Michael Spiglemire
Encyclopedia
Michael Spigelmire is a retired American
Lieutenant General
.
The youngest child of the late Charles Edgar Spigelmire and Josephine Spigelmire, née Kaminski, he was raised in Baltimore, Maryland and educated at Loyola High School
and Loyola College in Maryland
, both Jesuit
institutions. He was in ROTC
during college, and upon graduation from Loyola College with a bachelor's degree
in political science
, received a commission as a Second Lieutenant
in the United States Army
. His military education includes completion of the Infantry School, United States Army Command and General Staff College, and U.S. Army War College
. He earned a masters degree in international relations from Georgetown University
.
Spigelmire's distinguished military career includes an initial tour of duty in Germany
, where he served in company and division level positions with the 24th Infantry Division and as an A -Team detachment executive officer and commander with the 10th Special Forces Group
. He was then assigned to Vietnam
, where he commanded a company and later served as a battalion adjutant with the 1st Cavalry Division. A stateside tour as an instructor with the Infantry School at Fort Benning
, Georgia
ensued, followed by another combat tour as a district senior advisor in Vietnam.
In 1972, Spigelmire was assigned to the Pentagon
, where he served as an Operation Staff Officer in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Military Operations. Thereafter,he served as an Assistant Secretary to the General Staff, Office of the Chief of Staff, Army. Returning to duty with troops, he was a brigade executive officer and later commanded a battalion in the 1st Cavalry Division. He returned to Fort Benning in 1978 as Deputy Director for Combat Developments, United States Army Infantry School and later, as Commander, 197th Infantry Brigade. Subsequently, he had another tour in Europe as Assistant Chief of Staff (Operations), G-3, VII Corps. In 1984, he assumed duties at Fort McPherson as Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations (Plans, Operations, and Mobilization), United States Forces Command.
In August 1985, Spigelmire was named as the Assistant Division Commander, 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Stewart, Georgia. He served as Division Commander until September 1988. Returning again to Fort Benning, Georgia Spigelmire commanded the United States Army Infantry Center and served simultaneously as the Commandant, United States Army Infantry School. In June 1990, he assumed command of the United States Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg
, North Carolina
where he served until August, 1991.
In September 1991, he assumed command of the VII Corps in Stuttgart
, Germany with the mission to inactivate the Corps, withdraw 80,000 troops from Germany and return the VII Corps colors to the United States.
Spigelmire retired from the Army in July 1992. In August 1992, he assumed the position of Deputy Director, Operations for The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games
. In 1994 he became the Director of Outlying Site and Department of Defense Relations, working with municipal, state and federal officials.
He currently is an independent consultant in Leadership, Management and Defense issues, with offices in Destin
, Florida
. Additionally, he is the Senior Mentor for the Air Force Special Operations School Terrorist Response Senior Seminar and a member of the National Research Council Committee on Army Science and Technology for Homeland Defense. Spigelmire is a member of The Association of the U.S.Army,The Air Force Association and a Life Member of The National Infantry Association,The Army War College Foundation and The Special Operations Forces Association. He is also a trustee of the National Infantry Foundation.
Spigelmire's awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device (with three Oak Leaf Clusters), the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Air Medals, the Army Commendation Medal with "V" Device (with Oak Leaf Cluster), the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge, and Ranger Tab, the Special Forces Tab, and the Army Staff Identification Badge.
Spigelmire, previously married to Cecelia Malloy with one son, now grown, has been married for many years to the former Diane Cast, of Columbus
, Georgia. Their son, Christopher, is a Lt. Col in the U.S. Air Force
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
.
The youngest child of the late Charles Edgar Spigelmire and Josephine Spigelmire, née Kaminski, he was raised in Baltimore, Maryland and educated at Loyola High School
Loyola Blakefield
Loyola Blakefield is a Catholic, college preparatory school established by the Society of Jesus, to educate men for others. The ideal Loyola graduate is a man of integrity who, because he strives "to find God in all things," is open to growth, dedicated to academic excellence, religious, committed...
and Loyola College in Maryland
Loyola College in Maryland
Loyola University Maryland is a Roman Catholic, Jesuit private university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Established as Loyola College in Maryland by John Early and eight other members of the Society of Jesus in 1852, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges...
, both Jesuit
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
institutions. He was in ROTC
Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a college-based, officer commissioning program, predominantly in the United States. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.The U.S...
during college, and upon graduation from Loyola College with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
, received a commission as a Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. His military education includes completion of the Infantry School, United States Army Command and General Staff College, and U.S. Army War College
U.S. Army War College
The United States Army War College is a United States Army school located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on the 500 acre campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks...
. He earned a masters degree in international relations from Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
.
Spigelmire's distinguished military career includes an initial tour of duty in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, where he served in company and division level positions with the 24th Infantry Division and as an A -Team detachment executive officer and commander with the 10th Special Forces Group
10th Special Forces Group (United States)
The 10th Special Forces Group is an Active Duty United States Army Special Forces group. The 10th Special Forces Group is responsible for operations within the EUCOM area of responsibility, as part of the Special Operations Command, Europe , as well as parts of Africa and the Middle East.10th SFG...
. He was then assigned to Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, where he commanded a company and later served as a battalion adjutant with the 1st Cavalry Division. A stateside tour as an instructor with the Infantry School at Fort Benning
Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
ensued, followed by another combat tour as a district senior advisor in Vietnam.
In 1972, Spigelmire was assigned to the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
, where he served as an Operation Staff Officer in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Military Operations. Thereafter,he served as an Assistant Secretary to the General Staff, Office of the Chief of Staff, Army. Returning to duty with troops, he was a brigade executive officer and later commanded a battalion in the 1st Cavalry Division. He returned to Fort Benning in 1978 as Deputy Director for Combat Developments, United States Army Infantry School and later, as Commander, 197th Infantry Brigade. Subsequently, he had another tour in Europe as Assistant Chief of Staff (Operations), G-3, VII Corps. In 1984, he assumed duties at Fort McPherson as Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations (Plans, Operations, and Mobilization), United States Forces Command.
In August 1985, Spigelmire was named as the Assistant Division Commander, 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Stewart, Georgia. He served as Division Commander until September 1988. Returning again to Fort Benning, Georgia Spigelmire commanded the United States Army Infantry Center and served simultaneously as the Commandant, United States Army Infantry School. In June 1990, he assumed command of the United States Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg (North Carolina)
Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
where he served until August, 1991.
In September 1991, he assumed command of the VII Corps in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, Germany with the mission to inactivate the Corps, withdraw 80,000 troops from Germany and return the VII Corps colors to the United States.
Spigelmire retired from the Army in July 1992. In August 1992, he assumed the position of Deputy Director, Operations for The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
. In 1994 he became the Director of Outlying Site and Department of Defense Relations, working with municipal, state and federal officials.
He currently is an independent consultant in Leadership, Management and Defense issues, with offices in Destin
Destin, Florida
Destin is a city located in Okaloosa County, Florida. It is a principal city of the Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.Located on Florida's Emerald Coast, Destin is known for its white beaches and emerald green waters...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. Additionally, he is the Senior Mentor for the Air Force Special Operations School Terrorist Response Senior Seminar and a member of the National Research Council Committee on Army Science and Technology for Homeland Defense. Spigelmire is a member of The Association of the U.S.Army,The Air Force Association and a Life Member of The National Infantry Association,The Army War College Foundation and The Special Operations Forces Association. He is also a trustee of the National Infantry Foundation.
Spigelmire's awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device (with three Oak Leaf Clusters), the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Air Medals, the Army Commendation Medal with "V" Device (with Oak Leaf Cluster), the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge, and Ranger Tab, the Special Forces Tab, and the Army Staff Identification Badge.
Spigelmire, previously married to Cecelia Malloy with one son, now grown, has been married for many years to the former Diane Cast, of Columbus
Columbus, Georgia
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...
, Georgia. Their son, Christopher, is a Lt. Col in the U.S. Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
.