Information about Peter Pace

Peter Pace
born November 5, 1945
Place of birth	Brooklyn, New York
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	U.S. Marine Corps
Years of service	1967 - 2007
Rank	General
Commands	Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 2nd Battalion 1st Marines U.S. Southern Command
Battles/wars	Vietnam War
Awards	Defense Distinguished Service Medal w/3 oak leaf clusters Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal with "Valor V"

Peter Pace (born November 5, 1945 in Brooklyn, New York) was the 16th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the first Marine appointed to the United States' highest-ranking military office. Appointed by President George W. Bush, Pace succeeded U.S. Air Force General Richard Myers on September 30, 2005.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced on June 8, 2007, that he would advise the President not to renominate Pace for a second term. Pace stepped down as Chairman on October 1, 2007. He was replaced by Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Mullen.^[1][2]

Personal background

Pace was born in Brooklyn, New York to Italian-American parents, and raised in Teaneck, New Jersey, graduating from Teaneck High School in 1963. He received his commission in June 1967, following graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy. He also holds a Master of Business Administration from George Washington University. He is married and has a son, Peter, and a daughter, Tiffany. Peter Pace, Junior, is currently a Captain in the Marine Corps Reserve. Pace is Roman Catholic.^[3]

Military career

1968-1979

Upon completion of the Basic School, MCB Quantico, Virginia, in 1968, Pace was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division in the Republic of Vietnam, serving first as a Rifle Platoon Leader and subsequently as Assistant Operations Officer.

Returning from overseas in March 1969, he reported to Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C.. During this tour, he served as Head, Infantry Writer Unit, Marine Corps Institute; Platoon Leader, Guard Company; Security Detachment Commander, Camp David; White House Social Aide; and Platoon Leader, Special Ceremonial Platoon. He was promoted to Captain in April 1971. In September 1971, Pace attended the Infantry Officers' Advanced Course at Fort Benning, Georgia. Returning overseas in October 1972, he was assigned to the Security Element, Marine Aircraft Group 15, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, Namphong, Thailand, where he served as Operations Officer and then Executive Officer.

In October 1973, he was assigned to Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, D.C., for duty as the Assistant Majors' Monitor. During October 1976, he reported to the 1st Marine Division, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, where he served as Operations Officer, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines; Executive Officer, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines; and Division Staff Secretary. He was promoted to Major on November 1, 1977. In August 1979, he reported to the Marine Corps Command and Staff College as a student.

1980-1988

Upon completion of school in June 1980, he was assigned duty as Commanding Officer, Marine Corps Recruiting Station, Buffalo, New York. While in this assignment, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in October 1982. Reassigned to the 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, Pace served from June 1983 until June 1985 as Commanding Officer, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines. In June 1985, he was selected to attend the National War College in Washington, D.C.

After graduation the following June, he was assigned to the Combined/Joint Staff in Seoul, South Korea. He served as Chief, Ground Forces Branch until April 1987, when he became Executive Officer to the Assistant Chief of Staff, C/J/G3, United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command/United States Forces Korea/Eighth United States Army. Pace returned to Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C. in August 1988 for duty as Commanding Officer. He was promoted to Colonel in October 1988.

1990s

In August 1991, he was assigned duty as Chief of Staff, 2nd Marine Division, Camp Lejeune. During February 1992, he was assigned duty as Assistant Division Commander. He was advanced to Brigadier General on April 6, 1992, and was assigned as President of the Marine Corps University and Commanding General of Marine Corps Schools at the Marine Corps Combat Development Command, Quantico, Virginia, on July 13, 1992. While serving in this capacity, he also served as Deputy Commander, Marine Forces, Somalia, from December 1992 to February 1993, and as the Deputy Commander, Joint Task Force - Somalia from October 1993 to March 1994. Pace was advanced to Major General on June 21, 1994, and was assigned as the Deputy Commander/Chief of Staff, U.S. Forces, Japan. He was promoted to Lieutenant General and assigned as the Director for Operations (J-3), Joint Staff, Washington, D.C., on August 5, 1996.

Pace served as the Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Atlantic/Europe/South from November 23, 1997 to September 8, 2000.

2000s; Joint Chiefs of Staff

He was promoted to General and assumed duties as the Commander in Chief, United States Southern Command on September 8, 2000 until September 30, 2001, when he was appointed Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. On August 12, 2005, he was succeeded as Vice Chairman by Admiral Edmund P. Giambastiani.

On April 22, 2005, at a White House press conference, President George W. Bush nominated Peter Pace to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The previous Chairman, Richard Myers, retired from the position on September 30, 2005.

On his nomination, Pace said, "This is an incredible moment for me. It is both exhilarating and humbling. It's exhilarating because I have the opportunity, if confirmed by the Senate, to continue to serve this great nation. It's humbling because I know the challenges ahead are formidable." ^[4]

On June 29, 2005, Gen. Pace appeared before the Armed Services Committee for consideration of his nomination ^[5] and was later confirmed by the Senate. On September 30, 2005, General Peter Pace was sworn in as the 16th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

On November 29, 2005, Gen. Pace was present at a press conference given by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, where Rumsfeld said that "the United States does not have a responsibility" to prevent torture by Iraqi officials. Pace disagreed with Rumsfeld, saying "It is the absolute responsibility of every U.S. service member, if they see inhumane treatment being conducted, to intervene, to stop it". ^{[6] [7]}

After White House officials asserted that Iran was supplying insurgents in Iraq with munitions, Gen. Pace questioned the validity of the claim in a February 2007 press conference. Specifically, Gen. Pace questioned the existence of direct evidence linking the Iranian Government to the supply of the weapons, explosively-formed penetrators.^[8]

In a March 12, 2007 discussion with editors of the Chicago Tribune, Gen. Pace said, "I believe homosexual acts between two individuals are immoral and that [the U.S. military] should not condone immoral acts...I do not believe the United States is well served by a policy that says it is okay to be immoral in any way...As an individual, I would not want [acceptance of gay behavior] to be our policy." In the same discussion, however, Pace also said that he supports the "don't ask, don't tell" policy of The Pentagon, in which gay men and women are allowed in the military as long as they keep their sexual orientation secret. ^[9] On March 13, 2007, Pace released a statement reading, "In expressing my support for the current policy, I also offered some personal opinions about moral conduct. I should have focused more on my support of the policy and less on my personal moral views."^[10]

Retirement

On June 8, 2007, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced that he would advise the President not to renominate General Pace because of concerns about contentious confirmation hearings in the Democratic-controlled Congress. The President nominated the former Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Mullen to replace Pace.^[1][12][13] On October 1, 2007, General Pace officially retired at Fort Myer, Virginia. ^[14]

On October 1, 2007, the editors of the National Review encouraged Virginia voters to draft Pace to run for the Senate seat that will be vacated by retiring Senator John Warner.^[15]On October 2, 2007, the Wall Street Journal's Political Diary ran a piece about Virginia Republicans attempting to persuade Gen. Pace to run for the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. John Warner in 2008.

Dates of rank

• Second Lieutenant: 1967 – 1969
• First Lieutenant: 1969 – April 1971
• Captain: April 1971 – November 1977
• Major: November 1977 – October 1982
• Lieutenant Colonel: October 1982 – October 1988
• Colonel: October 1988 – April 6 1992
• Brigadier General: April 6 1992 – June 21 1994
• Major General: June 21 1994 – August 5 1996
• Lieutenant General: August 5 1996 – September 8 2000
• General: September 8 2000

Awards and decorations

Military and foreign awards

Gen. Pace's personal decorations include:

• Defense Distinguished Service Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters (4 awards)
• Defense Superior Service Medal
• Legion of Merit
• Bronze Star Medal with Valor device
• Defense Meritorious Service Medal
• Meritorious Service Medal with gold award star (2 awards)
• Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Valor device
• Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with gold award star (2 awards)
• Combat Action Ribbon
• Navy Presidential Unit Citation with bronze service star (2 awards)
• Joint Meritorious Unit Commendation with three bronze oak leaf clusters (4 awards)
• Navy Unit Commendation with bronze service star (2 awards)
• Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation with three bronze service stars (4 awards)
• National Defense Service Medal with two bronze service stars (3 awards)
• Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with two bronze service stars (3 awards)
• Vietnam Service Medal with silver and bronze service stars
• Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
• Korea Defense Service Medal
• Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with two bronze service stars (3 awards)
• Overseas Service Ribbon with three bronze service stars (4 awards)
• Recruiting Service Ribbon

Military badges include:

• Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
• Parachutist Badge
• Expert Rifle Shot Badge
• Expert Pistol Shot Badge

Foreign decorations include:

• Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with Palm
• Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation with Palm
• United Nations Medal with bronze service star
• Vietnam Campaign Medal with 1960 date bar
• Korea: Order of National Security Merit Tongil Medal ^[16]
• Japan: Grand Cordon, Order of the Rising Sun, 1st Class^[17]
• Japan: Order of the Sacred Treasures
• Canada: Meritorious Service Cross (Military Division)^[18]
• Colombia: Order of the Cross of Boyaca (Orden de Cruz de Boyacá)^[19]

Non-military awards

• In October 2004, the JCS Vice Chairman recevied the Keeper of the Flame Award by the Center for Security Policy.^[20]
• In October 2005, General Pace accepted the National Italian American Foundation’s (NIAF) Special Achievement Award for Military Service.^[21]
• General Pace was awarded the 2005 Henry M. Jackson Distinguished Service Award from the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA).^[22]
• During the 2006 Congressional Medal of Honor Society meeting, Gen. Pace was awarded the Society's Patriot Award, which is presented annually to a "distinguished American who has exemplified the ideals that make this country strong. Their dedication to freedom, their love for fellow man, their allegiance to our flag and a full understanding of its demands, accepted without reservation".^[23]
• In April 2006, the John Carroll Society honored him with the John Carroll Medal.^[24]
• In October 2006, Georgetown University honors General Pace with its President's Medal.^[25]
• General Pace received the Global Service Award from the World Affairs Council^[26]

Quotations

• "The violence in Iraq will only subside once Iraqis begin loving their children more than they hate their enemy." --Testimony before Senate Armed Services Committee on 03 August 2006.http://armed-services.senate.gov/testimony.cfm?wit_id=378&id=2035 Note that this is a rephrased version of a quote usually attributed to Golda Meir, referring to the wars between Israel and the Arab countries - "Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us".
• On the leadership of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld: "He leads in a way that the good Lord tells him is best for our country".^{[27] [28]}
• Upon his retirement from the Marine Corps: On 3x5 cards left at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., one for each of those Marines he lost in combat in Vietnam, with 4 stars attached: "For XXX. These are yours, not mine! With love and respect, your platoon leader. Peter Pace"

See also

• List of United States Marine Corps four-star generals
• Farewell to the Chairman

References

Footnotes

Sources

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

• Biography General Peter Pace. Joint Chiefs of Staff.
• US general defends phosphorus use. BBC (November 30, 2005). Retrieved on December 13, 2005. Peter Pace December 13, 2005 statement concerning the use of White phosphorus in Iraq.

Preceded by Richard Myers	Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 2001-2005	Succeeded by Edmund Giambastiani
Preceded by Richard Myers	Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 2005–2007	Succeeded by Michael Mullen

•  • [ e] Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States
Bradley • Radford • Twining • Lemnitzer • Taylor • Wheeler • Moorer • Brown • Jones • Vessey • Crowe • Powell • Jeremiah (acting) • Shalikashvili • Shelton • Myers • Pace • Mullen

•  • [ e] Vice Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States
Herres • Jeremiah • Owens • Ralston • Myers • Pace • Giambastiani • Cartwright