United States Central Command
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Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf (August 22, 1934; December 27, 2012) was a United States Army general. While serving as Commander-in-chief, United States Central Command, he led all coalition forces in the Gulf War. He was accepted by the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army in 1956. After a number of initial training programs, Schwarzkopf interrupted a stint as an academy teacher, and served in the Vietnam War first as an adviser to the South Vietnamese Army and later as a battalion commander. Schwarzkopf was highly decorated in Vietnam, being awarded three Silver Star Medals, two Purple Hearts, and the Legion of Merit. Rising through the ranks after the conflict, he later commanded the U.S. 24th Infantry Division and was one of the commanders of the Invasion of Grenada in 1983. Assuming command of United States Central Command in 1988, Schwarzkopf was called on to respond to the Invasion of Kuwait in 1990 by the forces of Iraq under Saddam Hussein. Initially tasked with defending Saudi Arabia from Iraqi aggression, Schwarzkopf's command eventually grew to an international force of over 750,000 troops. After diplomatic relations broke down, he planned and led Operation Desert Storman extended air campaign followed by a highly successful 100-hour ground offensivewhich defeated the Iraqi Army and liberated Kuwait in early 1991. (AP Photo/Bob Daugherty)
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President Obama, right, greets military personnel as he arrives at MacDill Air Force Base for meetings at Central Command, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2014 in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
