Albert Bryant, Jr
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Albert Bryant Jr. (born February 22, 1952) is a retired
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
brigadier general, best known for service as the Chief of Western Hemisphere Operations during and in the aftermath of the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
and for his tenure as the Assistant Division Commander of the 4th Infantry Division at the time of the division's detection and capture of deposed Iraqi president
Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 until Saddam Hussein statue destruction, his overthrow in 2003 during the 2003 invasion of Ira ...
. Bryant also served as the Deputy Commander of
Fort Knox Fort Knox is a United States Army installation in Kentucky, south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, Elizabethtown. It is adjacent to the United States Bullion Depository (also known as Fort Knox), which is used to house a larg ...
, Kentucky, and the United States Army's Armor School. As Chief of Staff of
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
's
Kosovo Force The Kosovo Force (KFOR) is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO-led international NATO peacekeeping, peacekeeping force and military of Kosovo. KFOR is the third security responder, after the Kosovo Police and the EU Rule of Law (European ...
(KFOR), Bryant was the highest ranking American general on the KFOR leadership team in the lead up to Kosovo independence.


Early life and education

Bryant was born on February 22, 1952, in
Pine Bluff, Arkansas Pine Bluff, officially the City of Pine Bluff, is the List of municipalities in Arkansas, tenth-most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas and the county seat of Jefferson County, Arkansas, Jefferson County. The population of the city wa ...
, and is of African, Chinese, and Irish-Scottish Celtic ancestry. His parents are retired U.S. Army Reserve Brigadier General and
Congressional Gold Medal The Congressional Gold Medal is the oldest and highest civilian award in the United States, alongside the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is bestowed by vote of the United States Congress, signed into law by the president. The Gold Medal exp ...
recipient, Albert Bryant Sr., an original Montford Point Marine, and Mable Bryant (née Lun), a nurse. The eldest of five siblings, including writer and novelist Lori Bryant-Woolridge, Bryant was reared in the
San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...
. He attended Newark High School in Newark, California. Bryant graduated in 1970 with an appointment to the
United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...
at West Point. Bryant earned an undergraduate degree in General Engineering from West Point, and holds a master's degree in Operations Analysis from
Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
in Palo Alto, California. He holds an additional graduate degree from the U.S. Army
Command and General Staff College The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...
School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS).


Career

Bryant was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, Armor Branch, from the U.S. Military Academy in 1974. After graduation, he attended the Armor Officer Basic Course and then assigned to 3d Squadron, 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment, Amberg,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
as platoon leader and troop executive officer. Following the Armor Officer's Advanced Course, he was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 67th Armor, 2nd Armored Division,
Fort Hood Fort Cavazos is a United States Army post located near Killeen, Texas. The post is currently named after Gen. Richard E. Cavazos, a native Texan and the US Army’s first Hispanic four-star general. The post is located halfway between Austi ...
,
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, as S3 (Air) and then as Commander, Company A. Bryant attended graduate school at
Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
,
Palo Alto, California Palo Alto ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for ) is a charter city in northwestern Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a Sequoia sempervirens, coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto. Th ...
, receiving his Masters of Science Degree in Operations Research and Systems Analysis in 1983. In 1986, Bryant attended the United States Army's
Command and General Staff College The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...
and the Army's School of Advanced Military Studies receiving a Masters of Military Arts and Sciences. Subsequently, he was assigned as Chief, Plans and Exercises G3, 5th Infantry Division, Fort Polk,
Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
, and then as Executive Officer, 1st Battalion 70th Armor, and then as S3 for the 1st Raider Brigade. In 1991, Bryant joined the Army Staff and the Directorate of Program Analysis and Evaluation as a Combat Systems Analyst. In 1993, he assumed command of the 4th Battalion, 67th Armor "Bandits", 1st Armored Division,
Friedberg, Hesse Friedberg (; official name: ''Friedberg (Hessen)'') is a town and the capital of the Wetteraukreis district, in Hesse, Germany. In 1966, the town hosted the sixth '' Hessentag'' state festival, in 1979 the 19th. Geographical location Friedberg is ...
Germany. Upon completion of command he was reassigned as Chief of Plans, G3, V Corps and served as Chief Planner for
Operation Joint Endeavor The Implementation Force (IFOR) was a NATO-led multinational peace enforcement force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one-year mandate from 20 December 1995 to 20 December 1996 under the codename ''Operation Joint Endeavour''. Background In ...
, IFOR operations in
Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
. Interviews with Bryant and a description of his planning efforts in support of Operation Joint Endeavor are featured in the 2005 book ''Armed Peacekeepers in Bosnia.'' In 1996, Bryant returned from deployment to the
United States Army War College The United States Army War College (USAWC) is a U.S. Army staff college in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, with a Carlisle postal address, on the 500-acre (2 km2) campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks. It provides graduate-level instru ...
's Operational Warfighting Fellowship at
Fort Leavenworth Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth, Kansas, Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., an ...
in
Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
. In April 1998 he assumed command of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division,
Fort Riley Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in North Central Kansas, on the Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 101,733 acres (41,170 ha) in Ge ...
, Kansas. Departing the "Bulldog Brigade" in 2000 he assumed duties as Chief, Western Hemisphere Operations, J3, the Joint Staff in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, serving as Chief of Western Hemisphere Operations during and in the aftermath of the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
. Bryant was then assigned to the United States Army
Command and General Staff College The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...
as the Director, Center for Army Tactics and selected for promotion to brigadier general in March 2003. In June 2003, Bryant was assigned as Assistant Division Commander (Support), 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) and Task Force Ironhorse conducting combat operations as part of
Operation Iraqi Freedom The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with the invasion by a United States-led coalition, which resulted in the overthrow of the Ba'athist governm ...
. It was during this time that the 4th ID played the primary role in the location and capture of fugitive deposed Iraqi dictator
Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 until Saddam Hussein statue destruction, his overthrow in 2003 during the 2003 invasion of Ira ...
. In April 2004, the Division redeployed to Fort Hood, Texas, to refit in preparation for future operations, and Bryant reported to duty at
Fort Knox Fort Knox is a United States Army installation in Kentucky, south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, Elizabethtown. It is adjacent to the United States Bullion Depository (also known as Fort Knox), which is used to house a larg ...
,
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
, to serve as the Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Army Armor Center and Fort Knox, and head the Unit of Action Maneuver Battle Lab, or UAMBL. The following year, Bryant was selected to represent the United States as Chief of Staff of
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
's internationally staffed Kosovo Force, KFOR, and relocated to
Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
. He assumed his position at a NATO installation ceremony on June 27, 2005, becoming the senior American official on the KFOR HQ command leadership team. Bryant's final military assignment was as the Director of Integration, Headquarters, Department of the Army, G8, at the
Pentagon In geometry, a pentagon () is any five-sided polygon or 5-gon. The sum of the internal angles in a simple polygon, simple pentagon is 540°. A pentagon may be simple or list of self-intersecting polygons, self-intersecting. A self-intersecting ...
, where he supervised the planning and direction of equipment systems worldwide for the U.S. Army, synchronizing equipment deliveries with manning and training requirements, and served as chairman of the Army Reset Task Force.


Campaigns

*
Operation Joint Endeavor The Implementation Force (IFOR) was a NATO-led multinational peace enforcement force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one-year mandate from 20 December 1995 to 20 December 1996 under the codename ''Operation Joint Endeavour''. Background In ...
, assigned as Chief of Plans, G3, V Corps, serving as Chief Planner, IFOR operations in Bosnia; 1995–1996 *
Operation Iraqi Freedom The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with the invasion by a United States-led coalition, which resulted in the overthrow of the Ba'athist governm ...
, assigned as Assistant Division Commander (Support), 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized), and Task Force Ironhorse, based in Tikrit, Iraq; 2003–2004 * NATO Operation,
Kosovo Force The Kosovo Force (KFOR) is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO-led international NATO peacekeeping, peacekeeping force and military of Kosovo. KFOR is the third security responder, after the Kosovo Police and the EU Rule of Law (European ...
, KFOR Chief of Staff, Kosovo; 2006–2007


Later work

Since retiring from active duty service, Bryant has served as an international civilian consultant on military, diversity, and executive management matters, primarily based alternately in the
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...
and the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.


Personal life

Bryant has been married since 1975 to the former Renée Saxton, daughter of retired Army and Illinois National Guard Brigadier General Richard Saxton. They have four children. Their eldest son is broadcaster and writer Benjamin Bryant, who is best known in military circles as the lead editor of the 2010 DoD reports recommending the repeal of the 1993
Don't Ask, Don't Tell "Don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) was the official United States policy on Sexual orientation in the United States military, military service of homosexual people. Instituted during the Presidency of Bill Clinton, Clinton administration, the pol ...
law.


Awards and decorations


Medals and ribbons

*   Distinguished Service Medal *   Defense Superior Service Medal *  
Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...
(2
Oak Leaf Cluster An oak leaf cluster is a ribbon device to denote preceding decorations and awards consisting of a miniature bronze or silver twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem. It is authorized by the United States Armed Forces for a spec ...
s) *  
Bronze Star 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 ...
*   Defense Meritorious Service Medal *   Meritorious Service Medal (7
Oak Leaf Cluster An oak leaf cluster is a ribbon device to denote preceding decorations and awards consisting of a miniature bronze or silver twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem. It is authorized by the United States Armed Forces for a spec ...
s) *  
Army Commendation Medal The Commendation Medal is a mid-level Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issu ...
(2
Oak Leaf Cluster An oak leaf cluster is a ribbon device to denote preceding decorations and awards consisting of a miniature bronze or silver twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem. It is authorized by the United States Armed Forces for a spec ...
s) *   Army Achievement Medal (
Oak Leaf Cluster An oak leaf cluster is a ribbon device to denote preceding decorations and awards consisting of a miniature bronze or silver twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem. It is authorized by the United States Armed Forces for a spec ...
) *   Global War on Terrorism Service Medal *   Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal *  
National Defense Service Medal The National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) is a service award of the United States Armed Forces established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. It was awarded to every member of the U.S. Armed Forces who served during any one of four s ...
(2 Stars) *   Meritorious Public Service Medal *   NATO Non-Article 5 Medal *   Combat Action Badge *   Parachutist Badge Honors and decorations bestowed on Bryant by foreign governments include: *   German Cross of Honour of the Bundeswehr in GoldKFOR CHRONICLE 07
/ref> *    Italian Commemorative Cross for Peace Operations Bryant is also a 1998 recipient of the ''Draper Armor Leadership Award for Excellence in Leadership'' from the Draper Combat Leadership Trust Fund Council, and has named to the U.S. Cavalry and Armor Association's Order of St. George, in addition to various community and professional recognitions and honors.


Gallery

File:Edmund P. Giambastiani Roland Kather.jpg, Bryant observes as Admiral Edmund Giambastiani greets German Lieutenant General Roland Kather in May 2007. File:University of Kentucky President Lee Todd, Jr. receives an award from Army General Albert Bryant, Jr..jpg, Bryant in September 2005, presenting
University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical ...
President Lee Todd Jr. with an award. File:BG Bryant NATO KFOR Installation 04.jpg, Bryant reviews international troops at his
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
KFOR Installation. File:BG Albert Bryant Pinned by Renee Bryant at 4th Infantry Division Ceremony.jpg, Bryant is pinned in a promotion ceremony by his wife, military families advocate Renee Bryant. File:MG Raymond Odierno and BG Albert Bryant Jr at 4th Infantry Division Ceremony.jpg, MG Raymond Odierno and Bryant at 4th Infantry Division Ceremony File:BG Albert Bryant Jr greeted by Montfort Point Marine and Congressional Gold Medal Recipient BG Albert Bryant Sr.jpg, Bryant is greeted warmly by his father, original Montfort Point Marine and
Congressional Gold Medal The Congressional Gold Medal is the oldest and highest civilian award in the United States, alongside the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is bestowed by vote of the United States Congress, signed into law by the president. The Gold Medal exp ...
Recipient, Albert Bryant Sr.


Bibliography

Bryant has authored three monographs on military-related matters, including: * * *


References


External links


''Inside KFOR:'' "Brig. General Albert Bryant, KFOR's New Chief of Staff" ''Black Engineer'' "African-American Military Leaders 2006"''United States Army Command and General Staff College Faculty: Colin Powell, Miles Browning, Albert Bryant Jr., Charles T. Mcdowell'' barnesandnoble.com
* * ttp://www.kctcs.edu/todaysnews/index.cfm?tn_date=2005-12-06#2432 ''Elizabethtown News-Enterprise:'' "Knox goes high-tech with new digital range”br>''Washington Post:'' "When Soldier Food Gets Dressed Up for Promotion"
* ttps://archive.today/20070801165529/http://www4.army.mil/ocpa/read.php?story_id_key=8297 ''Army News Service:'' “Big Boost to Army Operations”br> Knox LTC Commencement Coverage: commencement remarks at the Army Leaders' Training Course by BG Albert Bryant Jr.''AirForceLink:'' "COMUSAFE visits Film City's Kosovo Airmen"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bryant, Albert Jr. 1952 births Living people People from the San Francisco Bay Area African-American United States Army personnel United States Army personnel of the Iraq War American military personnel of Chinese descent American people of Irish descent American people of Scottish descent Recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Badge of Honour of the Bundeswehr Stanford University alumni United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni United States Army Command and General Staff College faculty United States Army generals United States Military Academy alumni People from Pine Bluff, Arkansas