GEN Benjamin S. Griffin

General Benjamin S. Griffin assumed the duties of Commanding General, U.S. Army Materiel Command on November 5, 2004. Prior to this assignment, he served as the Department of the Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G-8.

General Griffin began his career when he was commissioned as an Infantry officer in July 1970 following graduation from Officer Candidate School, Fort Benning, Georgia. He served two tours at Fort Bragg, North Carolina in the 82nd Airborne Division: in the 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry Regiment as a rifle platoon leader and company executive officer, and in the 3rd Battalion (Airborne), 325th Infantry Regiment as a commander of Company C and a S-3 Air (Operations) officer. General Griffin also worked as a G3 operations officer, Headquarters, 82nd Airborne Division. The United States Army Officer Candidate School (OCS) is a school located at Fort Benning, providing training to become a commissioned officer. ... Fort Benning is a base facility of the United States military outside Columbus, Georgia. ... The 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army was formed originally as the 82nd Infantry Division on August 25, 1917, at Camp Gordon, Georgia. ... During World War II, the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment (508th PIR or Red Devils) was a regiment of the 82d Airborne Division which in turn became part of XVIII Airborne Corps of the United States Army. ... The 325th Infantry Regiment is a unit of the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division. ...

General Griffin's overseas assignments included a tour in Korea as a Company Commander and Brigade S-2 in the 2nd Infantry Division. He served two tours in Germany in the 8th Infantry Division as Secretary of the General Staff and Mechanized Infantry Battalion Executive Officer in the 2nd Battalion (Mechanized), 87th Infantry. He was also Commander of the 3rd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment. The 8th Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War I and World War II and later. ...

His later assignments included: Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff of the Army in Washington, D.C., and Commander of the 2nd Brigade, 6th Infantry Division (Light) in Alaska. In August 1994, he served as Executive Officer to the Commanding General, U.S. Army Forces Command, Fort McPherson, Georgia. The Flag of the Chief of Staff of the United States Army The Chief of Staff of the United States Army (CSA) is the professional head of the United States Army who is responsible for insuring readiness of the Army. ... Fort McPherson is a U.S. Army base located in southwest Atlanta, Georgia. ...

Following his assignment in Georgia, General Griffin took command of Joint Task Force 6, Fort Bliss, Texas. He then served as the Assistant Division Commander (Support), 1st Cavalry Division in Fort Hood, Texas. Fort Bliss is a census-designated place and United States Army post in El Paso County, Texas, United States. ... (Redirected from 1st Cavalry Division) Shoulder sleeve patch of the United States Army 1st Cavalry Division. ... Fort Hood is a census-designated place and US Army base located in Texas. ...

In July 1997, he became the Director of Force Programs, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans in Washington, D.C. General Griffin returned to Fort Hood from June 1999 to October 2001 to command the U.S. 4th Infantry Division. It has been suggested that U.S. 1st Brigade 4th Infantry Division be merged into this article or section. ...

General Griffin's awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit (with three Oak Leaf Clusters), the Meritorious Service Medal (with four Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Commendation Medal (with one Oak Leaf Cluster), the Army Achievement Medal (with one Oak Leaf Cluster), the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, and the Army General Staff Badge. The Distinguished Service Medal is a military award of the United States Army which is presented to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the United States military, has distinguished himself or herself by exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in a duty of great responsibility. ... Defense Superior Service Medal The Defense Superior Service Medal of the United States is a senior decoration of the Department of Defense. ... The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces which is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. ... The Meritorious Service Medal is a military award presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding non-combat meritorious achievement or service to the United States subsequent to January 16, 1969. ... The Joint Meritorious Unit Award is a military award that was established on June 4, 1981 by Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger and was implemented by Department of Defense Directive 1348. ... The Parachutist Badge, also commonly referred to as Jump Wings or Snow Cone, is a military badge of the United States Armed Forces which is awarded to members of the United States Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy. ... Expert Infantryman Badge. ...

General Griffin received a bachelor's degree in Business Management from Old Dominion University in 1969 and a master's degree in Business Administration from Mercer University in 1981. Old Dominion University (ODU) is a university located in Norfolk, Virginia. ... Mercer University is an independent, coeducational, church-related, private university, located in the U.S. state of Georgia. ...

His military education includes the Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Command and General Staff College, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at the National Defense University. First established in 1881 as a school for infantry and cavalry, the U.S. Armys Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas functions as a graduate school for U.S. and Allied military leaders. ... The Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF) is a U.S. military educational institution tasked with preparing military officers and civilian government officials for leadership and executive positions in the field of national security. ... For more than 25 years, the National Defense University (NDU)[1]has been the premier center for Joint Professional Military Education. ...