Army general who commanded in Iraq dies of cancer at age 67

WASHINGTON – Raymond T. Odierno, a retired Army wide who commanded American and conjugation forces successful Iraq astatine the tallness of the warfare and capped a 39-year vocation by serving arsenic the Army's main of staff, has died, his household said Saturday. He was 67.

“The wide died aft a brave conflict with cancer; his decease was not related to COVID,” a household connection said. “There are nary different details to stock astatine this time. His household is grateful for the interest and asks for privacy.”

Odierno died Friday; the household declined to accidental where. It said ceremonial and interment accusation was not yet available.

President Joe Biden lauded Odierno arsenic a “hero of large integrity and honor.” In a associated statement, the president and First Lady Jill Biden recalled that Odierno spoke astatine the ceremonial of their lad Beau, who served nether Odierno successful Iraq and died of encephalon crab successful 2015.

“Ray was a elephantine successful subject circles — dedicated archetypal and ever to the work members helium commanded and served alongside,” the Bidens said, adding that Odierno and his woman Linda were advocates for subject children and families.

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“We basal with the Odierno household and each our brave work members who were shaped and molded by General Odierno implicit his beingness of service,” they said.

At 6-foot-5, Odierno was an imposing figure. He played shot arsenic a cadet astatine West Point and retained a lifelong involvement successful the sport. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth wrote connected Twitter Saturday evening that Odierno embodied the values of West Point and of the Army itself.

“A person who was larger than life, we volition retrieve him ever for his selfless work to our federation and to our soldiers successful and retired of uniform,” she wrote.

Odierno served 3 tours successful Iraq. After his first, successful 2003-04 arsenic commandant of the 4th Infantry Division, helium was criticized by immoderate for overly assertive tactics that immoderate believed fed an insurgency. At an aboriginal precocious h2o mark, successful December 2003, his soldiers progressive successful the seizure of Iraq’s deposed president, Saddam Hussein. That occurrence gave anticipation to quashing an emerging insurgency, but successful 2004 the insurgency gained greater momentum and led to the deadly emergence of al-Qaida successful Iraq.

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Odierno returned to Iraq successful 2008 and served for 2 years arsenic served arsenic commandant of Multi-National Corps-Iraq. He past took implicit arsenic the apical wide U.S. and conjugation commandant successful Baghdad, leaving successful 2010 arsenic combat was winding down. He was succeeded successful that station by Gen. Lloyd Austin, who is present the caput of defense.

A autochthonal of Rockaway, New Jersey, Odierno graduated from the U.S. Military Academy astatine West Point, New York, successful 1976 with a committee successful tract artillery. He served successful a wide scope of Army and Defense Department roles with aggregate tours abroad, including successful Iraq, Germany, Albania and Kuwait. As a three-star wide helium was adjunct to the president of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a occupation that made him the main subject advisor to the caput of state.

When Odierno retired successful 2015, helium was succeeded arsenic Army main of unit by Gen. Mark Milley, the existent Joint Chiefs chairman.

At a ceremonial marking his status from the Army, then-Defense Secretary Ashton Carter described him arsenic a commandant whose tenacity and operational savvy gave civilian leaders large confidence.

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“His commanding beingness calmed the confused, and his courageousness and compassion helped transportation the load of nonaccomplishment and sacrifice,” Carter said.

Three months ago, North Carolina State University announced that Odierno had joined its committee of trustees. In 1986 helium earned a Master of Science grade successful atomic effects engineering from North Carolina State. He was president of Odierno Associates, a consulting steadfast successful Pinehurst, North Carolina.

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