William W. Crouch

General William Wright Crouch (born July 12, 1941)[1] is a retired United States Army four-star general who served as Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1997 to 1998.

William W. Crouch
General William W. Crouch
Nickname(s)	Bill
Born	July 12, 1941 Los Angeles, California
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1963–1998
Rank	General
Commands held	Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army Allied Land Forces Central Europe United States Army Europe Eighth United States Army 5th Infantry Division 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment
Battles/wars	Vietnam War
Awards	Defense Distinguished Service Medal Army Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal (2)
Other work	Cole Commission co-chair

Early life

Crouch was born on July 12, 1941 in Los Angeles, California.[2] He attended the San Diego Army and Navy Academy and graduated from Claremont Men's College with a degree in Civil Government.[3] He holds a master's degree in History from Texas Christian University.

Military career

Crouch commanded soldiers at every level from platoon through to army. He began his service in 1963 as a cavalry platoon leader in the 5th Infantry Division. He went on to command four companies, two of which were cavalry troops in combat. His subsequent commands included a cavalry squadron, the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment and the 5th Infantry Division.[4] He also served as Commanding General of the Eighth United States Army and Chief of Staff United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command and United States Forces Korea.

Crouch assumed command of United States Army Europe on December 19, 1994, and assumed command of Allied Land Forces Central Europe (LANDCENT) on February 15, 1996, and was its first American since its establishment in 1993. He served as Vice Chief of staff from 1997 until his retirement in 1998.

Crouch is a graduate of the United States Army Command and General Staff College and the United States Army War College. His decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, and the Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster.

Awards and decorations

	Defense Distinguished Service Medal
	Army Distinguished Service Medal
	Silver Star
	Legion of Merit
	Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
	Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters
	Air Medal
	Army Commendation Medal
	Army Achievement Medal
	Valorous Unit Award
	National Defense Service Medal with Service star
	Vietnam Service Medal with two Service stars
	Armed Forces Service Medal
	Army Service Ribbon
	Army Overseas Service Ribbon
	NATO Medal for Former Yugoslavia
	Order of National Security Merit (Korea) Gugseon Medal
	Gallantry Cross (Vietnam) with bronze star
	Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal 1st class
	Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
	Vietnam Civil Actions Medal Unit Citation
	Vietnam Campaign Medal

Post-military career

Admiral Harold W. Gehman (left) and General William W. Crouch brief reporters on the report of the USS Cole Commission

Crouch, along with retired Admiral Harold W. Gehman, Jr., were appointed by Defense Secretary William S. Cohen on October 19, 2000 as co-chairmen of the Department of Defense's Cole Commission to investigate the bombing of the USS Cole (DDG-67).[5] He has also served on the board of directors of the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America,[6] and since May 2005 has served on the board of Directors of FLIR Systems.[3] He is also a Senior Mentor with the Leadership Development and Education Program for Sustained Peace at the United States Naval Postgraduate School, serves on the board of the Keck Institute for International and Strategic Studies at Claremont McKenna College,[3] and sits on the advisory board of Isilon Systems.[4]

Personal life

Crouch's wife, Vicki, also a native of Southern California, attended Scripps College, as did their two daughters Cami and Cathi. The Crouches have two grandchildren, Christopher William Cronin and Elizabeth Allison Cronin, and reside in Colorado.

References

1. "News Release: General Officer Announcement". Defense.gov. Retrieved February 2, 2012.
2. General Officer announcement 331-91 June 24, 1997
3. "FLIR Systems Biography". Phx.corporate-ir.net. Retrieved February 2, 2012.
4. "Isilon Systems Federal Advisory Board". Isilon.com. Retrieved February 2, 2012.
5. Cole Commission Focuses On Force Protection Measures
6. CADCA Board of Directors Archived February 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Government document: "".