Donald L. Rutherford

{{for|persons of a similar name|Donald Rutherford (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox military person

| honorific_prefix = Very Reverend

| name = Donald L. Rutherford

| image = DonaldLRutherford.jpg

| caption = Major General Donald L. Rutherford
23rd Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=y|1955|8|4}}

| death_date =

| placeofburial_label =

| placeofburial =

| birth_place = Kinderhook, New York

| death_place =

| placeofburial_coordinates =

| nickname =

| allegiance = {{flag|United States}}

| branch = 20px United States Army

| serviceyears = 1977–2015

| rank = 30px Major General

| unit =

| commands = U.S. Army Chaplain Corps

| battles = Gulf War
War on Terror
Iraq War

| awards = 30px Army Distinguished Service Medal
30px Legion of Merit (3)
30px Bronze Star Medal
30px Meritorious Service Medal (5)

| relations =

| laterwork =

| module = {{Infobox Christian leader

| embed = yes

| church = Catholic (Latin Church)

| rank =

| ordination = 1981 (priesthood)

| ordained_by =

}}

Donald L. Rutherford (born August 4, 1955) is an American Army officer and a Roman Catholic priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany who served as the 23rd Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army.

Biography

Rutherford attended the State University of New York, where he was a member of the ROTC program. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Sociology. After receiving a delay of duty so that he could enter priestly formation at Saint Bernard's Seminary, Rutherford was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Albany in 1981. After ordination, he served in the United States Army Reserves as chaplain to the 364th General Hospital. He entered active duty in 1990.{{cite web |title=Biography of Chaplain (Major General) Donald L. Rutherford |url=https://api.army.mil/e2/c/downloads/218403.pdf |publisher=United States Army |access-date=26 September 2024}}

Rutherford served in Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Hurricane Andrew Relief, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He served as chaplain to United States Army Europe and the 7th Army, Camp Victory, XVIII Airborne Corps, the 3rd Infantry Division, and the 82nd Airborne Division.

On February 18, 2011, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced that Rutherford was nominated for promotion to major general and assignment of Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army.{{cite web |url=https://www.army.mil/article/52149/deputy-chief-of-chaplains-nominated-for-second-star/ |title= Deputy Chief of Chaplains nominated for second star |author= Carleton Birch, OCCH |date= February 18, 2011 |work= www.army.mil |publisher= United States Army |access-date= February 28, 2011}} He assumed this role on July 7, 2011.{{cite web |url=https://www.army.mil/article/62164/Rutherford_assumes_role_as_chief_of_Army_chaplains/ |title= Rutherford assumes role as chief of Army chaplains |author= Chelsea Place, Pentagram Newspaper |date= July 22, 2011 |work= www.army.mil |publisher= United States Army |access-date= July 25, 2011}} He was succeeded by Paul K. Hurley on May 22, 2015.{{cite web |url=https://www.army.mil/article/149477/Hurley_installed_as_new_Army_chief_of_chaplains__pins_on_two_stars/ |title= Hurley installed as new Army chief of chaplains, pins on two stars |author= Julia LeDoux, Pentagram Staff Writer |date= May 28, 2015 |work= www.army.mil |publisher= United States Army |access-date= June 24, 2015}}

He currently serves as the Vicar for Clergy for the Diocese of Albany.{{cite web |title=Vicar for the Clergy |url=https://www.rcda.org/offices/vicar-clergy |website=Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240906215105/https://www.rcda.org/offices/vicar-clergy |archive-date= Sep 6, 2024}}

Awards and decorations

Rutherford's awards and decorations include:

100px

|Combat Action Badge

80px

|Basic Parachutist Badge

80px

|Army Staff Identification Badge

60px

|82nd Airborne Division Combat Service Identification Badge

50px

|U.S. Army Chaplain Corps Distinctive Unit Insignia

50px

|4 Overseas Service Bars

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Army Distinguished Service Medal

{{ribbon devices|number=2|type=oak|ribbon=Legion of Merit ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Legion of Merit (with two bronze oak leaf clusters)

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Bronze Star ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Bronze Star

{{ribbon devices|number=4|type=oak|ribbon=Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Meritorious Service Medal (with four bronze oak leaf clusters)

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Army Commendation Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Army Commendation Medal

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Army Achievement Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Army Achievement Medal

{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=United States Army and U.S. Air Force Presidential Unit Citation ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Army Presidential Unit Citation

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Joint Meritorious Unit Award ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Joint Meritorious Unit Award

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Valorous Unit Award ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Valorous Unit Award

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Army_Reserve_Achievement_ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal

{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|National Defense Service Medal (with one bronze service star)

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

{{ribbon devices|number=2|type=service-star|ribbon=Southwest Asia Service Medal ribbon (1991-2016).svg|width=60}}

|Southwest Asia Service Medal (with two bronze service stars)

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Iraq Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Iraq Campaign Medal

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Global War on Terrorism Service ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Humanitarian Service ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Humanitarian Service Medal

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=ResMedRib.svg|width=60}}

|Armed Forces Reserve Medal

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Army Service Ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Army Service Ribbon

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Army Overseas Service Ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Overseas Service Ribbon

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20120314041540/http://usarmy.vo.llnwd.net/e2/c/images/2011/07/08/212145/original.jpg U.S. Army biography]
{{C-SPAN|65893}}

{{succession box

|after = Charles R. Bailey

|title = Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army

|before = Douglas L. Carver

|years = 2008–2011}}

{{succession box

|after = Paul K. Hurley

|title = Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army

|before = Douglas L. Carver

|years = 2011–2015}}

Category:1955 births

Category:Living people