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LEADERSHIP
Major General Robert M. Williams / Commandant
 Major General Robert M. Williams was commissioned in Armor from the Citadel in 1974. Following the Armor Officer Basic Course, he served as a Tank Platoon Leader, Mortar Platoon Leader, CSC Executive Officer, and Tank Company Commander in the 4th Battalion, 63d Armor at Fort Riley, Kansas, from 1975 to 1979. After graduating from the Field Artillery Advanced Course, he served in the 8th Infantry Division as an Aide-de-Camp to the Commanding General and the Battalion S3 of the 1st Battalion, 68th Armor from 1980 to 1983. Following graduation from the Command and General Staff College, he served as the Brigade S3 of the 2d (St. Lo) Brigade, 2d Armored Division and the Executive Officer of the 3d Battalion, 67th Armor at Fort Hood, Texas, and Southwest Asia from 1989 to 1991. From 1992 to 1994, he commanded the 1st Battalion, 34th Armor at Fort Riley, Kansas, which was followed by an assignment with the Joint Staff, J7, Conventional War Plans Division in Washington, DC. From 1997 to 1999, Major General Williams commanded the 2d (SPARTAN) Brigade of the 3d Infantry Division (Mechanized). Following brigade command, he served as the Commander, Battle Command Training Program (BCTP) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, from 1999 to 2000. From July 2000 until September 2001, he served as the Assistant Division Commander (Support) for the 1st Infantry Division in Schweinfurt, Germany. This assignment was followed by a fifteen month tour of duty as the Deputy Chief of Staff, G3/Operations, HQ Allied Command Europe, Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC), Moenchengladbach, Germany. From November 2002 through June 2004, Major General Williams served as the Commanding General, 7th Army Training Command and the Expeditionary Training Center, headquartered at Grafenwoehr, Germany. During this period, he also deployed to Baghdad, Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as the C3 for CJTF-7. Additionally, he served as the G3 (Operations) for US Army Europe and Seventh Army from June 2004 until August 2005. His most recent assignment was as the Commanding General of the United States Armor Center and Fort Knox Kentucky from September 2006 until January 2008. In January 2008, Major General Williams was assigned as the 47th Commandant, United States Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. His civilian education includes a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from the Citadel, a Master of Arts Degree in Philosophy from Emory University, and a Master of Arts Degree in National Resource Strategy from the National Defense University. General Williams’ decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit (with Oak Leaf Cluster), the Soldier’s Medal, the Bronze Star Medal with “V” device (with two Oak Leaf Clusters), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), the Army Meritorious Service Medal (with four Oak Leaf Clusters), the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Army Achievement Medal.
Ambassador Carol Van Voorst / Deputy Commandant for International Affairs
 Carol van Voorst, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor, began her assignment at the U.S. Army War College in July 2009. She served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Iceland from 2006 to 2009. A specialist in political and political-military affairs, Ambassador van Voorst has held overseas assignments that included positions in Embassy management, political reporting/analysis, and international peacekeeping. She was Deputy Chief of Mission at two U.S. embassies, Embassy Vienna (2004-2005), and Embassy Helsinki (1999-2002). In a detail from the Department of State, she served as Chief of the Political Department and subsequently Deputy High Representative at the Office of the High Representative in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (1998-1999). Ambassador van Voorst was assigned as a consular officer to The Netherlands (1981-1982), and worked in the political section of the U.S. Embassy in Panama (1992-1995). She was an international peacekeeper in the Sinai, Egypt, as a member of the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) (1987-1988). In Washington, Ambassador van Voorst directed a number of regional offices and worked on several country desks in the State Department's European Bureau. She was Director of the Office of Austrian, German, and Swiss Affairs (2002-2004); Director of the Office of Nordic and Baltic Affairs (1995-1997); desk officer for Norway and Denmark (1989-1991); and desk officer for Germany (1985-1987). She also held positions as Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs (1991-1992), and Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of State (1984-1985). In addition to an M.A. and a Ph.D. in history from Princeton University, Ambassador van Voorst holds an M.A. in international security policy from the National War College in Washington, D.C. She received a B.A. from Hope College in Michigan. She received several Department of State Meritorious Honor and Superior Honor Awards. Ambassador van Voorst was awarded the Department of State's Distinguished Honor Award in 2007 for her work in U.S.-Icelandic negotiations concerning the withdrawal of American forces from the military base at Keflavik, Iceland.
Colonel Bobby A. Towery / Deputy Commandant
 Colonel Bobby A. Towery is a Distinguished Military Graduate from the University of Mississippi. He was commissioned as an Armor Officer from Ole Miss Army ROTC on May 14, 1983. He is a graduate of Armor (Cavalry) Officer Basic Course and Armor Officer Advanced Course at Fort Knox, Kentucky, Airborne School at Fort Benning, Georgia, Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and the United States Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. In June 2009, Colonel Towery was assigned as the 49th Deputy Commandant, United States Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. Prior to his assignment as the Deputy Commandant, Colonel Towery served as the 50th Chief of Staff, United States Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. His past unit assignments include service as Cavalry Platoon Leader and Support Platoon Leader in 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry and Aide-de-Camp to the Assistant Division Commander for Maneuver , 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized) at Fort Riley, Kansas; Battalion Maintenance Officer for 3d Battalion, 70th Armor, 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized) at Fort Polk, Louisiana; Plans Officer and Group S3, 20th Support Group ,19th Support Command, in Taegu, Korea; Support Operations Officer, 307th Forward Support Battalion (Airborne), Chief, Division Materiel Management Center (Airborne), Executive Officer, 82d DISCOM (Airborne), and Assistant Chief of Staff, G4, 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and Aide-de-Camp to the Commanding General of the Army Materiel Command (AMC) at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. His command experience includes service as company commander for Delta Company and, later, Headquarters Company, HHC, 3d Battalion, 70th Armor, 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized) at Fort Polk, Louisiana; and Commander of the 3d Forward Support Battalion, 3d Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia where he deployed the battalion to Kuwait in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (2003) and then into Iraq (2003) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Prior to his return to the Army War College, COL Towery commanded the 61st Ordnance Brigade located at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. His instructing experience includes serving as Assistant Professor of Military Science and Battalion Executive Officer at the University of Mississippi. Colonel Towery's awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (5OLC), the Army Commendation Medal for Valor, the Army Commendation Medal (3OLC), the Army Achievement Medal (2OLC), National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal with two Stars, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Combat Action Badge, and Canadian Foreign Jump Wings; and he is a Senior Rated Jumpmaster. He is married to the former Lisa Anne Carver from Southaven, Mississippi and they have two sons, Patrick, 18 and Nathan, 15.
Colonel Alan G. Bourque / Chief of Staff
 Colonel Alan G. Bourque was commissioned into the United States Army as a Second Lieutenant in the Field Artillery through the Army ROTC program at Wake Forest University in 1981. Since then, he has held positions of increasing responsibility as a Firing Platoon Leader, Ammunition Platoon Leader, Fire Direction Officer, Executive Officer and two assignments as Commander of nuclear capable field artillery batteries. CPT Bourque's first battery command, as a member of III Corps Artillery, in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, was distinguished as the first Lance Missile Battery to deploy to the Republic of Korea in 1988. After his second tour of command, he was assigned to the University of Florida where he served as an Assistant Professor of Military Science. After completion of the Command and General Staff College and graduate school, he was then assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division's RED TEAM as a Brigade Fire Support Officer, Battalion Executive Officer and the division's Deputy Fire Support Coordinator. His expertise in artillery systems employment earned him an assignment to the National Training Center where he served as both the Brigade Fires Support and Field Artillery Battalion Operations Observer/Controller. In 1997, then - LTC Bourque returned to the 1st Cavalry Division to command the 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery "Dragons" for two years. He was then selected to be the Staff General Secretary for the Commander, III Corps and Fort Hood. At the conclusion of his tour of duty at Fort Hood, he was the assigned to the United States Military Academy and the Corps of Cadets at West Point as a Regimental Tactical Officer, responsible for the training and mentoring of 1,000 cadets. In 2003 Colonel Bourque was selected to attend the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, PA. He returned to the United States Military Academy as the Director of the Simon Center for the Professional Military Ethic in 2004; and became Chief of Staff, U.S. Corps of Cadets in 2005 until 2007. From July 2007 to July 2008, he served as the Chief, Anti-Terrorism and Force Protection for Multi-National Corps Iraq in Baghdad in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He arrived at the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, PA, to his new assignment as the Director, Command and Leadership Instruction until his recent appointment as the Chief of Staff in June 2009. Colonel Bourque's assignments include tours in Germany, Oklahoma, Republic of Korea, Florida, Texas, Kuwait, Carlisle, PA, and West Point, NY. His decorations include seven awards of the Meritorious Service Medal, the Bronze Star, two awards of the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, two Overseas Ribbons and the Air Assault Badge. He is a graduate of numerous Army schools including the Command and General Staff College and U.S. Army War College. His degrees include a BA in History from Wake Forest University, a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Missouri and a Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. Colonel Bourque is married to the former Kimberly Vodde from Indianapolis, IN and they have two sons: Jason (22) now a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and Justin (19) a sophomore at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, IN. |
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