Joseph Osterman
{{Infobox military person
|name= Joseph Osterman
|image= Lt. Gen. Joseph L. Osterman(2).jpg
|image_size=
|alt=
|caption=
|nickname=
|birth_date= {{birth year and age|1960}}
|birth_place= Edgewater, Maryland, U.S.
|death_date=
|death_place=
|placeofburial=
|allegiance= United States
|branch= United States Marine Corps
|serviceyears= 1982–2020
|rank= Lieutenant General
|servicenumber=
|unit=
|commands= I Marine Expeditionary Force
Marine Corps Special Operations Command
Marine Corps Recruiting Command
25th Marine Regiment
1st Battalion, 3rd Marines
|battles= Gulf War
Somali Civil War
War in Afghanistan
Iraq War
|awards= Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal (2)
Legion of Merit (2)
Bronze Star Medal
|relations=
|laterwork=
}}
Joseph L. Osterman is a retired United States Marine lieutenant general who served as the commander of the I Marine Expeditionary Force.
Marine career
Osterman was commissioned in the United States Marine Corps as a second lieutenant through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps at the University of Colorado in 1982.{{cite web|url=https://www.imef.marines.mil/Leaders/I-MEF-Leaders/Article/873762/lt-gen-joseph-l-osterman/|website=imef.marines.mil|title=Lt. Gen. Joseph L. Osterman > I Marine Expeditionary Force > I MEF Leaders|access-date=2019-03-20}} He graduated from The Basic School and the Infantry Officers Course, then received assignment as rifle platoon commander and 81 mm mortar platoon commander with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines. He then served as executive officer of the Marine Detachment aboard {{USS|Kennedy|CV 67}}, then as commanding officer of the Marine Detachment aboard the {{USS|Forrestal}}. He served as an operations officer with the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines. As a lieutenant colonel, Osterman was the commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines and participated in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. This was followed by a joint tour as an instructor and as the chief of staff, NATO School, Oberammergau, Germany, where he was responsible for training support to some 54 nations. Following his promotion to colonel, Osterman assumed command of the 25th Marine Regiment in 2004 and deployed to Iraq as an adviser to the Iraqi army. In June 2006 Osterman became director of the Expeditionary Warfare School, which was followed in 2008 by assignment as assistant division commander, 2nd Marine Division.{{cite web|url=https://docs.house.gov/meetings/AS/AS26/20180322/108018/HHRG-115-AS26-Bio-OstermanJ-20180322.pdf|title=Lieutenant General Joseph L. Osterman|website=docs.house.gov/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003230253/https://docs.house.gov/meetings/AS/AS26/20180322/108018/HHRG-115-AS26-Bio-OstermanJ-20180322.pdf|access-date=2020-10-19|archive-date=2020-10-03}} In March 2010, he deployed to Afghanistan as commanding general, 1st Marine Division.
Osterman's joint assignments include the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command Deputy Chief of Staff of Operations, Afghanistan, and as Instructor and Chief of Staff at the NATO School, Oberammergau, Germany. As a brigadier general, Osterman served as commanding general of the Marine Corps Recruiting Command from 2011 to 2012. As a major general, Osterman assumed command of Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command in August 2014 to August 2016. Upon promotion to lieutenant general, Osterman served as Deputy Commander of the United States Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. Osterman's final assignment before retirement was Commanding General, I Marine Expeditionary Force from July 2018 to 31 July 2020.
Post-retirement
In June 2022, Osterman was among five senior Marine and Navy officers who were censured by Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro for failing to prevent the July 2020 AAV sinking incident that killed eight marines and one navy sailor.{{cite web|url=https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/Press-Releases/display-pressreleases/Article/3060755/secnav-issues-letters-of-censure/|title=SECNAV Issues Letters of Censure|date=2022-06-13|access-date=2022-06-15|location=Washington, D. C.|website=U.S. Navy}}{{cite web|last=Fuentes|first=Gidget|url=https://news.usni.org/2022/06/13/secnav-censures-retired-marine-general-navy-officers-over-2020-fatal-aav-sinking|title=SECNAV Censures Retired Marine General, Navy Officers Over 2020 Fatal AAV Sinking|date=2022-06-13|access-date=2022-06-15|website=USNI News}}
Awards and decorations
| style="width:100%;" |
| valign="top" |
{| class="wikitable" |
| style="background:#ccf; text-align:center;"
! colspan="2" | U.S. military decorations |
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Defense Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} |
| {{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=US Defense Superior Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} |
| {{ribbon devices|number=1|type=award-star|ribbon=Legion of Merit ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|Legion of Merit with gold award star |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Bronze Star ribbon.svg|width=106}} |
| {{ribbon devices|number=2|type=award-star|ribbon=Meritorious Service ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|Meritorious Service Medal with two gold award stars |
| {{ribbon devices|number=1|type=award-star|ribbon=Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|Navy Commendation Medal with gold award star |
| {{ribbon devices|number=1|type=award-star|ribbon=Navy_and_Marine_Corps_Achievement_Medal_ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|Navy Achievement Medal with gold award star |
| style="background:#ccf; text-align:center;"
| colspan=2 |U.S. unit awards |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=2|type=oak|ribbon=Joint Meritorious Unit Award (USMC and USN frame).svg|width=106}} |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=2|type=service-star|ribbon=Navy Unit Commendation ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|Navy Unit Commendation with two bronze campaign stars |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=3|type=service-star|ribbon=Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation with three bronze campaign stars |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Battle-e-ribbon.png|width=106}} |
| style="background:#ccf; text-align:center;"
| colspan=2 |U.S. service (campaign) medals and service and training ribbons |
| {{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|National Defense Service Medal with bronze service star |
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} |
| {{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=Southwest Asia Service Medal ribbon (1991–2016).svg|width=106}}
|Southwest Asia Service Medal with bronze service star |
| {{ribbon devices|number=2|type=service-star|ribbon=Afghanistan Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two bronze service stars |
| {{ribbon devices|number=2|type=service-star|ribbon=Iraq Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|Iraq Campaign Medal with two bronze service stars |
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Global War on Terrorism Service ribbon.svg|width=106}} |
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Humanitarian Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=7|type=service-star|ribbon=Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with seven bronze campaign stars |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon with bronze campaign stars |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Marine Corps Recruiting Ribbon.svg|width=106}} |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=NATO_Medal_ribbon_(Non-Article_5).svg|width=106}}
|NATO Medal for service with the International Security Assistance Force (Afghanistan) |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) ribbon.svg|width=106}} |
|valign="top" |
| class="wikitable" |
| style="background:#ccf; text-align:center;"
! colspan="2" | U.S. badges, patches and tabs |
| align=center | 120px
| align=center | Army Parachutist Badge |
| align=center | 100px
| align=center | Rifle Expert Badge |
| align=center | 100px
| align=center | Pistol Sharpshooter Badge |
| align=center | 75px |
|}
References
{{commonscat}}
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=Mark A. Clark}}
{{s-ttl|title=Commanding General of the United States Marine Forces Special Operations Command|years=2014–2016}}
{{s-aft|after=Carl E. Mundy III}}
{{s-bef|before=Sean A. Pybus}}
{{s-ttl|title=Deputy Commander of the United States Special Operations Command|years=2016–2018}}
{{s-aft|after=Timothy G. Szymanski}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Osterman, Joseph}}
Category:United States Marine Corps personnel of the Gulf War
Category:United States Marine Corps personnel of the Iraq War
Category:United States Marine Corps personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
Category:People from Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Category:Recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal