The University of Pittsburgh Army ROTC welcomes General George W. Casey, Jr., to the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg campus on Friday, November 1. The program, which will take place in Ferguson Theater (Smith Hall, 150 Finoli Drive, Greensburg, PA 15601) will begin at 1 p.m. General Casey will discuss leadership and mentorship engagement with the Three Rivers Battalion Army ROTC Cadets, Cadre, and local leaders.
Expected to be in attendance are ROTC Cadets and students from the University of Pittsburgh, Pitt-Greensburg, California University of Pennsylvania, Carlow University, Carnegie Mellon University, Chatham University, Duquesne University, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Indian University of Pennsylvania, La Roche College, Point Park University, Robert Morris University, Seton Hill University, St. Vincent College, Washington and Jefferson College, and West Virginia University.
General George W. Casey, Jr. served 41-years as an American soldier following his commission as a second lieutenant of Infantry from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in 1970. He is an accomplished leader and an authority on strategic leadership.
As the 36th Chief of Staff of the US Army from April 2007 to 2011, General Casey led what is arguably the world’s largest and most complex organization—1.1 million people strong, with a $200+ billion annual budget—during one of the most extraordinary periods in military and global political history. He is widely credited with restoring balance to the war-weary US Army, leading the transformation to keep the Army relevant in the 21st Century, and ensuring the force deployed in the war on terror was the best this country ever fielded. On the home front, General Casey took on the tough issues of suicide, combat stress, and reducing the stigma attached to mental health care. He was also a stalwart advocate for military families, wounded Soldiers, and survivors of the fallen.
Prior to this, from July 2004 to February 2007, he commanded the Multi-National Force–Iraq, a coalition of more than 30 countries. General Casey guided the Iraq mission through its toughest days, driving significant change in the US Armed Forces and building the Iraqi security institutions while battling a difficult insurgency and sectarian violence.
He currently serves as a Distinguished Senior Lecturer of Leadership at the SC Johnson College of Business, Cornell University, and lectures on leadership internationally at business schools and to the leadership of numerous organizations, most notably, Coca-Cola, Caterpillar, Coca-Cola Bottling, Africa, the National Australian Bank, the states of Victoria and New South Wales, Australia, Amazon, TDAmeritrade, Pentagon Federal Credit Union, and General Electric.
He also teaches international relations at the Korbel School, University of Denver. He has authored and published the book, Strategic Reflections, Operation Iraqi Freedom, July 2004-2007, about his experiences in Iraq, and several articles on leadership, including, “Leading in a ‘VUCA’ World”, Fortune Magazine, April, 2014.
He is a member of the Board of Directors of Georgetown University, Colt Holding Company, LLC, and the Board of Trustees of the Home Builders’ Institute, a national leader for career training in the building industry. He is also a member of the Board of Advisors for Odgers Berndtson, a leading executive search and organizational leadership firm; Streetshares, a crowd-sourcing firm for Small Businesses and veterans, RallyPoint, a network for veterans and military professionals, and Sarcos, a global leader in dexterous robotic systems.
He is committed to ensuring the contributions of the men and women of our Armed Forces are not forgotten. He is Chairman of the Board of Governors of the USO, an organization that supports the men and women of our Armed Forces. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Student Veterans of America, an organization committed to providing veterans the tools to succeed in higher education; ThanksUSA, an organization that provides post-secondary scholarships to the children and spouses of our servicemen; and the Army Historical Foundation, an organization committed to the development of the National Museum of the U.S. Army.
General Casey holds a Masters Degree in International Relations from Denver University, where he is currently the Rice Family Professor of Practice, and he served as a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council of the United States, a foreign policy think-tank. He has broad international experience. Born in Japan, he served in operational assignments in Europe, the Balkans and the Middle East.
Known for his vision, candor, integrity and humor. General Casey’s story is one of personal courage and commitment to excellence. His great love of country and his life of service form the basis of his viewpoints on leading in today’s volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world.
The University of Pittsburgh was one of the first universities in the country to offer the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program to students when it established a Department of Military Science of Tactics in 1918. Originally known as the Panther Battalion, Pitt’s ROTC program became the Three Rivers Battalion in 2008 to better reflect the diverse and widespread nature of the battalion that now encompasses 20 different partner and affiliate universities. The Three Rivers Battalion consists of 175 cadets and 12 cadre at the University of Pittsburgh and its partner universities at California University of Pennsylvania, Carlow University, Carnegie Mellon University, Chatham University, Duquesne University, Franciscan University of Steubenville, La Roche College, Point Park University, Robert Morris University, Seton Hill University, St. Vincent College, and Washington & Jefferson College. The goal of the battalion remains unchanged: produce the best quality scholar athlete leaders for the U.S. Army.
In addition to receiving training, leadership experience, and military-related courses, ROTC cadets receive financial support for their education that includes monthly living allowances. ROTC cadets interested in pursuing a career in the military are encouraged to apply for scholarships, including full-tuition scholarship opportunities and nursing scholarships.