Benjamin R. Mixon

Benjamin R. Mixon
Benjamin R. Mixon
	Operation Iraqi Freedom
Awards	Army Distinguished Service Medal; Defense Superior Service Medal (3); Legion of Merit (4)

Benjamin Randaulph "Randy" Mixon (born March 6, 1953)

lieutenant general in the United States Army who last served as commanding general of United States Army Pacific. Prior to that, Mixon served as the commander of the Multi-National Division North

in Iraq.

He retired from Army on May 1, 2011, after 36 years of service.[2]

Early life

In 1975 Mixon graduated from

Senior military colleges

in the United States.

Army career

Mixon was commissioned as a

Kitzingen, Germany. His subsequent assignments include duty as assistant operations officer, Readiness Group Knox at Fort Knox and as company commander for Company C, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment

, and liaison officer for the 75th Ranger Regiment.

From 1988 to 1991, Mixon served as the

Vicenza, Italy until June 1994. After leaving Italy Mixon moved to the staff of the 101st Airborne Division. He assumed command of the Division's 1st Brigade, 327th Infantry Regiment

from October 1996 to August 1998. before returning to a staff position from August 1998 to June 1999.

Mixon left the 101st to serve as the director of joint training and exercises for the

Baghram Air Base in Afghanistan, where he participated in Operation Enduring Freedom as the director of the staff of the Combined Joint Task Force 180. Upon returning, he served as the director of operations, J3, United States Southern Command

.

In July 2005 Mixon took command of the

Diyala province.^[3] It was during his time as commander of all coalition forces in northern Iraq that Mixon became an early and public proponent of the surge strategy in Iraq.^[4]^[5] Upon relinquishing command of the 25th Infantry Division in February 2008, Mixon assumed command of United States Army Pacific

.

He retired from Army on May 1, 2011, after 36 years of service.

Don't Ask Don't Tell

On March 8, 2010, Lt Gen Mixon wrote a letter to the editor of

Mike Mullen publicly rebuked Mixon saying that because of Mixon's status as an active military general such a public statement was "inappropriate". Although some recommended it,^[who?] he was never formally reprimanded for his actions. On March 31, 2010, Army Secretary John McHugh said, “We consider the matter closed as of today,” and went on to say that Mixon would "not be reprimanded or asked to resign" because of the comments.^[7]