Billy King Solomon (born November 16, 1944) is a retired Quartermaster officer, U.S. Army Lieutenant General and former Commander of the Combined Arms Support Command, Fort Lee, Virginia.

Early life

Lieutenant General Solomon was born in Oakwood,

Freestone County, Texas Freestone County is a county in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 19,435. Its county seat is Fairfield. The county was created in 1850 and organized the next year. History Native Ame ...

. In 1966, he graduated from

Prairie View A&M University Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU or PV) is a public historically black land-grant university in Prairie View, Texas. Founded in 1876, it is one of Texas's two land-grant universities and the second oldest public institution of higher learnin ...

Prairie View A&M University Distinguished Alumni with a BS Degree in Agriculture, and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Quartermaster Corps through the Reserve Officer Training Corps Program. He later went on to receive an MS Degree from the Florida Institute of Technology in contracting and acquisition management.

Military career

Other key assignments held during his career included: Director, Logistics and Security Assistance, J4/J7, US Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida; Chief of Staff,

US Army Materiel Command U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC) is the primary provider of materiel to the United States Army. The Command's mission includes the management of installations, as well as maintenance and parts distribution. It was established on 8 May 1962 and wa ...

, Alexandria, Virginia; Assistant Chief of Staff, J4/C4/G4, US Forces Korea/United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command/Eighth US Army, Korea; Commander,

13th Corps Support Command In music or music theory, a thirteenth is the note thirteen scale degrees from the root of a chord and also the interval between the root and the thirteenth. The interval can be also described as a compound sixth, spanning an octave p ...

, III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas; Commander, Joint Logistics Task Force, United Nations Operations, Somalia; and Commander, Division Support Command,

5th Infantry Division (United States) The 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized)—nicknamed the "Red Diamond", or the "Red Devils" —was an infantry division of the United States Army that served in World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War, and with NATO and the U.S. Army III Cor ...

(Mechanized), Fort Polk, Louisiana. Lieutenant General Solomon also served in a number of important key developmental assignments, which includes Platoon Leader and S-3 Officer, 266th Supply and Service Battalion, US Army, Vietnam; Assistant G-4,

2nd Armored Division (United States) The 2nd Armored Division ("Hell on Wheels") was an armored division of the United States Army. The division played important roles during World War II in the invasions of Germany, North Africa, and Sicily and in the liberation of France, Belgium ...

, Fort Hood, Texas; S-3 Officer, Logistics Support Activity, US Army, Vietnam; Commander, Headquarters Company, 88th Supply and Service Battalion, US Army, Vietnam; Supply and Logistics Officer with the 109th and 902nd Military Intelligence Groups, Fort Meade, Maryland; Chief Logistics Officer, US Army Communications Command Agency, Canal Zone,

Fort Clayton, Panama Fort Clayton was a United States Army base in the former Panama Canal Zone, later part of the Republic of Panama. Base Fort Clayton was located northwest of Balboa, Panama, with the Panama Canal located nearby. It closed in 1999 pursuant t ...

; Personnel Management Officer, US Army Military Personnel Center, Alexandria, Virginia; Protocol Officer, Office of the Chief of Staff, Army, Washington, DC; Commander, 498th Support Battalion, 2nd Armored Division (Forward), US Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany; and Chief, Quartermaster/Chemical Branch, later Chief, Combat Service Support Division, Enlisted Personnel Management Directorate, US Army Personnel Command, Alexandria, Virginia. Lieutenant General Solomon retired on September 30, 2002, culminating 36 years of distinguished military Service as the Commanding General, US Army Combined Arms Support Command and Fort Lee, Fort Lee, Virginia. His military education includes the Quartermaster Officers Basic and Advanced Courses, Armed Forces Staff College, Logistics Executive Development Course, and Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

Decorations and honors

* Defense Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster *

Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army) The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a military decoration of the United States Army that is presented to soldiers who have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service to the government in a duty of great responsibility. Th ...

with Oak Leaf Cluster *

Defense Superior Service Medal The Defense Superior Service Medal (DSSM) is a military decoration of the United States Department of Defense, which is presented to United States Armed Forces service members who perform superior meritorious service in a position of significant ...

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters *

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

with Oak Leaf Cluster * Meritorious Service Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters * Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster * Army Achievement Medal. Lieutenant General Solomon is a Distinguished Member of the Quartermaster Regiment, a recipient of the Distinguished Order of Saint Martin and a member of the Quartermaster Hall of Fame.

Personal

Solomon is the son of Quincy Lee Solomon (February 12, 1918 – August 14, 1982) and Jeweline Ricks Solomon. He had three sisters. Solomon is married to Cathyrn Solomon. They moved to Gainesville, Virginia after his retirement. Solomon has two children and two grandchildren: (Daughter) Tonya Solomon and (Son) Brandon King Solomon.

References

* Hall of Fame Biography, Quartermaster Regimental Honors Program, June 18, 2010, Quartermaster School, Fort Lee, Virginia. {{DEFAULTSORT:Solomon, Billy K. 1944 births Living people People from Fairfield, Texas People from Oakwood, Texas Prairie View A&M University alumni African-American United States Army personnel Quartermasters United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War Florida Institute of Technology alumni Joint Forces Staff College alumni Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy alumni Recipients of the Legion of Merit United States Army generals Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal People from Gainesville, Virginia Military personnel from Texas African Americans in the Vietnam War 20th-century African-American people