Daniel P. Bolger is an American author, historian, and retired a
lieutenant general
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...
of the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
. He held a special faculty appointment in the Department of History at
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University (NC State, North Carolina State, NC State University, or NCSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1887 and p ...
, where he taught military history until 2023. At that time, he transitioned to an adjunct role.
Bolger retired from the army in 2013. During his 35 years of service, he earned five
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious a ...
s (one for valor) and the
Combat Action Badge
The Combat Action Badge (CAB) is a United States military Badges of the United States Army, award given to soldiers of the U.S. Army of any rank and who are not members of an infantry, special forces, or medical MOS, for being "present and active ...
. His notable military commands included serving as
Commanding General
The commanding officer (CO) or commander, or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually give ...
of the Combined Security Transition Command in Afghanistan and Commander of the NATO Training Mission in Afghanistan (2011–2013); Commanding General of the
1st Cavalry Division at
Fort Hood, Texas
Fort Cavazos is a United States Army Military installation, post located near Killeen, Texas. The post is currently named after Gen. Richard E. Cavazos, a native Texan and the US Army’s first Hispanic four-star general. The post is located ha ...
(deployed to Baghdad, 2009–2010); the Coalition Military Assistance Training Team in Iraq (2005–06); and U.S. Army Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations. He is also the author of books, such as ''Why We Lost'', ''Americans at War'', ''The Battle for Hunger Hill'', ''Death Ground'', and ''The Panzer Killers''.
Military career
Bolger graduated from
The Citadel
The Citadel Military College of South Carolina (simply known as The Citadel) is a public senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Established in 1842, it is the third oldest of the six senior military colleges ...
, The Military College of South Carolina in 1978. Upon graduation he was commissioned an
Infantry
Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...
officer in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
. His initial assignment was to C
Company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...
, 2nd Battalion,
34th Infantry Regiment,
24th Infantry Division. He served as a
weapons platoon leader, Executive Officer of B Company and later on as B
Rifle company commander. Bolger served as an Instructor and assistant professor in the Department of History of the
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...
from 1986 to 1989, he subsequently was assigned as the S-3 (Operations Officer) of the 1st Battalion (Mechanized),
5th Infantry,
2nd Infantry Division in
Korea
Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...
. Later on he served as the Assistant G-3 (Operations) of the
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division (military), division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault military operation, operations. The 101st is designed to plan, coordinat ...
at
Fort Campbell, Kentucky
Fort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astride the Kentucky–Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky and Clarksville, Tennessee (post address is located in Kentucky). Fort Campbell is home to the 101st Airborne Divi ...
. In 1994 Bolger commanded the 1st Battalion,
327th Infantry,
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division (military), division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault military operation, operations. The 101st is designed to plan, coordinat ...
, and afterwards served as the G-3 (Operations) of the 101st Airborne Division. In 1998 he commanded the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division in Korea. Afterwards he served at the
U.S. Joint Forces Command in
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, third-most populous city ...
. In 2002 Bolger served as the Chief of Staff of the 2nd Infantry Division, and later on as the Assistant Division Commander (Support) of the
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division (military), division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault military operation, operations. The 101st is designed to plan, coordinat ...
. In 2005 Bolger served as the deputy commander of the Multi-National Corps-Iraq, and later on as the Commander of the Coalition Military Assistance Training Team. In 2006 he commanded the
Joint Readiness Training Center at
Fort Polk
Fort Polk, formerly Fort Johnson, is a United States Army installation located in Vernon Parish, Louisiana, about 10 miles (15 km) east of Leesville and 30 miles (50 km) north of DeRidder in Beauregard Parish.
Named after New Yo ...
, and afterwards he served as the commander of
1st Cavalry Division in Iraq. In 2010 he was appointed as the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7, U.S. Army. In 2011 he was appointed as the commander of the combined Security Transition Command in Afghanistan as the Commander of
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
's Training Mission there. He retired from the Army in 2013.
Education
* Bachelor of Arts in history,
The Citadel
The Citadel Military College of South Carolina (simply known as The Citadel) is a public senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Established in 1842, it is the third oldest of the six senior military colleges ...
in
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...
* M.A. in Russian History and Ph.D. in Military History from the University of Chicago. see
rom the
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...
in
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
* Graduate of the
U.S. Army Command & General Staff College at
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth, Kansas, Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., an ...
* Graduate,
U.S. Army War College
The United States Army War College (USAWC) is a United States Army, U.S. Army staff college in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, with a Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Carlisle postal address, on the 500-acre (2 km2) campus of the historic Carlisle B ...
at
Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania
Carlisle Barracks is a United States Army facility located in Pennsylvania, with a Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Carlisle post office address and with a portion in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The site of the U.S. Army War College, it is the nation's secon ...
, 1998
Awards and decorations
During his military service he was awarded:
Defense Superior Service Medal
The Defense Superior Service Medal (DSSM) is a military decoration of the United States Department of Defense, which is presented to United States Armed Forces service members who perform superior meritorious service in a position of significant ...
, four awards of the
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...
, the
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious a ...
for Valor, three awards of the Bronze Star, four awards of the
Meritorious Service Medal A Meritorious Service Medal is an award presented to denote acts of meritorious service, and sometimes gallantry, that are worthy of recognition. Notable medals with similar names include:
Singapore
*Pingat Jasa Gemilang, or Meritorious Services Me ...
, three awards of the
Army Commendation Medal
The Commendation Medal is a mid-level Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issu ...
, and two awards of the
Army Achievement Medal
The Achievement Medal is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. The Achievement Medal was first proposed as a means to recognize outstanding achievement or meritorious service of military personnel who were not eligible to rece ...
. He has also earned the
Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, which advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and t ...
and the
Army Staff Identification Badge
The Army Staff Identification Badge is an identification badge awarded by the Chief of Staff of the Army to officers, warrant officers, and enlisted soldiers assigned to authorized positions at Headquarters, Department of the Army. . He has also earned the
Combat Action Badge
The Combat Action Badge (CAB) is a United States military Badges of the United States Army, award given to soldiers of the U.S. Army of any rank and who are not members of an infantry, special forces, or medical MOS, for being "present and active ...
, the
Parachutist Badge and the
Air Assault Badge
The Air Assault Badge, U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry, dated 18 January 1978, last accessed 16 October 2020 is awarded by the U.S. Army for successful completion of the United States Army Air Assault School, Air Assault School. The course includes ...
. He was awarded the Centurion Level of the
Order of Saint Maurice
The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus () (abbreviated OSSML) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood bestowed by the royal House of Savoy. It is the second-oldest order of knighthood in the world, tracing its lineage to AD 1098, an ...
in 2000.
Order of Saint Maurice Previous Recipients
Bibliography
* Why We Lost: A General's Inside Account of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars (). Reviewed by Carter Malkasian a
* iarchive:dragonsatwar234i0000bolg, Dragons at War: Land Battles in the Desert ()
* Americans at War 1975–1986: An Era of Violent Peace ()
* Savage Peace: Americans at War in the 1990s ()
* The Battle for Hunger Hill: The 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment at the Joint Readiness Training Center ()
* Feast of Bones ()
* Death Ground: Today's American Infantry in Battle ()
* Scenes from an Unfinished War: Low-Intensity Conflict in Korea, 1966–1969 ()
* Leavenworth Papers Number 19: Scenes from Unfinished War ()
* Reluctant Allies: The United States Army Air Force and the Soviet Voenno Vozdushnie Sily 1941–1945 (Doctoral Dissertation)
* What Happened at Khafji: Learning the Wrong Lesson (US Army War College strategic research project)
References
External links
Fort Hood CG
*Daniel Bolger
Commitment Issues
February 2015
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bolger, Daniel P.
1957 births
Living people
United States Army generals
American male writers
United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni
University of Chicago alumni
Recipients of the Legion of Merit
Recipients of the Order of Saint Maurice