Carter Ham

{{short description|US Army General}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}{{use American English||date=February 2014}}

{{Infobox military person

| name = Carter Ham

| image = GEN Carter F.Ham 2011.jpg{{!}}border

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption = Official portrait, 2011

| nickname =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|02|16|df=y}}

| birth_place = Portland, Oregon, United States{{cite web|url=http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-111shrg65070/pdf/CHRG-111shrg65070.pdf|title=S.Hrg 111-896 Nominations before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Second Session, 111th Congress|date=November 18, 2010}}

| death_date =

| death_place =

| placeofburial =

| allegiance = United States

| branch = United States Army

| serviceyears = 1973–2013

| rank = General

| commands = United States Africa Command
United States Army Europe
1st Infantry Division

| battles = Gulf War

Iraq War

First Libyan Civil War

| awards = {{nowrap|Army Distinguished Service Medal (2)}}
Defense Superior Service Medal (4)
Legion of Merit (2)
Bronze Star Medal

| relations =

| laterwork =

}}

Carter Frederick Ham{{cite web |url=https://collected.jcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1062&context=commencementprograms |title=Commencement |date=May 30, 1976 |publisher=John Carroll University |access-date=November 22, 2020}} (born 16 February 1952) is a retired United States Army General Officer who served as the second commander of United States Africa Command.[http://bigstory.ap.org/article/seasoned-combat-leader-takes-over-africa-command Seasoned combat leader takes over Africa Command] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219101940/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/seasoned-combat-leader-takes-over-africa-command |date=February 19, 2015 }} As commander of Africa Command, he led Operation Odyssey Dawn, the initial United States role in the 2011 military intervention in Libya.

Ham served as the commanding general of the United States Army Europe and Seventh Army from 28 August 2008 to 8 March 2011. Prior to that, he served as Director for Operations (J-3) at the Joint Staff from August 2007 to August 2008 and the commanding general, 1st Infantry Division from August 2006 to August 2007, and was the commander of Operation Able Sentry in Macedonia in the mid-1990s, during the Yugoslav wars.

Post-retirement, Ham served as president and CEO of the Association of the United States Army from July 2016 to September 2021.{{cite web|url=https://www.ausa.org/executive-leadership|title=AUSA - Executive Leadership|access-date=2021-06-14|website=Association of the United States Army|date=December 16, 2015}}

Early life and education

Ham was born on 16 February 1952, in Portland, Oregon. He attended high school at Charles F. Brush High School in Lyndhurst, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. He received the rank of Eagle Scout as a youth in 1965. Ham is a 1976 Distinguished Military Graduate of John Carroll University in the Cleveland suburb of University Heights, Ohio. During his military career, he achieved a Masters of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College, in Newport, Rhode Island.[https://www.ausa.org/sites/default/files/2018-air-and-missile-hot-topic-speaker-bios-02-28.PDF 2018 Air and Missile Hot Topic Speaker Bios] In 2012, his final full year as a U.S. Army officer, the Boy Scouts of America bestowed upon him the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award.

Military career

File:Lt. Col. Carter Ham, Admiral William Owens, Able Sentry, Macedonia, 1995.png, Macedonia, speaking to Admiral William Owens in 1995]]

File:Carter F. Ham 2005.jpg in October 2005]]

File:Carter F. Ham MG.jpg

File:GEN Ham oath of office on August 28, 2008.jpg in August 2008]]

Ham enlisted in the United States Army in 1973 and served as an infantryman in the 82nd Airborne Division before being accepted in the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (Army ROTC) while attending John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio. An ROTC Distinguished Military Graduate, Ham was commissioned as an infantry officer in 1976. He later received his master's degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, as well as graduating from several military schools including the Infantry Officer Basic Course, the Armor Officer Advanced Course, the Naval War College's College of Naval Command and Staff, and the Air War College. He is a member of the John Carroll University ROTC Hall of Fame. He and his wife, Christi, are both John Carroll University graduates.

Ham's early assignments included service at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and tours of duty in Italy and Germany. After graduating from the Armor Officer Advanced Course, he was a Recruiting Area Commander in Lima, Ohio. In 1984, he served with a joint service unit in support of the Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

From 1984 until 1989, Ham served as Assistant Inspector General, then as Battalion Operations Officer (S-3) and Executive Officer with the Opposing Force (OPFOR) at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California. He attended the College of Naval Command and Staff, graduating with distinction in 1990, and was then assigned to the U.S. Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Ham served a tour as an advisor with a Saudi Arabian National Guard Brigade in Riyadh as part of OPM-SANG then returned to Fort Benning, where he was the executive officer for the Infantry School. Ham commanded the 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry in Vilseck, Germany including a six-month tour with the United Nations Protection Forces in the Republic of Macedonia. Following battalion command, he was the Senior Observer/Controller of the Timberwolf Team at the Combat Maneuver Training Center, Hohenfels, Germany.

Ham graduated from the Air War College in 1997 then returned to Germany, where he served as Operations Officer (G-3), then Chief of Staff, 1st Infantry Division. From 1999 to 2001 he commanded the 29th Infantry Regiment at Fort Benning, then served as deputy director for Resources and Analysis (J-8) for United States Central Command at MacDill AFB in Tampa, Florida and in Doha, Qatar, during which time he was selected for promotion to brigadier general. Ham was assigned as the deputy commanding general for training and readiness, I Corps at Fort Lewis, Washington in August 2003. In January 2004, he assumed command of Multinational Brigade (Task Force Olympia) – North in Mosul, Iraq serving there until February 2005. During his time in Iraq, Ham suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, which was caused by his attending the aftermath of a deadly suicide bombing at a mess hall. He later sought treatment for his condition and publicly encouraged other soldiers to do the same.{{cite web|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/military/2008-11-24-general_N.htm |work=USA Today |date=November 25, 2008 |title=General's story puts focus on stress stemming from combat |last=Brook |first=Tom Vanden |publisher=Gannett Co., Inc. |access-date=February 7, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140207212738/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/military/2008-11-24-general_N.htm |archive-date=February 7, 2014 }}

Returning from Iraq, Ham served as the deputy director for regional operations, J-3, on The Joint Staff. Ham assumed command of the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas, in August 2006 and served as the commanding general until July 2007, returning to The Joint Staff as director for operations, J-3. On 28 August 2008, Ham became the 34th Commanding General of the United States Army Europe headquartered at Campbell Barracks, Heidelberg, Germany. In 2010, Ham served as co-chair for the comprehensive review of issues associated with the repeal of the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy.{{Cite web|date=7 November 2013|title=General (Retired) Carter F. Ham|publisher=Response Systems to Adult Sexual Assault Crimes Panel (RSP), United States Department of Defense|url=http://responsesystemspanel.whs.mil/index.php/about/sub-committees/role-cdr/gen-r-ham|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140312212037/http://responsesystemspanel.whs.mil/index.php/about/sub-committees/role-cdr/gen-r-ham|archive-date=March 12, 2014|url-status=dead|access-date=March 12, 2014|df=mdy-all}}

The United States Senate, confirmed Ham's nomination to become the next Commanding General of United States Africa Command, headquartered at Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany, in November 2010.{{Cite web|title=General Carter F. Ham: Commanding General, U.S. Army Europe (biography)|date=February 2011|publisher=U.S. Army Europe|url=http://www.hqusareur.army.mil/Biographies/Biography-HamCarterF_2008-08.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120106072044/http://www.hqusareur.army.mil/Biographies/Biography-HamCarterF_2008-08.pdf|archive-date=January 6, 2012 |url-status=dead}} He assumed the post on 8 March 2011.

Ham was in command of United States forces enforcing the Libyan no-fly zone, along with Admiral Samuel J. Locklear.{{Citation needed|date=March 2011}} Described as "in charge of the coalition effort", Ham on 21 March 2011, said, "there would be coalition airstrikes on Colonel Qaddafi's mobile air defenses and that some 80 sorties – only half of them by the United States – had been flown on Monday."Bumiller, Elisabeth, and Kareem Fahim, [https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/22/world/africa/22libya.html?pagewanted=1&hp "U.S.-Led Assault Nears Goal in Libya"], The New York Times, March 21, 2011 (March 22, 2011 p. A1 NY ed.). Earlier web version titled: "Qaddafi Forces Hold Strategic Town as Allied Attacks Continue." Retrieved 2011-03-21. Admiral Locklear, aboard the flagship Mount Whitney, had tactical command of the Operation Odyssey Dawn joint taskforce.MacAskill, Ewen, and Nick Hopkins, [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/mar/21/libyan-operation-hampered-confusion-dispute “Libyan operation hampered by confusion and dispute: Lack of resolution over who will take control of military operation tests patience of US”], The Guardian 21 March 2011 18.59 GMT. Retrieved 2011-03-21. Ham also said he had "full authority to attack the regime's forces if they refused to comply with President Barack Obama's demands that they pull back from Ajdabiya, Misrata and Zawiya," according to one report.{{who|date=September 2015}} Earlier, he said that the United States was not working with the Libyan rebels. "Our mission is not to support any opposition forces," Ham said by video feed to the Pentagon from his headquarters in Stuttgart.

Ham was in overall command of military forces when the 11 September 2012, terrorist attacks were launched on the American consulate and CIA annex in Benghazi, Libya. According to his June 2013 Congressional testimony, Ham chose not to deploy close air support during the attack, based on a lack of situational awareness about the circumstances on the ground. He denied the allegation by some Republicans that President Barack Obama or others in Obama's administration had ordered him to "stand down" a planned rescue mission that was ready to deploy.

After a 24-month tour of duty{{Cite news|author=Scarborough, Rowan|title=Head of Africa Command not forced out|date=7 November 2012|newspaper=The Washington Times|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/nov/7/head-of-africa-command-not-forced-out/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108120808/http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/nov/7/head-of-africa-command-not-forced-out/|archive-date=November 8, 2012 |url-status=live}} as Commander Africa Command, Ham was succeeded by General David M. Rodriguez.{{Cite web|title=General Carter F. Ham, Former Commander (March 2011 – April 2013)|date=24 July 2013|publisher=U.S. Africa Command|url=http://www.africom.mil/about-the-command/past-leaders/general-carter-f-ham|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130901010830/http://www.africom.mil/about-the-command/past-leaders/general-carter-f-ham|archive-date=September 1, 2013|url-status=dead|access-date=March 12, 2014|df=mdy-all}} General Ham retired in June 2013.

=Views=

Ham was quoted in an online Washington Post article by Greg Miller and Craig Whitlock, posted on 1 October 2012, that, as saying, that, as a result of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb's overtaking and capturing more territory in Mali in Africa, and possessing arms from Libya after the Libyan Civil War which overthrew Muammar Gaddafi, there is the possibility of the U.S. assisting, but not leading, counterterrorism operations done by other countries. A more radical step would be the use of drones.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/white-house-secret-meetings-examine-al-qaeda-threat-in-north-africa/2012/10/01/f485b9d2-0bdc-11e2-bd1a-b868e65d57eb_story.html?hpid=z1|newspaper=The Washington Post|title=White House secret meetings examine al-Qaeda threat in North Africa|date=October 1, 2012|last1=Miller|first1=Greg|last2=Whitlock|first2=Craig|authorlink2=Craig Whitlock}}

While speaking in December 2012 at Chatham House, Ham said while he would not characterize the U.S.-China relationship in Africa as adversarial, the two countries had taken different approaches to the continent. The United States focused on investment in human capital while China focused on infrastructure development.{{cite web|title=General Ham at the Chatham House, London |url=http://www.africom.mil/Newsroom/Transcript/10110/transcript--general-ham-at-the-chatham-house-londo |publisher=Africom |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124090845/http://www.africom.mil/Newsroom/Transcript/10110/transcript--general-ham-at-the-chatham-house-londo |archive-date=January 24, 2013 |df=mdy }}

Post-retirement

In 2015, Ham was elected chairman of the National Commission on the Future of the Army, an eight-member panel tasked with making recommendations on the size, force structure and capabilities of the Army. The committee was disbanded soon after publishing its findings on 28 January 2016.{{cite web|author=Sfc. Jacob Boyer|url=https://www.usar.army.mil/News/News-Display/Article/622479/national-commission-on-the-future-of-the-army-visits-meade-to-discuss-reserve-c/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614133707/https://www.usar.army.mil/News/News-Display/Article/622479/national-commission-on-the-future-of-the-army-visits-meade-to-discuss-reserve-c/|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 June 2021|title=National Commission on the Future of the Army visits Meade to discuss reserve component issue|date=October 8, 2015|access-date=June 14, 2021|website=U.S. Army Reserve}}{{cite web|url=https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/R44366.html|title=National Commission on the Future of the Army (NCFA): Background and Issues for Congress|date=February 5, 2016|access-date=June 14, 2021}}

Ham became an executive vice president of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) in February 2016. He succeeded Gordon R. Sullivan as president and CEO of AUSA on 1 July 2016.{{cite web|url=https://www.ausa.org/news/carter-ham-joins-ausa-staff|title=RETIRED ARMY GENERAL CARTER F. HAM JOINS ASSOCIATION OF THE U.S. ARMY STAFF|date=2016-02-26|website=Association of the United States Army}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ausa.org/articles/ham-will-succeed-sullivan-ausa-president-and-ceo|title=HAM WILL SUCCEED SULLIVAN AS AUSA PRESIDENT AND CEO|date=2016-04-01|website=Association of the United States Army}} He relinquished the presidency to Robert Brooks Brown on 30 September 2021.{{cite web|url=https://www.ausa.org/news/brown-succeed-ham-ausa-president-and-ceo|title=BROWN TO SUCCEED HAM AS AUSA PRESIDENT AND CEO|date=2021-06-22|website=Association of the United States Army}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ausa.org/news/ham-retires-after-5-years-ausa-president-and-ceo|title=HAM RETIRES AFTER 5 YEARS AS AUSA PRESIDENT AND CEO|date=2021-10-01|website=Association of the United States Army}}

Dates of rank

class="wikitable" style="margin:auto; width:100%;"
Second lieutenant (O-1)*

!First lieutenant (O-2)*

!Captain (O-3)*

!Major (O-4)*

!Lieutenant colonel (O-5)*

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2 June 1976

!2 June 1978

!1 August 1980

!1 June 1987

!1 September 1992

class="wikitable" style="margin:auto; width:100%;"
Colonel (O-6)*

!Brigadier general (O-7)*

!Major general (O-8)*

!Lieutenant general (O-9*)

!General (O-10)*

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| style="text-align:center; width:16%;"| 60px

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1 April 1998

!1 October 2003

!1 February 2005

!1 August 2007

!1 August 2008

Note:
* The O-1, etc. designates the pay grade.

Major duty assignments

class="wikitable"
Training officer, II Reserve Officer Training Corps Region, 4th Basic Combat Training Brigade

| 1976

style="background:#efefef;"

| Section leader, Combat Support Company, 1st Battalion, 509th Infantry (Airborne Combat Team)

| 1977–1978

S-1 (Personnel), 2d Battalion, 22d Infantry, 4th Infantry Division

| 1978–1979

style="background:#efefef;"

| Commander, C Company, 2d Battalion, 22d Infantry, 8th Infantry Division

| 1979–1981

Student, Armor Officer Advanced Course

| 1981–1982

style="background:#efefef;"

| Lima area commander, Columbus District Recruiting Command

| 1982–1984

Detachment commander, Forward Military Support Element, 1984 Summer Olympics

| 1984

style="background:#efefef;"

| Assistant inspector general, National Training Center

| 1984–1986

S-3 (Air), 6th Battalion (Mechanized), 31st Infantry

| 1986–1987

style="background:#efefef;"

| Executive officer, 1st Battalion (Mechanized), 52d Infantry

| 1987–1989

Student, College of Naval Command and Staff, U.S. Naval War College

| 1989–1990

style="background:#efefef;"

| Executive officer, United States Army Infantry School

| 1990–1993

Commander, 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division

| 1993–1995

style="background:#efefef;"

| Senior task force observer/controller, Operations Group, Combat Maneuver Training Center

| 1995–1996

Student, United States Air Force Air War College

| 1996–1997

style="background:#efefef;"

| Chief of staff, 1st Infantry Division

| 1997–1999

Commander, Infantry Training Support Brigade, 29th Infantry Regiment

| 1999–2001

style="background:#efefef;"

| Deputy director, J-8, United States Central Command

| 2001–2003

Deputy commanding general for training and readiness, U.S. I Corps

| 2003–2004

Commander, MNB North (Task Force Olympia) (Mosul, Iraq)

| 2004–2005

style="background:#efefef;"

| Deputy director for regional operations, J-3, The Joint Staff

| 2005–2006

Commander, 1st Infantry Division

| 2006–2007

style="background:#efefef;"

| Director for operations (J-3), The Joint Staff

| 2007–2008

Commanding general, United States Army Europe and Seventh Army

| 2008–2011

style="background:#efefef;"

| Commander, United States Africa Command

| 2011–2013

Decorations and badges

{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|Army Distinguished Service Medal (with one bronze oak leaf cluster)

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=US_Defense_Superior_Service_Medal_ribbon.svg|width=106}}22px22px22px

|Defense Superior Service Medal (with three oak leaf clusters)

{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Legion of Merit ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|Legion of Merit (with oak leaf cluster)

{{ribbon devicesribbon=Bronze Star ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|Bronze Star Medal

{{ribbon devices|number=5|type=oak|ribbon=Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|Meritorious Service Medal (with silver oak leaf cluster)

{{ribbon devicesribbon=Joint Service Commendation ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|Joint Service Commendation Medal

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Army Commendation Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}22px22px

|Army Commendation Medal (with two oak leaf clusters)

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Army Achievement Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}22px22px

|Army Achievement Medal (with two oak leaf clusters)

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Joint Meritorious Unit Award ribbon.svg|width=106}}22px22px

|Joint Meritorious Unit Award (with two oak leaf clusters)

{{ribbon devicesribbon=Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|Meritorious Unit Commendation

{{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Army Superior Unit Award ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|Superior Unit Award (with oak leaf cluster)

{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}18px18px

|National Defense Service Medal (with two bronze service stars)

{{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=Southwest Asia Service Medal ribbon (1991-2016).svg|width=106}}

|Southwest Asia Service Medal (with service star)

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Iraq Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}18px18px

|Iraq Campaign Medal (with two service stars)

{{ribbon devicesribbon=Global War on Terrorism Service ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

{{ribbon devicesribbon=Armed Forces Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|Armed Forces Service Medal

{{ribbon devicesribbon=Army Service Ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|Army Service Ribbon

{{ribbon devicesribbon=Army Overseas Service Ribbon.svg|width=106}}18px

|Overseas Service Ribbon (with bronze award numeral 3)

{{ribbon devicesribbon=United Nations Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|United Nations Medal

106px

|NATO Medal for the former Yugoslavia

{{ribbon devicesribbon=POL Złoty Medal Wojska Polskiego BAR.svg|width=106}}

|Polish Army Medal in Gold[http://www.wp.mil.pl/pl/artykul/10780 Generał Carter F. Ham w Polsce] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110603122704/http://www.wp.mil.pl/pl/artykul/10780 |date=June 3, 2011 }} [http://www.wp.mil.pl/galeria/4172/zdjecie_4172_44704.jpg (photo)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927011335/http://www.wp.mil.pl/galeria/4172/zdjecie_4172_44704.jpg |date=September 27, 2011 }} – wp.mil.pl

{{ribbon devicesribbon=Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)

{{ribbon devicesribbon=Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

align=center | 90px

|Combat Action Badge

align=center | 110px

|Expert Infantryman Badge

align=center | 80px

|Basic Parachutist Badge (United States)

align=center | 70px

|Ranger Tab

align=center | 85px

|Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge

align=center | 75px

|United States Africa Command Badge

align=center | 80px

|I Corps Combat Service Identification Badge

align=center | 55px

|6th US Infantry Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia

align=center | 40px

|4 Overseas Service Bars.

References

{{Reflist}}