- Hugh Shelton
Infobox Military Person
name=Henry H. Shelton
born= birth date|1942|1|2
died=
placeofbirth=Tarboro, North Carolina
placeofdeath=
placeofburial=
caption=General Henry H. Shelton, U.S. Army
nickname=
allegiance= United States of America
branch=United States Army
serviceyears=
rank= General
commands=Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Special Operations Command XVIII Airborne Corps 82nd Airborne Division
unit=
battles=Vietnam War Gulf War
awards=Defense Distinguished Service Medal (4)Army Distinguished Service Medal (5)Legion of Merit (2) Bronze Star (4, with "V" Device)Purple Heart Air Medal Combat Infantryman Badge Military Free Fall Parachutist Badge Special Forces Tab Ranger Tab
relations=
laterwork=Board of Directors, Red Hat Corporation Director, Anheuser Busch Director, Anteon International Director, Protective Products of America (PPA.TO)General Henry Hugh Shelton (born
January 2 ,1942 ) is a retired American career military officer. He served asChairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from1997 to2001 .Biography
Born in
Tarboro, North Carolina , Shelton attendedNorth Carolina State University and was a member ofPershing Rifles . He earned a degree intextiles while earning his Army commission through ROTC training. Shelton's further education includes a master's degree fromAuburn University in 1973 as well as studies at theAir Command and Staff College and theNational War College .Shelton served two tours of duty in Vietnam with the
5th Special Forces Group of the US Army Special Operations Command, followed by a series of command and staff assignments. Following theGulf War , Shelton commanded the 82nd Airborne Division in his home state ofNorth Carolina . In1993 , he was given command of XVIII Airborne Corps. Shelton led the Joint Task Force responsible forOperation Uphold Democracy inHaiti in1994 . In1996 , Shelton, a Special Forces soldier, was promoted to the rank of General and the position of Commander in Chief of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM).Upon the retirement of
John M. Shalikashvili , Shelton was appointedChairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff onOctober 1 ,1997 . In his time in that office he coined the phrase "Dover test ", testing the support for a war based on the reaction of the people after seeing US casualties returning at theDover Air Force Base . During the events ofSeptember 11, 2001 he was on a plane to London, England and the then Vice Chairman Air Force GeneralRichard Myers took charge and onOctober 1 ,2001 became his successor.In his retirement, Shelton joined the Board of Directors of
Red Hat Corporation in April2003 . He also holds directorships atAnheuser Busch , Anteon International and Protective Products of America (PPA.TO).Shelton created a minor controversy for
2004 Democratic presidential candidateWesley Clark , a subordinate to Shelton during the 1999 Kosovo military actions, when he stated: "I will tell you the reason [Clark] came out of Europe early had to do with integrity and character issues, things that are very near and dear to my heart. […] I'll just say Wes won't get my vote," casting doubt upon the presidential contender's legitimacy. Fact|date=August 2008Shelton also served as an advisor to Senator John Edwards' presidential campaign from 2003-2004. [http://www.clark04.com/press/release/071/]
Shelton married Carolyn L. Johnson in
1963 ; they have three sons; Jon, Jeff and Mark.Shelton was raised about 1 mile out of the small town of
Speed, North Carolina . Speed is about 12 miles NE of Tarboro. His wife, Carolyn, was raised inside the Speed city limits. HWY 122 which run through Speed to Hobgood, North Carolina (right past the homestead he was raised on) was named after him several years ago. It is called "Henry Hugh Shelton Hwy".Shelton is considered a possible candidate for US Senate from North Carolina in 2008 against Republican
Elizabeth Dole .On
March 1 ,2008 , General Shelton announced his endorsement of SenatorHillary Clinton for the 2008 Democratic Presidential Primary , stating, "I’ve been with Senator Clinton when she has been with our military men and women. I know from those experiences that she understands the demands and sacrifice of military life. I am confident she will always put the readiness and well being of our troops first. She is ready to be Commander-in-Chief." General Shelton is the second Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to endorse Senator Clinton, the first being GeneralJohn Shalikashvili . [http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/release/view/?id=6280]U.S. Decorations and Badges
;Decorations
;Badges
*Combat Infantryman Badge
*Master Parachutist Badge
*Military Free Fall Parachutist Badge
*Pathfinder Badge
*Special Forces Tab
*Ranger Tab
*Air Assault Badge
*Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge External links
* [http://www.kepplerspeakers.com/speakers/speakers.asp?1-8CGZ General Hugh Shelton Biography]
References
* [http://www.ncsu.edu/extension/sheltonleadership/about/ Army biography and career summary] commons
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