Peter Pace
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| Peter Pace | |
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| Born November 5, 1945 | |
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| Place of birth | Brooklyn, New York |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1967 - 2007 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands held | Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 2nd Battalion 1st Marines U.S. Southern Command |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War Operation Restore Hope Iraq War |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Medal Defense Distinguished Service Medal (4) Navy Distinguished Service Medal Army Distinguished Service Medal Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit Bronze Star with "Valor V" Defense Meritorious Service Medal |
Peter Pace (born November 5, 1945 in Brooklyn, New York) was the 16th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the first Marine appointed to the United States' highest-ranking military office. Appointed by President George W. Bush, Pace succeeded U.S. Air Force General Richard Myers on September 30, 2005.
The Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced on June 8, 2007, that he would advise the President not to renominate Pace for a second term. Pace stepped down as Chairman on October 1, 2007. He was replaced by Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Mullen.[1][2]
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[edit] Personal background
Pace was born to Italian American parents and raised in Teaneck, New Jersey, graduating from Teaneck High School in 1963. He received his commission in June 1967, following graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy. He also holds a Master of Business Administration degree from George Washington University. Pace currently resides in McLean, Virginia; he is married and has a son, Peter, and a daughter, Tiffany. Peter Pace, Junior, is currently a Captain in the Marine Corps Reserve. Pace is Roman Catholic.[3]
[edit] Military career
[edit] 1968-1979
Upon completion of the Basic School, MCB Quantico, Virginia, in 1968, Pace was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division in the Republic of Vietnam, serving first as Platoon Commander of Golf Company's Second Platoon and subsequently as Assistant Operations Officer.
Returning from overseas in March 1969, he reported to Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C.. During this tour, he served as Head, Infantry Writer Unit, Marine Corps Institute; Platoon Leader, Guard Company; Security Detachment Commander, Camp David; White House Social Aide; and Platoon Leader, Special Ceremonial Platoon. He was promoted to Captain in April 1971. In September 1971, Pace attended the Infantry Officers' Advanced Course at Fort Benning, Georgia. Returning overseas in October 1972, he was assigned to the Security Element, Marine Aircraft Group 15, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, Namphong, Thailand, where he served as Operations Officer and then Executive Officer.
In October 1973, he was assigned to Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, D.C., for duty as the Assistant Majors' Monitor. During October 1976, he reported to the 1st Marine Division, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, where he served as Operations Officer, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines; Executive Officer, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines; and Division Staff Secretary. He was promoted to Major on November 1, 1977. In August 1979, he reported to the Marine Corps Command and Staff College as a student.
[edit] 1980-1988
Upon completion of school in June 1980, he was assigned duty as Commanding Officer, Marine Corps Recruiting Station, Buffalo, New York. While in this assignment, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in October 1982. Reassigned to the 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, Pace served from June 1983 until June 1985 as Commanding Officer, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines. In June 1985, he was selected to attend the National War College in Washington, D.C.
After graduation the following June, he was assigned to the Combined/Joint Staff in Seoul, South Korea. He served as Chief, Ground Forces Branch until April 1987, when he became Executive Officer to the Assistant Chief of Staff, C/J/G3, United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command/United States Forces Korea/Eighth United States Army. Pace returned to Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C. in August 1988 for duty as Commanding Officer. He was promoted to Colonel in October 1988.
[edit] 1990s
In August 1991, he was assigned duty as Chief of Staff, 2nd Marine Division, Camp Lejeune. During February 1992, he was assigned duty as Assistant Division Commander. He was advanced to Brigadier General on April 6, 1992, and was assigned as President of the Marine Corps University and Commanding General of Marine Corps Schools at the Marine Corps Combat Development Command, Quantico, Virginia, on July 13, 1992. While serving in this capacity, he also served as Deputy Commander, Marine Forces, Somalia, from December 1992 to February 1993, and as the Deputy Commander, Joint Task Force - Somalia from October 1993 to March 1994. Pace was advanced to Major General on June 21, 1994, and was assigned as the Deputy Commander/Chief of Staff, U.S. Forces, Japan. He was promoted to Lieutenant General and assigned as the Director for Operations (J-3), Joint Staff, Washington, D.C., on August 5, 1996.
Pace served as the Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Atlantic/Europe/South from November 23, 1997 to September 8, 2000.
[edit] 2000s; Joint Chiefs of Staff
He was promoted to General and assumed duties as the Commander in Chief, United States Southern Command on September 8, 2000 until September 30, 2001, when he was appointed Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. On August 12, 2005, he was succeeded as Vice Chairman by Admiral Edmund P. Giambastiani.
On April 22, 2005, at a White House press conference, President George W. Bush nominated Peter Pace to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The previous Chairman, Richard Myers, retired from the position on September 30, 2005.
On his nomination, Pace said, "This is an incredible moment for me. It is both exhilarating and humbling. It's exhilarating because I have the opportunity, if confirmed by the Senate, to continue to serve this great nation. It's humbling because I know the challenges ahead are formidable."[4]
On June 29, 2005, Gen. Pace appeared before the Armed Services Committee for consideration of his nomination[5] and was later confirmed by the Senate. On September 30, 2005, General Peter Pace was sworn in as the 16th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
On November 29, 2005, Gen. Pace was present at a press conference given by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, where Rumsfeld said that "the United States does not have a responsibility" to prevent torture by Iraqi officials. Pace disagreed with Rumsfeld, saying "It is the absolute responsibility of every U.S. service member, if they see inhumane treatment being conducted, to intervene, to stop it".[6][7]
After White House officials asserted that Iran was supplying insurgents in Iraq with munitions, Gen. Pace questioned the validity of the claim in a February 2007 press conference. Specifically, Gen. Pace questioned the existence of direct evidence linking the Iranian Government to the supply of the weapons, explosively-formed penetrators.[8]
In a March 12, 2007 discussion with editors of the Chicago Tribune, Gen. Pace said, "I believe homosexual acts between two individuals are immoral and that [the U.S. military] should not condone immoral acts...I do not believe the United States is well served by a policy that says it is okay to be immoral in any way...As an individual, I would not want [acceptance of gay behavior] to be our policy." In the same discussion, however, Pace also said that he supports the "don't ask, don't tell" policy of The Pentagon, in which gay men and women are allowed in the military as long as they keep their sexual orientation private.[9] On March 13, 2007, Pace released a statement reading, "In expressing my support for the current policy, I also offered some personal opinions about moral conduct. I should have focused more on my support of the policy and less on my personal moral views."[10]
[edit] Retirement
On June 8, 2007, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced that he would advise the President not to renominate General Pace because of concerns about contentious confirmation hearings in the Democratic-controlled Congress. The President nominated the former Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Mullen to replace Pace.[1][11][12] On October 1, 2007, General Pace officially retired at Fort Myer, Virginia.[13] After the ceremony, Pace left to visit the Vietnam Memorial Wall. There, he left a handwritten note dated for that day, along with his four-star General insignia:
"For Guido Farinaro USMC These are yours — not mine! With love and respect, your platoon leader, Pete Pace."
On October 1, 2007, the editors of the National Review encouraged Virginia voters to draft Pace to run for the Senate seat that will be vacated by retiring Senator John Warner. The magazine cited Pace's conservative Catholic beliefs, and opined that Virginia should do as "National Review" recommended.[14]On October 2, 2007, the Wall Street Journal's Political Diary ran a piece about Virginia Republicans attempting to persuade Gen. Pace to run for the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. John Warner in 2008.[citation needed]
[edit] Dates of rank
- Second Lieutenant: 1967 – 1969
- First Lieutenant: 1969 – April 1971
- Captain: April 1971 – November 1977
- Major: November 1977 – October 1982
- Lieutenant Colonel: October 1982 – October 1988
- Colonel: October 1988 – April 6, 1992
- Brigadier General: April 6, 1992 – June 21, 1994
- Major General: June 21, 1994 – August 5, 1996
- Lieutenant General: August 5, 1996 – September 8, 2000
- General: September 8, 2000
[edit] Awards and decorations
[edit] Military and foreign awards
Gen. Pace's personal decorations include:[15]
Military badges include:
- Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
- Parachutist Badge
- Expert Rifle Shot Badge
- Expert Pistol Shot Badge
Foreign decorations include:
- Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with Palm
- Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation with Palm
- United Nations Medal with bronze service star
- Vietnam Campaign Medal with 1960 date bar
- Korea: Order of National Security Merit Tongil Medal[16]
- Japan: Grand Cordon, Order of the Rising Sun, 1st Class[17]
- Japan: Order of the Sacred Treasures
- Canada: Meritorious Service Cross (Military Division)[18]
- Colombia: Order of the Cross of Boyaca (Orden de Cruz de Boyacá)[19]
[edit] Non-military awards
- In October 2004, the JCS Vice Chairman recevied the Keeper of the Flame Award by the Center for Security Policy.[20]
- In October 2005, General Pace accepted the National Italian American Foundation’s (NIAF) Special Achievement Award for Military Service.[21]
- General Pace was awarded the 2005 Henry M. Jackson Distinguished Service Award from the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA).[22]
- During the 2006 Congressional Medal of Honor Society meeting, Gen. Pace was awarded the Society's Patriot Award, which is presented annually to a "distinguished American who has exemplified the ideals that make this country strong. Their dedication to freedom, their love for fellow man, their allegiance to our flag and a full understanding of its demands, accepted without reservation".[23]
- In April 2006, the John Carroll Society honored him with the John Carroll Medal.[24]
- In October 2006, Georgetown University honors General Pace with its President's Medal.[25]
- General Pace received the Global Service Award from the World Affairs Council.[26]
[edit] Quotations
- "The violence in Iraq will only subside once Iraqis begin loving their children more than they hate their enemy." --Testimony before Senate Armed Services Committee on 03 August 2006.[1] Note that this is a rephrased version of a quote usually attributed to Golda Meir, referring to the wars between Israel and the Arab countries - "Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us".
- On the leadership of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld: "He leads in a way that the good Lord tells him is best for our country".[27][28]
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b "Gen. Pace to Step Down as Chairman of Joint Chiefs", NPR, June 8, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-06-08.
- ^ The White House (June 28, 2007). "President Bush Nominates Admiral Michael Mullen and General James Cartwright to Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff". Press release.
- ^ Jon Ward (2007-03-14), “Pace clarifies gay comment as his 'personal moral views'”, The Washington Times, <http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20070314-121537-6699r.htm>. Retrieved on 2007-06-18
- ^ Office of the Press Secretary, The White House (April 22, 2005). "President Nominates General Pace as Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-03-12.
- ^ Hearing Schedule. United States Senate Committee on Armed Services (June 29, 2005).
- ^ Dana Milbank. "Rumsfeld's War On 'Insurgents'", November 30, 2005, pp. Page A18.
- ^ News Transcript:News Briefing with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Gen. Peter Pace. DefenseLink News. U.S. Department of Defense (November 29, 2005). Retrieved on 2007-05-28.
- ^ "Top general casts doubt on Tehran's link to Iraq militias", CNN, February 14, 2007.
- ^ Aamer Madhani. "Top general calls homosexuality 'immoral'", Chicago Tribune, March 12, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-03-12.
- ^ Peter Pace. "A Statement From Gen. Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff", U.S. Department of Defense, March 13, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-03-13.
- ^ James, Frank. "Gen. Pace out as Joint Chiefs chairman", Chicago Tribune, June 8, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-06-08.
- ^ "Pace Ousted as Joint Chiefs Chairman in Bid to Avert Senate Battle", Congressional Quarterly, June 8, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-06-08.
- ^ Farewell to the Chairman, Marine General Peter Pace. DefenseLINK. U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved on 2007-10-02.
- ^ The Editors (October 1, 2007). Draft General Pace. National Review. Retrieved on 2007-10-02.
- ^ Joint Chiefs of Staff Bio.
- ^ http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=47067 Pace Receives South Korean Award, Thanks U.S. Servicemembers, Aug 16, 2007
- ^ http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=47099 Pace Receives Japanese Emperor’s Rising Sun Award, Aug 18, 2007
- ^ http://gg.ca/media/doc.asp?lang=e&DocID=5167 General Peter Pace awarded the Meritorious Service Cross (Military Division), Sep 6, 2007
- ^ http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking_dade/story/237948.html Gen. Pace pops by Southcom to say goodbye. Miami Herald.
- ^ Former Award Recipient Passes Flame to New Keeper. DefenseLink News. Retrieved on 2007-09-15.
- ^ Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Industry Titans Honored at NIAF Gala at Nation's Capital. National Itialian American Foundation. Retrieved on 2007-09-15.
- ^ Top Military Officer Accepts Award ‘On Behalf of the 2.4 Million Americans Who Serve This Nation’. Jewish Institute of National Security Affairs. Retrieved on 2007-09-15.
- ^ Congressional Medal of Honor Society Awards, 2006 Boston Convention. Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
- ^ Szczepanowski, Richard (April 28, 2006). Chairman of the Joint Chiefs tells Carroll Society how he depends on God. Catholic Standard. Retrieved on 2008-01-09.
- ^ Garamone, Jim. Georgetown University Honors Joint Chiefs Chairman. DefenseLink News. Retrieved on 2007-09-15.
- ^ "Gen. Peter Pace Accepts Global Service Award", NewsMax.com, April 5, 2006. Retrieved on 2008-01-09.
- ^ Yahoo News, October 19, 2006.
- ^ "Top General: Rumsfeld 'Leads In A Way That The Good Lord Tells Him'", Free Williamsburg, October 20, 2006. Retrieved on 2007-05-28.
[edit] References
- This article incorporates text in the public domain from the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
- Biography General Peter Pace. Joint Chiefs of Staff (2007-10-01).
[edit] External links
- Farewell to the Chairman — Marine Gen. Peter Pace. U.S. Department of Defense.
- "US general defends phosphorus use", BBC News, November 30, 2005. Peter Pace's statement concerning the use of White phosphorus in Iraq.
- General Pace's Current Corporate Bio and Position at SM&A
| Preceded by Richard Myers |
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 2001-2005 |
Succeeded by Edmund Giambastiani |
| Preceded by Richard Myers |
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 2005–2007 |
Succeeded by Michael Mullen |
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