Commanding General, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command

General Stephen J. Townsend assumed duties as Commander, United States Army Training and Doctrine Command on March 2, 2018, after serving as Commander, XVIII Airborne Corps, the U.S. Army’s rapid deployment contingency corps, and Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Raised in an Army family, General Townsend calls Griffin, Georgia, his hometown. He commissioned into the Infantry upon graduating from North Georgia College in 1982.

General Townsend has led and commanded troops at every echelon from platoon to corps and combined joint task force. He has soldiered with four regiments, the 505th Parachute Infantry, the 21st Infantry, the 31st Infantry, and the 75th Ranger Regiment, and with five divisions, the 82d Airborne Division, the 7th Infantry Division (Light), the 10th Mountain Division (Light), the 2d Infantry Division, and the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).

His key staff assignments include service as a planner and operations officer at battalion, brigade, division and joint task force levels. At U.S. Pacific Command, he was the J-5 strategy and plans officer for China and later Special Assistant to the Commander. At U.S. Central Command, he was the Executive Officer to the Commander. On the Joint Staff, he was the Director of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Coordination Cell.

General Townsend’s combat and operational experience include Operation Urgent Fury, Grenada; Operation Just Cause, Panama; and Operation Uphold Democracy, Haiti. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, he led 3-2 Stryker Brigade, Task Force Arrowhead, on offensive operations across Iraq during “the Surge.” He served four tours in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom culminating as Commander, 10th Mountain Division (Light). Most recently, General Townsend led all U.S. and multi-national troops fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria as Commander, Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve.

General Townsend holds a bachelor’s degree, two master’s degrees, the Air Assault Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Ranger Tab, the Combat Action Badge and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge with star.