William D. Catto is a

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

who is the chief of staff of the

United States European Command The United States European Command (EUCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States military, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Its area of focus covers and 51 countries and territories, including Europe, Russi ...

. He assumed the post in July 2006, becoming the first U.S. Marine to hold the role.Lowe 2006 Catto has served over 10 years in command assignments at the lieutenant colonel,

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

, brigadier general, and major general ranks.

Biography

Catto earned his

undergraduate degree An undergraduate degree (also called first degree or simply degree) is a colloquial term for an academic degree earned by a person who has completed undergraduate courses. In the United States, it is usually offered at an institution of higher e ...

from Bethel College and his

M.A. A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

from

Webster University Webster University is a private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, Missouri. It has multiple branch locations across the United States and countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa. It offers undergraduate and graduate program ...

. Following qualification to operate the CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter, Catto spent the next thirteen years in operational assignments. In squadrons, he served in the Aircraft Maintenance, Administration, and Operations Departments. He served with

7th Marines The 7th Marine Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California. Nicknamed the "Magnificent Seventh", the regiment falls under the command of the 1st M ...

as the Air Officer and then Regimental Operations Officer. Following Command and Staff College, Catto was assigned to

Headquarters Marine Corps Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC) is a headquarters staff within the Department of the Navy which includes the offices of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps and various staff functions. The function, ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, where he served in Manpower as the Major's Rotary-Wing Assignment Officer and then as the Administrative Assistant to the Deputy Commandant for Aviation. Returning to the Operating Forces, Catto was assigned to

HMM-163 Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 163 (VMM-163) is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of MV-22 Osprey transport tiltrotors. The squadron, known as "Evil Eyes", is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California and f ...

and served as the executive officer and then commanding officer where he deployed twice in MEU (SOC) rotations. Following this tour, he was assigned to the RAND Corporation in

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing t ...

, as a Marine Corps Fellow. Following this tour he was again ordered to duty in Washington, D.C., with the Office of the Secretary of Defense; Programs, Analysis, and Evaluations; Cost Analysis Improvement Group; Weapons Systems Cost Analysis Division. Catto then went on to command Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One. In flying assignments, he has amassed more than 4,100 flight hours in 13 aircraft types. From June 2000 to June 2002, Catto served concurrently as commanding general,

Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory The United States Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory (MCWL) was established in 1995, at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. The organization was originally known as the Commandant's Warfighting Laboratory. The battle lab is part of Combat Dev ...

, and vice chief of naval research, Office of Naval Research. From July 2002 to June 2006, he assumed duties as the commanding general,

Marine Corps Systems Command Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC) is the acquisition command of the United States Marine Corps, made up of Marines, sailors, civilians and contractors. As the only systems command in the Marine Corps, MCSC serves as Head of Contracting Authori ...

. Catto retired from the Marine Corps in late 2008 and then served as a director for

Raytheon Raytheon Technologies Corporation is an American multinational aerospace and defense conglomerate headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. It is one of the largest aerospace and defense manufacturers in the world by revenue and market capitali ...

. He then retired from

in the spring of 2018.

Awards

Major General Catto's personal awards include:

Notes

References

:''This article incorporates text in the

public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly waived, or may be inapplicable. Because those rights have expired, ...

from the

.'' * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Catto, William D. Year of birth missing (living people) Living people United States Naval Aviators Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit United States Marine Corps generals Recipients of the Air Medal Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal

Biography

Awards

See also

Notes

References