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General Peter Pace (born November 5 1945) is the current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the first U.S. Marine appointed to this position. In this capacity he serves as America's highest ranking military officer below the President. He served as Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 1, 2001 to August 12, 2005. General Pace was the sixth officer, and also the first Marine, to hold that position. On September 30, 2005, Pace succeeded United States Air Force General Richard Myers as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.

Personal background

Pace was born in Brooklyn, New York to Italian-American parents, and raised in Teaneck, New Jersey. He received his commission in June 1967, following graduation from the United States Naval Academy. He also holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration from George Washington University and attended Harvard University for the Senior Executives in National and International Security program. He is a 1992 graduate of the Georgetown Leadership Seminar of the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He is married and has a son, Peter, and a daughter, Tiffany. His son Peter is a Captain in the Marine Corps.

Marine career

Upon completion of The Basic School, MCB Quantico, Virginia, in 1968, Pace was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division in the Republic of Vietnam, serving first as a Rifle Platoon Leader and subsequently as Assistant Operations Officer.

Returning from overseas in March 1969, he reported to Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C.. During this tour, he served as Head, Infantry Writer Unit, Marine Corps Institute; Platoon Leader, Guard Company; Security Detachment Commander, Camp David; White House Social Aide; and Platoon Leader, Special Ceremonial Platoon. He was promoted to Captain in April 1971. In September 1971, Pace attended the Infantry Officers' Advanced Course at Fort Benning, Georgia. Returning overseas in October 1972, he was assigned to the Security Element, Marine Aircraft Group 15, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, Namphong, Thailand, where he served as Operations Officer and then Executive Officer.

In October 1973, he was assigned to Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, D.C., for duty as the Assistant Majors' Monitor. During October 1976, he reported to the 1st Marine Division, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, where he served as Operations Officer, 2d Battalion, 5th Marines; Executive Officer, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines; and Division Staff Secretary. He was promoted to Major in November 1, 1977. In August 1979, he reported to the Marine Corps Command and Staff College as a student.

Upon completion of school in June 1980, he was assigned duty as Commanding Officer, Marine Corps Recruiting Station, Buffalo, New York. While in this assignment, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in October 1982. Reassigned to the 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, Pace served from June 1983 until June 1985 as Commanding Officer, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines. In June 1985, he was selected to attend the National War College in Washington, D.C.

After graduation the following June, he was assigned to the Combined/Joint Staff in Seoul, South Korea. He served as Chief, Ground Forces Branch until April 1987, when he became Executive Officer to the Assistant Chief of Staff, C/J/G3, United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command/United States Forces Korea/Eighth United States Army.

Pace returned to Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C. in August 1988 for duty as Commanding Officer. He was promoted to Colonel in October 1988. In August 1991, he was assigned duty as Chief of Staff, 2d Marine Division, Camp Lejeune. During February 1992, he was assigned duty as Assistant Division Commander. He was advanced to Brigadier General on April 6, 1992, and was assigned the President of the Marine Corps University and Commanding General of Marine Corps Schools at the Marine Corps Combat Development Command, Quantico, Va., on July 13, 1992. While serving in this capacity, he also served as Deputy Commander, Marine Forces, Somalia, from December 1992 – February 1993, and as the Deputy Commander, Joint Task Force - Somalia from October 1993 – March 1994. General Pace was advanced to Major General on June 21, 1994, and was assigned as the Deputy Commander/Chief of Staff, U.S. Forces, Japan. He was promoted to Lieutenant General and assigned as the Director for Operations (J-3), Joint Staff, Washington, D.C., on August 5, 1996.

General Pace served as the Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Atlantic/Europe/South from November 23, 1997 to September 8, 2000. He was promoted to General and assumed duties as the Commander in Chief, United States Southern Command on September 8, 2000 until September 30, 2001, when he was appointed Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. On August 12, 2005, he was succeeded as Vice Chairman by Admiral Edmund P. Giambastiani.

Nomination as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

On April 22 2005, at a White House press conference, President George W. Bush nominated Peter Pace to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The previous Chairman, Richard Myers, retired from the position on September 30 2005.

On his nomination, Pace said, "This is an incredible moment for me. It is both exhilarating and humbling. It's exhilarating because I have the opportunity, if confirmed by the Senate, to continue to serve this great nation. It's humbling because I know the challenges ahead are formidable." *

On June 29 2005, General Pace appeared before the Armed Services Committee for consideration of his nomination * and was later confirmed by the Senate.

Service as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

On November 29 2005, General Pace was present at a press conference given by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

When UPI's Pam Hess asked about torture by Iraqi authorities, Rumsfeld replied that "obviously, the United States does not have a responsibility" other than to voice disapproval..

But Pace had a different view. "It is the absolute responsibility of every U.S. service member, if they see inhumane treatment being conducted, to intervene, to stop it," the general said..

Rumsfeld interjected: "I don't think you mean they have an obligation to physically stop it; it's to report it.".

But Pace meant what he said. "If they are physically present when inhumane treatment is taking place, sir, they have an obligation to try to stop it," he said, firmly.

At a July 2006 field hearing in Miami, Florida, led by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner (R-Va.), Gen. Pace broke down in tears talking about his Italian immigrant father and the opportunities his parents gave their children by coming to the United States. The focus of the hearing was to discuss the contributions immigrants have made to the armed forces, relevant to the United States immigration debate. *

Dates of rank

Military awards

General Pace's personal decorations include:

References

1945 births | People from Brooklyn | Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff | Vice Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff | Harvard University alumni | Joint Chiefs of Staff | Living people | Recipients of Distinguished Service Medal | Recipients of the Legion of Merit | United States Marine Corps generals | United States Naval Academy graduates | Vietnam War veterans | Italian-Americans

Peter Pace | Peter Pace

 

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