On Wednesday, October 16, the
new Commander of the U.S. Southern Command, Gen. James T.
Hill, made his first visit to Uruguay.
General Hill, who took office on August 18, 2002,
had an intense agenda which included meetings with the Minister
of Defense, Yamandu Fau, the Commander in Chief of the Army
Tte. Gral. Carlos Daners, the Commander in Chief of the
Navy, V/A Carlos Giani and the Commander in Chief of the
Air Force, Tte. Gral. José P. Malaquín. At
the end of his visit he met with the Defense Committees
of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
His tour also included Ecuador and Paraguay.
BIOGRAPHY
OF GENERAL JAMES T. HILL
General James T. Hill assumed command of the United States
Southern Command on August 18, 2002. General Hill previously
served as the Commanding General, I Corps and Ft. Lewis.
He is from El Paso, Texas, and was commissioned into the
Infantry following graduation from Trinity University in
San Antonio, Texas, in 1968. A graduate of the Command and
General Staff College and the National War College, he also
holds a Master's degree in Personnel Management from Central
Michigan University.
After completion of the Infantry Officers
Basic, Ranger, and Airborne Courses, and an initial assignment
at Fort Hood, Texas, General Hill served with the 2-502d
Infantry (at that time, part of the "Always First"
Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) in the Republic
of Vietnam as a rifle platoon leader, recon platoon leader,
company executive officer, and company commander.
General Hill's other key assignments include:
Company Commander, 3d Ranger Company, Fort Benning and Commander,
Company A, 2d Squadron, 7th Cavalry, Fort Hood; Battalion
Operations Officer and Battalion Commander, 1-35th Infantry,
Schofield Barracks; Staff Officer, Strategy, Plans and Policy
Directorate, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, HQDA;
Aide-de-Camp to the Chief of Staff of the Army, and Special
Project Officer for the Chief of Staff of the Army. General
Hill commanded the "Always First" Brigade, 101st
Airborne Division (Air Assault) from August 1989 through
July 1991, to include service in Southwest Asia during Operations
DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM. General Hill served as Chief
of Staff of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) from
August 1991 through October 1992. General Hill then served
as the Assistant Deputy Director for Politico-Military Affairs
on the Joint Staff from October 1992 to July 1994. In July
1994, he assumed duties as the Assistant Division Commander
(Support), 25th Infantry Division (Light) to include service
in Haiti as the Deputy Commanding General, Multinational
Force and Deputy Commander, United States Forces, Haiti,
United Nations Mission, Haiti. He served as the Deputy Chief
of Staff, Operations, Forces Command, from June 1995 to
June 1997. He became Commanding General, 25th Infantry Division
(Light) in June 1997, and served in that position until
he was named Commanding General, I Corps and Fort Lewis,
in September 1999.
General Hill's military decorations include:
Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star with two Oak Leaf
Clusters, Defense Superior Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster,
Legion of Merit with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Bronze Star
with Valor device and two Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart
with Oak Leaf Cluster, Meritorious Service Medal with three
Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Commendation Medal with Valor Device
and five Oak Leaf Clusters, Combat Infantryman Badge, Ranger
Tab, Airborne and Air Assault Badges, Joint Chiefs of Staff
Identification Badge, and Army General Staff Identification
Badge.
