John Abizaid
| John Abizaid | |
|---|---|
Abizaid in November 2004
|
|
| Born |
April 1, 1951 Redwood City, California, U.S. |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1973–2007 |
| Rank |
 General
|
| Commands held |
3rd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment 1st Infantry Division United States Military Academy United States Central Command |
| Battles/wars |
Grenada War Persian Gulf War Bosnian War Kosovo War War in Afghanistan Iraq War |
| Awards |
Defense Distinguished Service Medal (3) Army Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit (6) Bronze Star Medal Officer of the Order of Australia Combat Infantryman Badge Master Parachutist Badge Ranger Tab Expert Infantryman Badge |
John Philip Abizaid (born April 1, 1951) is a retired United States Army general and former U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) commander, overseeing American military operations in a 27-country region, from the Horn of Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, to South and Central Asia, covering much of the Middle East. CENTCOM oversees 250,000 US troops. Abizaid succeeded General Tommy Franks as Commander, USCENTCOM, on July 7, 2003, and was also elevated to the rank of four-star general the same week. He was succeeded by Admiral William J. Fallon on March 16, 2007.
Abizaid retired from the military on May 1, 2007 after 34 years of service. As of 2007, Abizaid is employed as a fellow of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. He assumed the Distinguished Chair of the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point in December 2007. Abizaid was appointed to the board of directors of RPM International on January 24, 2008, and also sits on the board of directors of the Defense Ventures Group. In 2008 he was selected as a Montgomery Fellow at Dartmouth College.
A Lebanese American, Abizaid was born in northern California in 1951. His grandparents had immigrated to California from southern Lebanon during the late 19th century. He was raised Roman Catholic. His father, a Navy machinist in World War II, raised him after Abizaid's mother died of cancer.
Abizaid's military education includes the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York (Class of 1973); Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced courses, Armed Forces Staff College, and a U.S. Army War College Senior Fellowship at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University.
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