WASHINGTON- Raymond T. Odierno, a retired Army general who commanded US and coalition forces in Iraq at the height of the war and who He culminated a 39-year career serving as Army Chief of Staff, has passed away, his family said Saturday. He was 67 years old.
“The general passed away after a valiant battle against cancer; his death was not related to covid-19,” said a statement from the family. “There are no other details to share at this time. His family appreciates the concern and asks for privacy.”
Odierno died on Friday; the family did not want to say where. He said information about the funeral and burial was not yet available.
Born in Rockaway, NJ, Odierno graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, in 1976 with a commission in field artillery. He served in a wide range of Army and Department of Defense functions, with multiple tours abroad, including in Iraq, Germany, Albania, and Kuwait. As a three-star general, he was assistant to the chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a position that made him the chief military adviser to the secretary of state.
Odierno carried out three missions in Iraq, crowned for two years, from 2008 to 2010, as the top US commander in Baghdad. He was succeeded by General Lloyd Austin, current Secretary of Defense. Odierno was commander of the Iraq Multinational Corps from 2006 to 2008.
When Odierno retired in 2015, he was succeeded as Army Chief of Staff by General Mark Milley, current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
In a ceremony marking his retirement from the Army, then-Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter described him as a commander whose tenacity and operational experience gave civilian leaders great confidence.
“His commanding presence calmed the confusion, and his courage and compassion helped carry the burden of loss and sacrifice,” Carter said.
Soldiers from his 4th Infantry participated in the capture of deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in December 2003. That success gave hope to quell an emerging insurgency, but in 2004 the insurgency gained momentum and led to the deadly rise of Al Qaeda. in Iraq.
Three months ago, North Carolina State University announced that Odierno had joined its board of directors. During his military career, he earned a master’s degree in nuclear effects engineering from North Carolina State. He was president of Odierno Associates, a consulting firm in Pinehurst, North Carolina.
– .
