Washington: President Joe Biden has tapped Army Vice Chief of Staff General Randy George to move up and helm the service, according to an April 20 congressional nomination notice.
General James McConville, who currently holds the post, is set to retire later this year, and if approved by the Senate, George will step behind the Army’s top spot. George, a graduate of the West Point military academy, was commissioned as an infantry officer in 1988 before service in Desert Shield/Desert Storm.
He later earned his Master of Science in Economics from Colorado School of Mines and attended the Command and General Staff College, before deploying as an executive officer and later the deputy commander to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2008, he commanded 4th Brigade Combat Team and deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, and returned to the country again in 2017 as the commander of the 4th Infantry Division.
In addition to his assignments abroad, George served in a variety of positions inside the United States including as the chief of the strategic policy division for the Pakistan–Afghanistan coordination cell on the Joint Staff, and in August 2022 was sworn into his current role as the 38th Army’s Vice Chief of Staff.
If George ultimately garners Senators’ support for the promotion, he’ll be responsible for guiding the service through a host of challenges including a recruitment shortfall and a critical time of Army weapon modernization.
“Our Army remains a great place to be, and I think our high retention rates speak to that,” George said. “The trouble is, many Americans don’t realize it or believe it. Military service, to many people, seems like a life setback. In reality, it’s a life accelerator. That has certainly been my experience since I enlisted as a private right out of high school. It’s a great team with an important mission and ample opportunity to learn, grow and make an impact. And we have to get that story out. And we’re pouring all of our energy into that effort.”
