John B. Sylvester

John B. Sylvester (born May 25, 1946)[1] is a retired United States Army lieutenant general and decorated veteran of the Vietnam and Gulf Wars. He is best known for his command of the "Tiger" Brigade of the 2nd Armored Division OPCON to the 2nd Marine Division in the Gulf War, and his three tours of duty in the Balkans culminating as the commander of Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (SFOR). Sylvester was awarded the Silver Star during Operation Desert Storm.

For the United States Navy admiral, see John Sylvester. For the businessman associated with Babe Ruth, see Johnny Sylvester.
John B. Sylvester
Sylvester as a Brigadier General in 1994
Born (1946-05-25) May 25, 1946
Columbia, South Carolina
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branchUnited States Army
Years of service1968–2004
RankLieutenant General
Commands heldStabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina
3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division
1st Brigade, 2nd Armored Division
1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment
Battles/warsVietnam War
Yugoslav Wars
Gulf War
AwardsDefense Distinguished Service Medal (3)
Silver Star
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit (3)
Bronze Star Medal (2)

Early life

A military brat, Sylvester was born in Columbia, South Carolina while his father was stationed at Fort Jackson. His father, Lieutenant Colonel George E. Sylvester, was a World War II veteran who served in the European front. The younger Sylvester spent his teenage years in Texas and attended Texas A&M University, graduating in 1967. He enlisted in the United States Army immediately afterward.

Military career

Graduating from Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning in 1968, Sylvester was sent to Armor Officer Basic training at Fort Knox in Kentucky. He was then assigned to 2nd Battalion, 13th Armor. In 1970, he was assigned to 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Vietnam. While serving on combat duty in Vietnam, Sylvester was awarded the Bronze Star Medal.

After Vietnam, Sylvester rose through the ranks, serving in numerous assignments both stateside and abroad. He earned an M.S. degree in Education and Counseling from Long Island University.[2] In 1987, Sylvester graduated from the United States Army War College. In 1994, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff G2/G3 for the Allied Command Europe (ACE) Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) stationed at Rheindahlen, Germany, and later deployed with the Corps during NATO's first combat deployment to Bosnia. He later served as Director of Operations, Headquarters, Allied Forces Central Europe (today known as Joint Force Command Brunssum), based in the Netherlands.

In 1998, Sylvester was named as Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations for NATO forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina. He held two senior tours with the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) at Fort Monroe, Virginia, as Deputy Chief of Staff for Training and later as the Chief of Staff. In 2001, he was promoted to the three-star rank as a consequence of being deployed on his third tour to the Balkans as the NATO force Commander, COMSFOR.[3] His final tour on active duty was as the Chief of Staff of the United States European Command (EUCOM) in Stuttgart, Germany. He retired in August 2004 and was awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal during his retirement ceremony.[4]

Post-military career

Following his retirement Sylvester accepted a position with Military Professional Resources Inc. (MPRI), as a manager for several joint venture companies performing law enforcement work in support of the United States Department of State and the Department of Justice.

Personal

Sylvester married Rebecca Jean "Becki" Schlamersdorf on August 29, 1969 in Tell City, Indiana.[5]

References
  1. US Army Register: Regular Army Active List. Vol. I. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. January 1, 1972. p. 424.
  2. "Lieutenant General John B. Sylvester". Stabilisation Force (SFOR), NATO. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
  3. "DOD News Release – General Officer Announcements". DOD. July 16, 2001. Archived from the original on April 26, 2014.
  4. "EUCOM's Sylvester praised at retirement ceremony". Stars and Stripes. August 3, 2004.
  5. "Record of Marriage". Marriage Certificates, 1958–2005. Vol. 28, no. 69–041281. Indianapolis, Indiana: Indiana State Board of Health, Indiana Archives and Records Administration. September 4, 1969. p. 11.
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