Lieutenant General John B. Sylvester's last duty position was Chief of Staff, Headquarters, United States European Command, Stuttgart, Germany. He assumed that duty on November 4, 2002 and relinquished it on August 2, 2004. He retired on October 1, 2004 after more than 36 years of active service. He is now a business leader in Alexandria, Virginia.
Lieutenant General Sylvester began his service as a private soldier and was commissioned from Infantry OCS as an Armor officer in 1968. His military education includes the Armor Officer Basic Course, the Field Artillery Officer Advanced Course, the Army Command and General Staff College, and the Army War College. He holds a Master of Science degree in Education from Long Island University and a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University. His military service includes small unit leadership in Vietnam, four different Company level Commands, Battalion Command on the Inter-German border during the Cold War, Brigade Command during Operations DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM, three tours as a general officer in Bosnia culminating in US and NATO Command of over 35,000 troops from 37 Nations, five tours in Germany and the Netherlands, and a wide variety of troop and staff assignments in the United States.
His service with soldiers includes: Platoon Leader and later Commander, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 13th Armor; Platoon Leader, and later Squadron Motor Officer, 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Vietnam; Commander, C Company, 5th Battalion, 33rd Armor; Commander, Troop I, 17th Cavalry; Platoon Leader, Air Cavalry Troop and later Commander, E Troop, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment; G3 Operations, Allied Forces Central Europe Reserve Corps; S3, 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division; Commander, 1st Battalion, 68th Armor, 8th Infantry Division; Commander, Tiger Brigade, 2nd Armored Division, Operations DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM; Commander, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division; Assistant Division Commander (Support and then Maneuver), 1st Infantry Division; and Commander, Stabilization Force (SFOR), Operation JOINT FORGE, Bosnia- Herzegovina.
His staff assignments include: Senior Maneuver Instructor, United States Army Field Artillery School; Instructor, Department of Military Instruction, United States Military Academy at West Point; Special Assistant to the Commanding General and Chief of Staff, 8th Infantry Division; Director, Unit Training, United States Army Training and Doctrine Command; Director, Command and Staff Department and later Chief of Staff, United States Army Armor School; Director of Center for Army Tactics, United States Army Command and General Staff College; Deputy Chief of Staff, G-2/G-3 (Operations), Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps, Germany and Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR, Bosnia; Director of Operations, Allied Forces Central Europe, The Netherlands; Assistant Chief of Staff for Military Operations SFOR (Sarajevo), Operation JOINT GUARD, Bosnia; Deputy Chief of Staff for Training, United States Army Training and Doctrine Command; Chief of Staff, United States Army Training and Doctrine Command and Chief of Staff, United States European Command.
Lieutenant General Sylvester's awards include: four Defense Distinguished Service Medals; two Army Distinguished Service Medals, the Silver Star; three awards of the Legion of Merit; the Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device; the Bronze Star Medal; four awards of the Meritorious Service Medal; four awards of the Army Commendation Medal; the Army Achievement Medal; the Army Aviator Badge; the National Order of Merit of France and the Gold Order of Service to the Hungarian Republic.
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