Jerry Rex Rutherford retired as a Lieutenant General

Lieutenant General

Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....

 in the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

, where he served as Commander of V Corps.

Eary Life

Jerry Rutherford is a native of Joplin, Missouri

Joplin, Missouri

Joplin is a city in southern Jasper County and northern Newton County in the southwestern corner of the US state of Missouri. Joplin is the largest city in Jasper County, though it is not the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 50,150...

. He graduated from Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg State University, also called Pitt State or PSU, is a public university with approximately 7,100 students located in Pittsburg, Kansas, United States. A large percentage of the student population consists of residents within the Pittsburg region; the gender proportion is relatively equal...

 in 1962 with a BA in Journalism. While at Pittsburg State, Rutherford also joined Tau Kappa Epsilon

Tau Kappa Epsilon

Tau Kappa Epsilon is a college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University with chapters in the United States, and Canada, and affiliation with a German fraternity system known as the Corps of the Weinheimer Senioren Convent...

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Military career

After graduation, Rutherford was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army.

Rutherford was promoted to Brigadier General in 1988, while serving as Assistant Division Commander of the 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized) at Fort Riley, Kansas. From 1989 to 1991 he served as Commander of the 2d Armored Division (Forward) of the United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany. In 1991 he served as Assistant Division Commander (Support) of 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized) in Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm.

Rutherford was promoted to Major General in September 1991, and at that time he served as Commanding General of the 3d Armored Division, United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany. In 1992 he took on the role of Deputy Commander of V Corps, and in July 1992 he was promoted to Lieutenant General and Commander of V Corps. Rutherford retired in May 1995.

Post Military Career

After retiring from the U.S. Army, Rutherford served as Vice President of Right Management, a talent and career management solutions provider, from 1996 to 1998. He currently Chief Operating Officer at Spencer Fane Britt & Browne LLP law firm in Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...

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Rutherford serves on the Board of Governors for the Liberty Memorial

Liberty Memorial

The Liberty Memorial, located in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, is a memorial to the fallen soldiers of World War I and houses the The National World War I Museum, as designated by the United States Congress in 2004.. Groundbreaking commenced November 1, 1921, and the city held a site dedication...

 Association and on the executive committee for expansion of the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial.