Bantz J. Craddock | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1949-08-24)24 August 1949 (age 76) |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1971–2009 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | Supreme Allied Commander Europe United States European Command United States Southern Command 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized) 7th Army Training Command 194th Armored Brigade (Separate) 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment |
| Battles / wars | Gulf WarKosovo War |
| Awards | Defense Distinguished Service Medal (2) Army Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star Defense Superior Service Medal (2) Legion of Merit (3) Bronze Star Medal Bundeswehr Cross of Honor in Gold (Germany) |
| Other work | MPRI, Inc.[1] |
Bantz John Craddock (born 24 August 1949)[2] is a formerUnited States Armygeneral. His last military assignment was as Commander,United States European Command andNATO'sSupreme Allied Commander Europe from December 2006 to 30 June 2009. He also served as Commander,United States Southern Command from 9 November 2004 to December 2006. After his retirement in 2009, he became chief executive ofMilitary Professional Resources, Inc. (MPRI).[1]
Craddock was raised inDoddridge County, West Virginia. He graduated from Doddridge County High School in 1967.
Craddock was commissioned as an Armor officer in theUnited States Army upon graduation fromWest Virginia University. His initial tour of duty was with the3rd Armored Division in Germany, followed by an assignment atFort Knox, Kentucky, as an armor test officer for the United States Army Armor and Engineer Board. After completion of the Armor Officer Advanced Course, he was again assigned to the 3rd Armored Division, commanding a tank company in the 1st Battalion, 32nd Armor Regiment.
In September 1981, Craddock was reassigned to the Office of the Program Manager, Abrams Tank Systems inWarren, Michigan, as a Systems Analyst and later as Program Executive Officer. After graduation from theCommand and General Staff College, Craddock joined the8th Infantry Division (Mechanized) in Germany, serving as the Executive Officer of the 4th Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment for two years. He was subsequently reassigned to the Division Headquarters as the Deputy G3, Operations.
In May 1989, Craddock assumed command of the4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment atFort Stewart, Georgia. He commanded the Tuskers for 26 months, deploying as part ofOperation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Following command, Craddock was the Assistant Chief of Staff, G3, Operations, for the 24th Division. Subsequently, he attended theUnited States Army War College, graduating in 1993. Craddock then assumed command of the194th Armored Brigade (Separate) at Fort Knox. In June 1995, Craddock inactivated the brigade as part of the United States Army's post-cold war drawdown, and was assigned as the Assistant Chief of Staff, G3, for III Corps atFort Hood, Texas.
In 1996, Craddock was reassigned to the Joint Staff in the Pentagon as an Assistant Deputy Director in J5. In August 1998, he joined the1st Infantry Division (Mechanized) in Germany as the Assistant Division Commander for Maneuver. While serving in that capacity, Craddock was designated as Commander of United States Forces for the initial entry operation into Kosovo. In August 1999, Craddock was reassigned as the Commanding General of the7th Army Training Command, United States Army Europe. In September 2000, Craddock assumed command of the 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized) – the "Big Red One".
From August 2002 to 2004, Craddock served as the Senior Military Assistant toSecretary of DefenseDonald Rumsfeld.
Craddock served as Combatant Commander ofUnited States Southern Command from 2004 until 2006. On 14 July 2006,NATO announced that Craddock would succeedJames L. Jones asSupreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) — NATO's top commander of operations in Europe. The change-of-command ceremony at Mons, Belgium, occurred on December 7, 2006.[3]
Craddock defended the controversialGuantanamo Bay detention camp against criticism. While overseeing Guantanamo, he blocked attempts to get a commander of the camp reprimanded over abuse claims. Craddock insisted that the officer had done nothing wrong.[4]
On 28 January 2009,Der Spiegel reported obtaining a classified NATO document in which Craddock ordered troops to kill drug traffickers and bomb narcotics laboratories in Afghanistan, even if there is no evidence that they are involved in terrorist activities.[5][6]
FormerU.S. Defense SecretaryRobert Gates' bookDuty is very critical of Craddock in his role as Supreme Allied Commander Europe. Gates cites examples where Craddock did not want fellow United States Army generals, such asStanley A. McChrystal, to attend coalition meetings with partner nations. At one point Craddock provided his unsolicited advice to Gates regarding who he thought should attend a senior coalition meeting. Gates then had to order Craddock to carry out the mission as instructed by him.[vague] In the book, Gates goes on to opine that was the only time in his career in governmental service in which he had to "order" a general officer to carry out a specific task.[citation needed]
 | Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge |
 | Joint Chiefs of Staff Badge |
 | SACEUR Badge |
 | 24th Infantry DivisionCombat Service Identification Badge |
 | 64th Armor RegimentDistinctive Unit Insignia |
Additionally, Craddock has been honored of the following associations:
A bridge inDoddridge County, West Virginia, onRoute 50 was dedicated to Craddock in 2006.
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the United States government
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Commanding General of the 1st Infantry Division 2000–2002 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Senior Military Assistant to theSecretary of Defense 2002–2004 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commander,United States Southern Command 2004–2006 | |
| Preceded by | Commander,United States European Command 2006–2009 | Succeeded by James G. Stavridis |
| Supreme Allied Commander Europe 2006–2009 | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
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