John W. Nicholson, Jr.

John W. Nicholson, Jr.
Born	May 8, 1957 Maryland, United States
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1982–present
Rank	General
Commands held	Resolute Support Mission / U.S. Forces Afghanistan Allied Land Command 82nd Airborne Division
Awards	Defense Distinguished Service Medal Army Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal (5) Legion of Merit (3)

John William Nicholson, Jr. (born May 8, 1957) is a United States Army general who most recently served as commanding general, Allied Land Command (since October 2014).^[1] Additionally he served as the commander of the 82nd Airborne Division. Nicholson is the son of John W. Nicholson, also a former general officer in the United States Army. They are both distantly related to British Brigadier John Nicholson.^[2] On 4 February 2016, Nicholson was confirmed for a fourth star and to become General John F. Campbell's successor as commander of Resolute Support Mission and U.S. Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A). He took over command from General Campbell on March 2, 2016.

Career

General John W. ("Mick") Nicholson, Jr. was commissioned into the infantry in 1982 upon graduation from the United States Military Academy at West Point.^[3] He holds a bachelor's degree in history from Georgetown University, a Bachelor of Science degree from West Point, a master's degree in Military Art and Science from the School for Advanced Military Studies at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and a master's degree in National Security Studies from the National Defense University.

GEN Nicholson has led Soldiers at all levels from platoon to division in Airborne, Ranger, Mechanized, Stryker and Light Infantry units in five different infantry divisions, and the 75th Ranger Regiment. In the 1990s, he spent five years in Europe including a deployment to Sarajevo with NATO IFOR. From 2006-2012, GEN Nicholson served three and a half years in Afghanistan with NATO ISAF. Most recently, he commanded the 82nd Airborne Division as it re-established Global Response Force capabilities and advanced joint, special operations and multinational interoperability.

GEN Nicholson's military career also includes two tours on the Joint Staff, two assignments within the Army Staff and U.S. European Command. He served as Special Assistant to the Commanding General, Peace Stabilization Force, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Commanding General, US Army Europe; and Chief of Operations at the George C. Marshall European Center for Strategic Studies. GEN Nicholson has also served on the immediate staffs of the Secretary of the Army (as speech-writer) and the Chief of Staff of the Army.

Awards and decorations

	Combat Infantryman Badge (two awards)
	Expert Infantryman Badge
	Ranger tab
	Master Parachutist Badge
	Pathfinder Badge
	Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
	Army Staff Identification Badge
	82nd Airborne Division Combat Service Identification Badge
	75th Ranger Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia
	Basic French Parachutist Badge
	German Parachutist badge in bronze
	7 Overseas Service Bars

	Defense Distinguished Service Medal
	Army Distinguished Service Medal
	Defense Superior Service Medal with four bronze oak leaf clusters
	Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
	Bronze Star with "V" Device and oak leaf cluster (one award for Valor)
	Defense Meritorious Service Medal
	Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
	Army Commendation Medal
	Army Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
	Joint Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
	National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star
	Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
	Afghanistan Campaign Medal with four service stars
	Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
	Armed Forces Service Medal
	Army Service Ribbon
	Army Overseas Service Ribbon with bronze award numeral 4
	NATO Medal for Former Yugoslavia with bronze service star

References

1. SHAPE Public Affairs Office. "Change of Command at NATO's Allied Land Command". Allied Command Operations. NATO. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
2. Carlotta Gall (8 April 2014). The Wrong Enemy: America in Afghanistan, 2001–2014. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 115. ISBN 978-0-544-04568-2.
3. "Lieutenant General John W Nicholson". Headquarters Allied Land Command. NATO. 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2015.