Willard Burleson

Willard M. Burleson III
Willard M. Burleson III
	Army Distinguished Service Medal; Defense Superior Service Medal; Legion of Merit (4); Bronze Star Medal (3)

Willard McKenzie Burleson III

Eighth United States Army and chief of Staff of the ROK/US Combined Forces Command

from 2020 to 2024.

Previously, Burleson served as the Director of Operations of the United Nations Command, ROK/US Combined Forces Command, and United States Forces Korea.^[3]^[4]^[5]

Education

Burleson holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the

Army Command and General Staff College

.

Military career

Burleson graduated from the United States Military Academy and was commissioned into the Infantry in May 1988. Burleson's first assignment was in the 7th Infantry Division (Light),

Bosnia-Herzegovina

.

After competing duties in Italy, Burleson returned to the 75th Ranger Regiment at

Fort Bragg, North Carolina, with deployments to Kosovo and Afghanistan

.

Burleson next served as aide-de-camp to the commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps, with duty in the Combined Joint Task Force 180 and Multi-National Corps Iraq. Following that tour of duty, Burleson commanded the 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry, 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York, which included a tour with Multi-National Division, Baghdad, Iraq.

After attending the

Fort Polk

, Louisiana.

Burleson later served as the Deputy Commanding General (Operations),

Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, and Director of the Mission Command Center of Excellence at Fort Leavenworth

, Kansas, and as senior advisor to the Ministry of Defense, Afghanistan. Before serving in the Republic of Korea, Burleson served as the commanding general of 7th Infantry Division at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

He will relinquish command of Eighth Army to Christopher LaNeve on April 5, 2024.^[6]

Awards and decorations

	Combat Infantryman Badge with star (denoting 2nd award)
	Ranger tab
	Air Assault Badge
	Master Parachutist Badge
	7th Infantry Division Combat Service Identification Badge
	German Parachutist badge
	British Parachutist Badge
	Unidentified foreign parachutist badge
	Distinctive Unit Insignia
	9 Overseas Service Bars

Army Distinguished Service Medal

Defense Superior Service Medal

Legion of Merit with three bronze oak leaf clusters

Bronze Star Medal with two oak leaf clusters

Defense Meritorious Service Medal

Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters

Joint Service Commendation Medal

Army Commendation Medal

with four oak leaf clusters

Army Achievement Medal

with silver oak leaf cluster

Joint Meritorious Unit Award

Meritorious Unit Commendation with oak leaf cluster

Superior Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters

National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with service star

Southwest Asia Service Medal with service star

Kosovo Campaign Medal with service star

Afghanistan Campaign Medal with three campaign stars

Iraq Campaign Medal with two campaign stars

Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal with service star

Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

Korea Defense Service Medal

Armed Forces Service Medal

Army Service Ribbon

award numeral

5

NATO Medal for ex-Yugoslavia

Multinational Force and Observers Medal

Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

Personal life

Burleson and his wife both come from army families and they have a son and a daughter.

References

^ "Willard M. Burleson III". West Point Association of Graduates. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
^ "Register of Graduates and Former Cadets, United States Military Academy". 1989.
^ "Lieutenant General Willard M. Burleson III – General Officer Management Office". www.gomo.army.mil.
^ https://8tharmy.korea.army.mil/site/leadership/leaders-LTG-burleson.asp
^ "Burleson takes reins of Eighth Army as new CG". DVIDS.
^ Thuloweit, Kenji (March 29, 2024). "Lt. Gen. Burleson honored with Korean name for commitment to ROK-US Alliance". DVIDS. Camp Humphreys, South Korea: Eighth Army. Retrieved March 30, 2024.

Military offices
Preceded by Thomas S. James Jr.	Director to the Ministry of Defense of the Mission Command Center of Excellence 2014–2016	Succeeded by James J. Mingus
Preceded by Warren E. Phipps Jr.	Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Defense of the United States Forces Afghanistan 2016–2017	Succeeded by Christopher F. Bentley
Preceded by Thomas S. James Jr.	Commanding General of the 7th Infantry Division 2017–2019	Succeeded by Xavier T. Brunson
Preceded by James E. Kraft	Director of Operations of the United Nations Command, ROK/US Combined Forces Command, and United States Forces Korea 2019–2020	Succeeded by Patrick Matlock
Preceded by Michael A. Bills	Commanding General of the Eighth United States Army and Chief of Staff of the ROK/US Combined Forces Command 2020–2024	Succeeded by Christopher LaNeve

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[1] "Willard M. Burleson III". West Point Association of Graduates. Retrieved May 21, 2021.

[2] "Register of Graduates and Former Cadets, United States Military Academy". 1989.

[3] "Lieutenant General Willard M. Burleson III – General Officer Management Office". www.gomo.army.mil.

[4] ttps://8tharmy.korea.army.mil/site/leadership/leaders-LTG-burleson.asp

[5] "Burleson takes reins of Eighth Army as new CG". DVIDS.

[6] Thuloweit, Kenji (March 29, 2024). "Lt. Gen. Burleson honored with Korean name for commitment to ROK-US Alliance". DVIDS. Camp Humphreys, South Korea: Eighth Army. Retrieved March 30, 2024.

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