, Military Intelligence
Sponsored by Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Robert Arter and the Edith and Harry Darby Foundation

The Arter-Doniphan Award goes to the class graduate who earned the highest overall grade point average – Major Edwin den Harder
Sponsored by Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Robert Arter and the Alexander Doniphan Committee

The Iron Major Award goes to the student who finishes first in a grueling series of events designed to test endurance and strength – (Male) Major William Fuller, Infantry; (Female) Major Alexandra Lostetter, Logistics

The General John J. Pershing Award recognizes the outstanding non-resident graduate of the Command and General Staff Officer Course via distance learning – Major Sean T. Summerall, Army National Guard
Sponsored by the CGSC Foundation

The Major General Hans Schlup Award recognizes the importance of relationships developed among the network of friends and professional acquaintances made while attend the Command and General Staff College – Major Bosung Kim, South Korea
Sponsored by the CGSC Foundation through a gift from the CGSOC Class of 1978

AFCEA Excellence in Information Warfare Writing Award – Major Christopher R. Kean, U.S. Air Force
Sponsored by the Armed Forces Communications Electronics Association (AFCEA) Educational Foundation

The Excellence in Joint Forces Warfare Award is awarded to the student who contributes most significantly to the study of joint service warfare – Major Brian Bierwirth, Field Artillery
Sponsored by the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA)

The Father Donald Smythe Award recognizes excellence in military history – Major Molly M. McIntyre, Military Intelligence
Sponsored by Armed Forces Insurance

The Simons Center Interagency Writing Award recognizes scholarship that advances interagency cooperation, coordination, and collaboration — Major Daniel T. Liebetreu, Aviation
Sponsored by the CGSC Foundation

The Brigadier General Benjamin H. Grierson Award goes to the student who demonstrates excellence in strategic studies – Major Daniel T. Liebetreu, Aviation
Sponsored by the CGSC Foundation

The Lieutenant Colonel Boyd McCanna Harris Leadership Award is presented for recognized superior research by a resident CGSOC student in the field of Organizational Leadership – Major Robert L. Barnhart, Adjutant General
Sponsored by the CGSC Foundation through a gift from Gary and Moira Sinise

The Birrer-Brooks Award recognizes the most outstanding Master of Military Art and Science Thesis – Major Michael Rasak, Military Intelligence
Sponsored by the CGSC Foundation

See more photos from the June 10 CGSOC graduation ceremony on the CGSC Facebook page
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See more photos from the June 9 International Officer Badge Ceremony on the CGSC Facebook page
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All photos by Dan Neal/ArmyU Public Affairs

Watch the full video of the graduation ceremony on the CGSC Facebook page

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  1. Pingback: Award for top SOF student goes to Civil Affairs officer | Command and General Staff College Foundation, Inc.

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