Christopher P. Hughes
Maj. Gen. U.S. Army, Ret.
Chairman
About Me
Maj. Gen. Christopher P. Hughes, U.S. Army, Ret., was elected as chair of the CGSC Foundation Board of Trustees on Oct. 11, 2023.
Among many other duties he had over a 35-year Army career, Hughes notably served as deputy commandant of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College from Oct. 2013 to June 2015. In that role he was the co-founder and first provost of Army University.
Hughes last assignment before retirement was as commanding general of the U.S. Army Cadet Command and Fort Knox from May 2016-May 2018. He retired from the Army in July 2018.
After his military retirement, Hughes served as a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for Iowa (West) from 2018-2020. He also founded his own business – Northwest Consulting-M&C, LLC – in 2018, and more recently “The Way Forward: Executive Coaching” in 2023. He is currently a doctoral student pursuing an interdisciplinary leadership degree at Creighton University.
Hughes’ military assignments included the 4th Infantry Division, two tours with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), the 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment and the Joint Readiness Training Center. He also served in the Pacific as a war planner for U.S. Army Pacific Command (USARPAC) and with the Deployable Joint Task Force Augmentation Cell at U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM).
His key troop leading assignments included battalion and brigade operations officer duty with the 25th Infantry Division (Light); commander of 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division; commander of Joint Task Force Bravo in Honduras; and as the deputy commanding general (DCG) (Maneuver and Support) for the 3rd Infantry Division; and as the DCG Operations for Regional Command South, Afghanistan.
Hughes’ key military staff assignments included executive officer to the Secretary of the Army; chief of the Army Liaison Division to the U.S. House of Representatives, Washington D.C.; operations officer for the Army Initiatives Group G-3/5/7; and as an operations officer for the J34 Combating Terrorism Directorate, Joint Staff, Washington D.C., where he served as the investigating officer for the USS Cole Commission; and as the chief of Army Current Operations G-3/5/7 in the Pentagon.
Hughes’ primary awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal (two awards), Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (three awards), Bronze Star Medal (two awards), Defense Meritorious Service Medal and the Army Meritorious Service Medal (seven awards), the Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Ranger Tab, Master Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Joint Staff Identification Badge, Army Staff Badge and numerous foreign Airborne Wings. He is also a published author and winner of the 2008 Army Historical Foundation’s Distinguished Writing Award for Excellence for his book entitled War on Two Fronts: An Infantry Commander’s War in Iraq and the Pentagon.
A native of Red Oak, Iowa, Hughes has a B.S. in Political Science from Northwest Missouri State University, an
M.A. in Business Management from Webster University, an M.S. in National Strategic Studies from the National Defense University and has earned an Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree from Northwest Missouri State University. His military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic Course, Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Combined Arms Services Staff School, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and the Armed Forces Staff College. Hughes is also a distinguished graduate of the National War College.
Hughes is a Distinguished Member and Honorary Colonel of the 327th Parachute Infantry Regiment; a life member of ROCKS (he was selected 2017 ROCK of the Year); and a life member of the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA). He was selected as 2016 National Merit Award Winner Phi Sigma Kappa; honored as the 2017 Citizen of the Year by the National Association of Black Broadcasters of America; selected as the 2013 Northwest Missouri State University Distinguished Alumni of the year; and was inducted into the Army ROTC Hall of Fame in 2022.
Hughes and his wife Marguerite reside in Red Oak, Iowa and have three children and six grandchildren.
