Paul Eaton
Encyclopedia
Major General
Paul D. Eaton is a retired United States Army
General most known for his command of operations to train Iraqi troops in George W. Bush
's invasion of that country. General Eaton served in that capacity between 2003 and 2004, until he returned to the US to become Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Training, United States Army Training and Doctrine Command, Fort Monroe
, Virginia. He currently serves as Senior Adviser to the National Security Network
, a progressive Washington, DC think tank that focuses on foreign policy and defense issues.
. His father, Col. Norman Dale Eaton, USAF, graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1949 and went on to become an Air Force pilot. He was shot down over Laos
in December 1969 and was listed as missing in action for many years.http://dwb.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/5706452p-5111655c.html His remains were recovered in 2004, identified, and buried at Arlington National Cemetery in early 2007.
Paul Eaton's wife, P.J., is a daughter of a United States Marine Corps
Colonel and a former Army lieutenant who now counsels perpetrators of domestic violence. They were married in 1973. His eldest son is a University of Washington
graduate. His second son graduated from West Point and is an infantry captain. He has a daughter, a graduate of the University of Florida.
, receiving a Master of Arts from Middlebury College
in French Grammar and Civilization.
As a colonel in the mid 1990s he commanded an Army brigade in Germany
and following promotion to brigadier general was the assistant division commander of the 1st Armored Division. In 2000, he returned to the US to serve as deputy commanding general of the Army Infantry Center and School at Fort Benning, Georgia, and later he led the creation of the Army’s new Stryker brigades at Fort Lewis, Washington. As a major general he returned to Fort Benning to be commanding general of the Army Infantry Center and School. He was then assigned to Iraq as Commanding General of the Coalition Military Assistance Training Team
(CMATT), where he was in charge of training the Iraqi military from 2003 to 2004.
Upon return to the US he was Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Training, United States Army Training and Doctrine Command, Fort Monroe, Virginia.
, Legion of Merit
(with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters), Meritorious Service Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Commendation Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Achievement Medal, Expert Infantryman Badge
, Parachutist Badge, Ranger Tab
, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge.
, similar to the ones prepared by John Batiste
. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tw4jSZLkJqA Eaton asserted that President Bush
did not heed the advice given by his military commanders. Eaton appeared on Bill Maher
's talkshow and spoke out strongly against those who launched the Iraq war. In 2008 Eaton served as an advisor to Senator Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. Following Clinton's concession of the Democratic primary, Eaton has made several appearances in support of Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign.
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
Paul D. Eaton is a retired 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...
General most known for his command of operations to train Iraqi troops in George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's invasion of that country. General Eaton served in that capacity between 2003 and 2004, until he returned to the US to become Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Training, United States Army Training and Doctrine Command, Fort Monroe
Fort Monroe
Fort Monroe was a military installation in Hampton, Virginia—at Old Point Comfort, the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula...
, Virginia. He currently serves as Senior Adviser to the National Security Network
National Security Network
The National Security Network is a non-profit foreign policy organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. that focuses on international relations, global affairs and national security...
, a progressive Washington, DC think tank that focuses on foreign policy and defense issues.
Family
Paul Eaton was raised in OklahomaOklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. His father, Col. Norman Dale Eaton, USAF, graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1949 and went on to become an Air Force pilot. He was shot down over Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
in December 1969 and was listed as missing in action for many years.http://dwb.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/5706452p-5111655c.html His remains were recovered in 2004, identified, and buried at Arlington National Cemetery in early 2007.
Paul Eaton's wife, P.J., is a daughter of a United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
Colonel and a former Army lieutenant who now counsels perpetrators of domestic violence. They were married in 1973. His eldest son is a University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
graduate. His second son graduated from West Point and is an infantry captain. He has a daughter, a graduate of the University of Florida.
Education
Paul Eaton followed in his father's footsteps to West Point in 1968, graduating with the class of 1972. He is fluent in FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, receiving a Master of Arts from Middlebury College
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
in French Grammar and Civilization.
Assignments
As a lieutenant and captain, Eaton served in the 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado, and was later transferred to Germany as part of 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division ("Brigade 76"), where he served as an assistant brigade S3 (operations) officer and later was an infantry company commander. As major and lieutenant colonel Eaton was assigned to key battalion and brigade staff positions in the old 9th Infantry Division, then on the I Corps staff. He also commanded an infantry battalion of the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York, and later served as the G3 (operations) officer of the division.As a colonel in the mid 1990s he commanded an Army brigade 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...
and following promotion to brigadier general was the assistant division commander of the 1st Armored Division. In 2000, he returned to the US to serve as deputy commanding general of the Army Infantry Center and School at Fort Benning, Georgia, and later he led the creation of the Army’s new Stryker brigades at Fort Lewis, Washington. As a major general he returned to Fort Benning to be commanding general of the Army Infantry Center and School. He was then assigned to Iraq as Commanding General of the Coalition Military Assistance Training Team
Coalition Military Assistance Training Team
The Coalition Military Assistance Training Team was a section of the Multi-National Security Transition Command - Iraq that was responsible for organizing, training and equipping of the Iraqi Army...
(CMATT), where he was in charge of training the Iraqi military from 2003 to 2004.
Upon return to the US he was Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Training, United States Army Training and Doctrine Command, Fort Monroe, Virginia.
Awards
Eaton's awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service MedalDefense Superior Service Medal
The Defense Superior Service Medal is a senior United States military decoration of the Department of Defense, awarded to members of the United States armed forces who perform "superior meritorious service in a position of significant responsibility."...
, Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
(with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters), Meritorious Service Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Commendation Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Achievement Medal, Expert Infantryman Badge
Expert Infantryman Badge
The Expert Infantryman Badge, or EIB, is a military badge of the United States Army. Although similar in name and appearance to the Combat Infantryman Badge , it is a completely different award: while the CIB is awarded for participation in ground combat, the EIB is presented for completion of a...
, Parachutist Badge, Ranger Tab
Ranger Tab
The Ranger Tab is a service school military decoration of the United States Army signifying completion of the 61-day long Ranger School course in small-unit infantry combat tactics in woodland, mountain, and swamp operations. In December 2009 a British NCO earned the Ranger tab...
, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge.
VoteVets
After retiring from the Army in 2006 Eaton was a frequent guest on various media outlets, where he often criticized the Bush administration's prosecution of the Iraq War. In 2007, Eaton appeared in a political ad for VoteVets.orgVoteVets.org
VoteVets.org is organized as a non-partisan political action committee and non-profit 501 status in the United States. It was co-founded in 2006 by Jon Soltz and Jeremy Broussard....
, similar to the ones prepared by John Batiste
John Batiste
Major General John Batiste is a retired officer of the United States Army.John Batiste was commissioned as an infantry officer from West Point and served in five US Army heavy divisions over the next 31 years...
. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tw4jSZLkJqA Eaton asserted that President Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
did not heed the advice given by his military commanders. Eaton appeared on Bill Maher
Bill Maher
William "Bill" Maher, Jr. is an American stand-up comedian, television host, political commentator, author and actor. Before his current role as the host of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, Maher hosted a similar late-night talk show called Politically Incorrect originally on Comedy Central and...
's talkshow and spoke out strongly against those who launched the Iraq war. In 2008 Eaton served as an advisor to Senator Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. Following Clinton's concession of the Democratic primary, Eaton has made several appearances in support of Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign.
External links
- For his failures, Rumsfeld must go, an article by General Eaton in the International Herald TribuneInternational Herald TribuneThe International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international newspaper. It combines the resources of its own correspondents with those of The New York Times and is printed at 38 sites throughout the world, for sale in more than 160 countries and territories...
, March 20, 2006 - A Top-Down Review for the Pentagon, an article by General Eaton in the New York Times, March 19, 2006
- Huffington Post Gen. Eaton on Cheney article