Paul J. Kern
General Paul John Kern
Born (1945-06-16) June 16, 1945
New Jersey, United States
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branchUnited States Army
Years of service1967–2005
RankGeneral
Commands heldUnited States Army Materiel Command
4th Infantry Division
2nd Brigade, 24th Infantry Division
5th Battalion, 32nd Armor Regiment
Battles/warsVietnam War
Gulf War
AwardsDefense Distinguished Service Medal
Army Distinguished Service Medal
Silver Star
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit (2)
Bronze Star Medal (5)
Purple Heart (3)
Alma materUniversity of Michigan
Other workBoard of Directors, EDO Corporation

Paul John Kern (born June 16, 1945) is a retired United States Army general and businessman. He served as Commanding General of the United States Army Materiel Command from October 2001 to November 2004. He became President and Chief Operating Officer of AM General LLC on August 1, 2008.

Military service

Kern is a native of West Orange, New Jersey, and attended West Orange High School in his hometown.[1] He was commissioned in 1967 as an Armor officer following graduation from the United States Military Academy. In 1973 he earned master's degrees in both mechanical and civil engineering from the University of Michigan.

Kern served two tours in Vietnam with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment as a platoon leader and troop commander, and was a battalion operations officer with the 3rd Armored Division in Germany. He also commanded the 5th Battalion, 32nd Armor, 24th Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia; commanded the 2nd Brigade, 24th Infantry Division at Fort Stewart and during Desert Shield/Desert Storm; and was the Assistant Division Commander of the 24th Infantry Division after redeployment to Fort Stewart.

Kern also served as the Commander, 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized). He was also the senior military assistant to the Secretary of Defense and Deputy Secretary of Defense; military staff assistant, Defense Research and Engineering for Test and Evaluation, Office of the Secretary of Defense; and Director of Requirements (Support Systems), Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans. Kern also served as Team Chief, Light Combat Vehicle Team, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Research, Development and Acquisition, and as the Program Branch Chief, Bradley Fighting Vehicle Systems, Warren, Michigan. He taught weapon systems and automotive engineering at the United States Military Academy and was the department's research officer.

In June 2004 Kern was chosen to head the internal military investigation of the Abu Ghraib torture scandal, also referred to as the Fay Report.[2]

Awards and decorations

Kern's awards and decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Army Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (with oak leaf cluster), Bronze Star Medal (with Valor device and oak leaf cluster), Bronze Star Medal (with two oak leaf clusters), Purple Heart (with two oak leaf clusters), Meritorious Service Medal (with four oak leaf clusters), Army Commendation Medal, Parachutist Badge, and Ranger Tab.

Post-military life

After retiring from the army in January 2005, Kern joined the Board of Directors of Agent Science Technologies,[3] EDO Corporation[4] and iRobot Corporation,[5] and is a member of the External Advisory Board of the University of Michigan Department of Mechanical Engineering, and a Senior Counselor of The Cohen Group.[2]

In 2007, Kern was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering for bringing modern digitization technology to bear on military effectiveness, training, and procurement.[6]

Kern now serves as the Chair of Advanced Technology in the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering at the United States Military Academy.[7]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Paul J. Kern.
  1. ↑ "Major Army Command Says Farewell to Four-Star Commander" Archived November 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, United States Army Materiel Command press release. Accessed November 19, 2007.
  2. 1 2 University of Michigan bio Archived September 14, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ "Unmanned Systems in Overseas Contingency Operations" (PDF). National Defense University Center for Technology and National Security Policy: 16. May 10, 2012 – via Eth Zürich.
  4. ↑ "Paul Kern, Director". ww1.edocorp.com. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  5. ↑ "IRobot Corporation: Board Members". Archived from the original on December 18, 2008. Retrieved November 18, 2008.
  6. ↑ "General Paul J. Kern". United States National Academy of Engineering. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  7. ↑

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