William B. Caldwell IV


William B. "Bill" Caldwell IV 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. His father, William B. Caldwell, III was a serving officer in the US Army, eventually retiring as the Commander of Fifth 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.

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.

Multi-National Force - Iraq spokesman

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

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 /Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan 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 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. During this assignment Caldwell was investigated after a subordinate claimed Caldwell directed him to use psychological operations in order to influence U.S. political leaders to support the military effort in Afghanistan. Doing so would be a violation of the Smith–Mundt Act. However, an investigation cleared Caldwell of wrongdoing.

Dawood Military Hospital

Three U.S. military officers testified that Caldwell tried to prevent the U.S. Department of Defense from investigating sub-standard conditions at an American-funded Afghan military hospital in Kabul. Caldwell's reasoning, according to Colonel Mark Fassl, was that there was "an election coming." However, Kenneth Moorefield, Deputy Inspector General for Special Plans and Operations, dismissed these allegations, claiming that there as no "attempt...to delay our investigation...or turn it off."
The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General conducted an investigation into the allegations and determined that Caldwell and his deputy Major General Gary S. Patton sought in 2011 to restrict contact with a team of investigators probing allegations of corruption and sub-standard patient care at Dawood National Military Hospital. The Inspector General recommended that the Secretary of the Army take appropriate action against Caldwell and his immediate subordinate, Major General Patton. An Army spokesman stated that, following the investigation, Caldwell "requested that he be retired, knowing that these substantiated allegations would directly prevent any future promotion or assignment to a position of importance and responsibility."

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

Awards and decorations

Other awards