William B. Caldwell IV

For other people named William Caldwell, see William Caldwell (disambiguation).

William B. Caldwell IV
Caldwell
Nickname(s)	"Bill"
Born	(1954-01-24) January 24, 1954 Columbus, Georgia
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1976–2013
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands held	United States Army North Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan Fort Leavenworth United States Army Combined Arms Center 82nd Airborne Division 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (Light) 4th Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment
Battles/wars	Invasion of Panama Operation Just Cause Somali Civil War Operation Restore Hope Operation Restore Democracy Gulf War Operation Desert Shield Operation Desert Storm Iraq War Operation Iraqi Freedom War in Afghanistan Operation Enduring Freedom
Awards	Defense Distinguished Service Medal Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal Army Distinguished Service Medal (2) Defense Superior Service Medal (3) Legion of Merit (2) Bronze Star Medal (3)
Other work	President of Georgia Military College
Website	www.gmc.edu/our-president//

William B. "Bill" Caldwell IV (born January 24, 1954) is a retired United States Army officer and the current President of Georgia Military College. Caldwell's final military assignment was as Commanding General of United States Army North, also known as the Fifth Army.

Education

Originally from Columbus, Georgia, Caldwell's family moved frequently as his father, William B. Caldwell, III was a serving officer in the US Army. His father retired as a Lieutenant General while serving as the Commander of Fifth Army, and he himself would eventually retire as a Lieutenant General while also serving as commander of Fifth US Army. During Caldwell's early childhood, his father was stationed at the United States Military Academy. Caldwell attended the SHAPE American High School at SHAPE, Belgium followed by Hargrave Military Academy, a private military boarding school in Chatham, Virginia. From there, he was accepted to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. He continued his education with a master's degree in systems technology from the Naval Postgraduate School and then a master of military arts and sciences from the School of Advanced Military Studies which is part of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. Caldwell has also attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government and Harvard University as a Senior Service College Fellow.

President of Georgia Military College

General Caldwell has served as the President of Georgia Military College since November 1, 2013, during which time there has been significant growth under his leadership. New campuses were opened, growing the GMC footprint in Georgia to include the Main Campus in Milledgeville, 11 community college campuses, and the Global Online Leadership College.

As President of the college that embraces the time-honored values of “Duty, Honor, Country” and “Character Above All,” General Caldwell has worked tirelessly to ensure that these values are embedded in all of the courses and instruction, as well as practiced daily, as GMC develops the whole student. Through this focus on leading with integrity and civility, General Caldwell has aligned philanthropic support to further advance this educational doctrine. In 2021 he successfully brought the institution’s largest gift in its 142-year history by partnering with NewDay USA to establish the NewDay USA Center for Leadership. This 28,000 square foot facility will be home to an 820-seat auditorium and to the NewDay USA Leadership Speaker Series, bringing to campus some of the world’s most influential governmental, military, and business leaders, all to the benefit of the students the Prep School and College serves. The proof of this intense focus on servant leadership, character, integrity, and elevating the public discourse will be demonstrated through the students who leave Georgia Military College and move forth to create a better world, grounded in civility and mutual respect for all.

Last year GMC served 11,895 students. At the same time, student success has improved with 2021 having the largest number of graduates in the college’s history with 1,992 graduates. Programs at Georgia Military College have also expanded. Currently, GMC offers 28 two-year degree programs and has developed strategic partnerships with high schools, technical schools, and four-year colleges to provide more opportunities for students to succeed. The college also offers six online four-year Bachelor of Applied Science degree programs developed for Technical School graduates in Georgia to continue with their educational goals. GMC has continued to embrace the State’s Dual Enrollment Program, and has 3,299 high school students attending courses at Georgia Military College across the state.

During his tenure, General Caldwell also turned the fledgling Online Campus into the Global Online Leadership College (GOLC) which now delivers over 50% of all junior college enrollments.  His vision, leadership, and investment into the GOLC has dramatically transformed the landscape of Georgia Military College.  Through the GOLC, President Caldwell ensures that students across the world are able to receive the values of “Duty, Honor Country” and “Character Above All.” With a special focus on serving armed services members and their families, the Global Online Leadership College is the mechanism that will carry GMC’s important message to the rest of the world.

Within the Georgia Military College Corps of Cadets there has been a renewed focus on professionalism and commitment to service, in addition to growing the Corps. GMC is a premier Military Junior College – one of only four in the U.S., developing 2nd Lieutenants for the U.S. Army. The Corps of Cadets now also serves as a preparatory school for the United States Military Academy, United States Coast Guard Academy, the United States Naval Academy, and the United States Air Force Academy – it is known as the Service Academy Scholars Program. GMC also offers the State Service Scholarship for members of the Georgia National Guard to attend as a full-time student with no cost to them. Additionally, students seeking character and leadership skills but not a military obligation can pursue a Civic Leader pathway in the Corps. The Cadet program is built upon GMC’s core values of “Duty, Honor, and Country” and emphasizes the four pillars of leadership: academic excellence, physical fitness, leadership development, and self-discipline.

Georgia Military College Preparatory School (K-12 grades) has also experienced growth under General Caldwell’s leadership, having added third grade in 2019, and grades K-2 in 2021. With the addition of the elementary grades, GMC Prep School also expanded its campus footprint with the historic preservation and restoration of Jenkins Hall, and now Wilder Hall, and new construction of the Prep School Annex. These buildings now house grades K- 5 in the Prep School.

Military career

Following a battalion command position in the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii in the mid-1990s, Caldwell was sent to Haiti to work as political-military liaison in the U.S. Embassy during Operation Uphold Democracy.

After his tour in Haiti, he commanded the 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, at Fort Drum, New York. He worked in the Office of the Director for Strategic Plans and Policy on the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon, and later served as the executive assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Caldwell was serving as deputy director for operations, U.S. Pacific Command, Hawaii, at the time of the 9/11 attacks, when the command's focus shifted from regional war plans to the Global War on Terrorism.

In July 2002 Caldwell was assigned as senior military assistant to the deputy secretary of defense, Paul Wolfowitz. In this position he served his boss during the preparation, execution, and follow on for the Iraq War's Operation Iraqi Freedom and other aspects of the Global War on Terrorism.

From May 2004 until June 2006 Caldwell served as the Commanding General of the 82nd Airborne Division. As the division commander, Caldwell oversaw deployments by the units under his command to both Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as disaster-relief efforts following Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

Caldwell walks in Eastern Baghdad in April 2007.

Following his command of the 82nd, Caldwell was assigned as Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Effects and spokesperson for the Multi-National Force – Iraq, a position he held for 13 months.

United States Army Combined Arms Center

File:Lt. Gen. Caldwell Thanks New York's Finest.jpg

New York City policemen are greeted by Caldwell as he visits the Times Square Military Recruiting Station on March 10, 2008.

Caldwell was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general in June 2007 and served as the Commanding General of the Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. As the Commanding General for the Combined Arms Center, he has responsibility for the Command and General Staff College and 17 other schools, centers, and training programs throughout the United States.

NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan/Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan

Caldwell assumed command of the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan (NTM-A)/Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan (CSTC-A) on November 21, 2009. Prior to the activation of NTM-A at that time, CSTC-A was a two-star command headed by then Major General Richard Formica. Elevating the Afghan training mission to a three-star command reflected the increased priority placed on training the Afghan National Security Force (ANSF) as part of President Barack Obama's Afghan "Surge." Caldwell's efforts in Afghanistan received praise from figures in the military and government, including Senator Carl Levin, United States Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and Admiral Mike Mullen.

United States Army North (Fifth Army)

Caldwell's final military command was United States Army North, also known as the Fifth Army, which was also his father's final military assignment. Caldwell turned over command of U.S. Army North to Lieutenant General Perry L. Wiggins on September 4, 2013.

Dates of rank

Promotions

Rank	Date
Second lieutenant	1976
First lieutenant	1978
Captain	1980
Major	1986
Lieutenant colonel	1992
Colonel	1996
Brigadier general	2001
Major general	2004
Lieutenant general	2007

Awards and decorations

U.S. military decorations Defense Distinguished Service Medal Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal Army Distinguished Service Medal (with 1 bronze Oak Leaf Cluster) Defense Superior Service Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters) Legion of Merit (with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster) Bronze Star Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters) Defense Meritorious Service Medal (with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster) Meritorious Service Medal (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters) Joint Service Commendation Medal Army Commendation Medal (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters) Army Achievement Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters) Unit awards Presidential Unit Citation Joint Meritorious Unit Award (with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters) Army Meritorious Unit Commendation Philippine Presidential Unit Citation U.S. service (campaign) medals and service and training ribbons National Defense Service Medal (with Bronze Service Star) Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (with 2 Bronze Service Stars) Southwest Asia Service Medal (with 2 Bronze Service Stars) Afghanistan Campaign Medal (with 3 Bronze Service Stars) Iraq Campaign Medal (with 2 Bronze Service Stars) Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Armed Forces Service Medal Humanitarian Service Medal (with 4 Bronze Service Stars) Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal Army Service Ribbon Army Overseas Service Ribbon (with bronze award numeral 6) Non-U.S. service medals NATO Meritorious Service Medal (with 1 service star) NATO Medal for the former Yugoslavia with service star EUPOL Afghanistan Medal Polish Armed Forces Gold Medal Afghanistan Ghazi Mir Bacha Khan Medal Afghanistan National Police Symbol of Honor Medal Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) Army National Guard awards Louisiana Cross of Merit

Badges, patches and tabs Combat Infantryman Badge Combat Action Badge Expert Infantryman Badge Ranger Tab Master Parachutist Badge Presidential Service Identification Badge Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge 82nd Airborne Division Combat Service Identification Badge 505th Infantry Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia 8 Overseas Service Bars German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency in bronze German Parachutist badge in bronze Canadian Jump Wings (red maple leaf) British Parachutist Badge File:IrishSilver.jpg Irish Parachutist Badge in silver

Other awards

• Honorary ROCK of the Year in 2008

See also

• International Security Assistance Force
• Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan
• 2009 congressional delegation to Afghanistan