Walter L. Sharp
{{short description|US Army general}}
{{for|persons of a similar name|Walter Sharp (disambiguation)}}
{{BLP sources|date=January 2010}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}{{Use American English|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Walter L. Sharp
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|9|27|df=y}}
| death_date =
| birth_place = Morgantown, West Virginia
| death_place =
| placeofburial =
| placeofburial_label = Place of burial
| image = Walter L Sharp Official Portrait.jpg
| nickname = Skip
| allegiance = {{flag|United States of America}}
| branch = {{army|USA}}
| serviceyears = 1974–2011
| commands = United Nations Command
ROK-US Combined Forces Command
U.S. Forces Korea
3rd Infantry Division
2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment
| unit =
| battles = Operation Desert Shield
Operation Desert Storm
Operation Southern Watch
Operation Uphold Democracy
| awards = Defense Distinguished Service Medal (2)
Distinguished Service Medal (2)
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star
| laterwork =
}}
Walter Lawrence "Skip" Sharp{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FqspAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Sharp%22+%2227SEp52%22+Register+of+Graduates+and+Former+Cadets|title = Register of Graduates and Former Cadets, United States Military Academy|year = 1986}} (born 27 September 1952),{{cite book|title=Nominations Before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Second Session, 110th Congress: Hearings Before the Committee on Armed Services, U. S. Senate|author=Levin, C.|date=2010|publisher=DIANE Publishing Company|isbn=9781437914238|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Gd8KELR9zpcC|page=446|accessdate=2015-05-12}}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} is a retired United States Army four-star general, who last served as the Commander, United Nations Command, Commander, ROK-US Combined Forces Command and Commander, U.S. Forces Korea from June 2008 to July 2011. He previously served as the Director of the Joint Staff from 2005 to June 2008. Sharp retired from the Army in July 2011.
Biography
General Sharp was born in Morgantown, West Virginia while his father was fighting in the Korean War. As a child he moved among many cavalry posts until he went to the United States Military Academy in 1970. General Sharp graduated from West Point in 1974 and was commissioned an Armor officer. In his class were three other future four-star generals, David Petraeus, Martin Dempsey and Keith B. Alexander. He has earned a Master of Science degree in Operations Research and System Analysis from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; and is a graduate of the Armor Basic Course, the Field Artillery Advanced Course, the Command and General Staff College, and the Army War College.
General Sharp’s command positions include Armor Company Commander with 1st Battalion, 67th Armor, 2nd Armored Division, Fort Hood, Texas; Squadron Commander 1st Squadron, 7th U.S. Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood Texas; Regimental Commander 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Polk, Louisiana; Assistant Division Commander for Maneuver 2nd Infantry Division, Camp Red Cloud, South Korea; and Division Commander, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia. He commanded troops in Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti, and SFOR’s Multinational Division (North) in Bosnia.
General Sharp has served in the Directorate of Combat Developments at Fort Knox, Kentucky, the Armor/Anti-Armor Special Task Force, and the Armored System Modernization Office at the Pentagon. He has had four assignments at the Pentagon on the Joint Staff. He was the Deputy Director, J5 for Western Hemisphere/Global Transnational Issues; the Vice Director, J8 for Force Structure, Resources, and Assessment; the Director for Strategic Plans and Policy, J5; and the Director of the Joint Staff.
General Sharp is married to the former Joanne R. Caporaso of Brooklyn, New York and they have three children.
Decorations, medals and badges
| align=center | 80px |
| align=center | 90px |
| align=center | 90px |
| align=center | 70px |
| align=center | 70px |
| {{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Defense Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}
|Defense Distinguished Service Medal (with one bronze Oak Leaf Cluster) |
| {{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}
|Army Distinguished Service Medal (with one bronze Oak Leaf Cluster) |
| {{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=US Defense Superior Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}
|Defense Superior Service Medal (with one bronze Oak Leaf Cluster) |
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Legion of Merit ribbon.svg|width=60}} |
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Bronze Star ribbon.svg|width=60}} |
| {{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}
|Meritorious Service Medal (with one Oak Leaf Cluster) |
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Army Commendation Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}} |
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Army Achievement Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}} |
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=United States Army and U.S. Air Force Presidential Unit Citation ribbon.svg|width=60}} |
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Joint Meritorious Unit Award ribbon.svg|width=60}} |
| {{ribbon devices|number=2|type=service-star|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}
|National Defense Service Medal (with two bronze Service Stars) |
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}} |
| {{ribbon devices|number=2|type=service-star|ribbon=Southwest Asia Service Medal ribbon (1991-2016).svg|width=60}}
|Southwest Asia Service Medal (with 2 Service Stars) |
| 60px |
| 60px |
| 60px |
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Army Overseas Service Ribbon.svg|width=60}}12px
|Army Overseas Service Ribbon with bronze award numeral 2 |
| {{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=United Nations Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}
|United Nations Medal with one service star |
| 60px |
| 60px
|Order of National Security Merit, Tong-il Medal (Republic of Korea) |
| 60px
|Order of National Security Merit, Cheon-su Medal (Republic of Korea) |
| 60px |
| 60px |
See also
{{Portal|Biography}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commonscat-inline}}
- [http://www.doingoralhistory.org/project_archive/2004/Papers/PDFs/m_wallace.pdf Oral history (2004)]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090211161628/http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-02-09-voa9.cfm Commander of US Forces in S. Korea Warns North to 'Act Responsibly']
- {{C-SPAN|29596}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=Burwell B. Bell III}}
{{s-ttl|title=Commander of United Nations Command
Commander of United States Forces Korea
Commander of ROK/US Combined Forces Command|years=2008–2011}}
{{s-aft|after=James D. Thurman}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharp, Walter}}
Category:United States Army generals
Category:United States Military Academy alumni
Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)
Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit
Category:United States Army personnel of the Gulf War
Category:Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute alumni
Category:United States Army War College alumni
Category:Military personnel from Morgantown, West Virginia
Category:Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal
Category:Recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal