In Black America Podcast: Major General Dana J. H. Pittard
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On this edition of In Black America, producer/host John L. Hanson Jr. speaks with Major General Dana J.H. Pittard, Commanding General of the 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss, Texas. On July 9th, 2010 he assumed that command. He is the only African American to command a combat division.
Pittard prior assignments include serving as the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7 United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) at Fort Monroe, Virginia. Commanding General, National Training Center and Fort Irwin; Commanding General of the Iraqi Assistance Group during OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM; Assistant Division Commander (Maneuver) of the 24th Infantry Division; Commander of 3d Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division and Deputy Commander for Maneuver, Multi-National Brigade (East) during OPERATION JOINT GUARDIAN, Kosovo and later during OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM; and Commander, 1st Battalion, 32d Armor and later 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, both as part of the 3d Brigade Combat Team, 2d Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, Washington. He also commanded three units at the company level, including a combat deployment during OPERATION DESERT STORM, Iraq. His previous staff assignments include Chief of Plans and Exercises for 2d Armored Division and S-3 (Operations) for both 1st Battalion, 67th Armor and 2d Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, all at Fort Hood, Texas. Also he served as the Military Aide to President Bill Clinton From November 1996 until January 1999.
Pittard was commissioned as a second lieutenant from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1981, with a Bachelor of Science degree in History. He later earned a Master’s Degree from the School for Advanced Military Studies at the United States Army Command and General Staff College. Also he attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University as a Senior Service College Fellow.
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