William W. Crouch

William W. Crouch

General William W. Crouch
Nickname(s) Bill
Born (1941-07-12) July 12, 1941
Los Angeles
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service 1963–1998
Rank General
Commands held Allied Land Forces Central Europe
U.S. Army Europe
Eighth Army
5th Infantry Division
2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment
Awards Silver Star
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Other work Cole Commission co-chair

General William Wright Crouch (born July 12, 1941)[1] is a retired United States Army four-star general, and former Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army.

Military career

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.

Crouch commanded soldiers at every level from platoon through 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] where he had started as a platoon leader. 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.

He assumed command of U.S. 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.

He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the U.S. Army War College. His decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star.

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.

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

Awards and decorations

Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Army Distinguished Service Medal
Silver Star
Legion of Merit

Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster

Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters
Air Medal
Army Commendation Medal
Army Achievement Medal
Valorous Unit Award
Bronze star

Width=44 scarlet ribbon with a central width-4 golden yellow stripe, flanked by pairs of width-1 scarlet, white, Old Glory blue, and white stripes

National Defense Service Medal with Service star
Bronze star
Bronze 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 Campaign Medal

Post military career

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.[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 U.S. 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]

References

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

Military offices
Preceded by
GEN David M. Maddox
Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe
December 19, 1994 to August 5, 1997
Succeeded by
GEN Eric K. Shinseki
Preceded by
GEN Ronald H. Griffith
Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army
1997–1998
Succeeded by
GEN Eric Shinseki
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