Tony Cucolo
Encyclopedia
Anthony "Tony" Cucolo is a United States Army
Major General
. MG Cucolo was the Commanding General of the 10th Mountain Division
as well as the 3rd Infantry Division and Fort Stewart
/Hunter Army Airfield
, Georgia
.
of infantry
in 1979 serving 16 of the past 29 years in infantry and armor divisions
. He commanded two companies
and was an operations officer at both the battalion
and brigade
level. He commanded an Infantry battalion in Germany
and deployed his unit as a combined arms
task force
for the first eleven months of the Balkans
NATO Implementation Force (IFOR) in the contested area of Brčko
, Bosnia. Cucolo also commanded 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, and was the Assistant Division Commander for the 10th Mountain Division
, Fort Drum, New York. While in this capacity, he deployed to Afghanistan
for Operation Enduring Freedom and served as Deputy Commanding General, CJTF-180, during the 10th Mountain Division's service there in 2003-2004.
Cucolo's other Joint assignments include duty with the Joint Staff at the Pentagon from July 2001 to July 2003, with service in the Strategy and Policy Directorate (J5), Chief of the Future Operations Group in the Operations Directorate (J3) immediately after 9/11, and then Chief of European and NATO Policy, J5. His most recent joint assignment was as Director, Joint Center for Operational Analysis, US Joint Forces Command, from September 2004 through May 2006. In that time, Cucolo deployed to Iraq
and Afghanistan
multiple times, embedding in joint operational headquarters there, as well as duty with JTF-Katrina
to develop the lessons learned from civil support operations in the U.S. Gulf Coast region. Cucolo's next assignment was a two year tour in the Pentagon
as the Chief of Public Affairs for the United States Army
. On 14 July 2008, Cucolo took over command of the 3rd Infantry Division, leading them to their fourth deployment to Iraq. On 15 April 2011, after 33 months as the Division Commander, Cucolo passed command of the 3rd Infantry Division to Robert B. “Abe” Abrams
During Cucolo's deployment to Iraq he has become the target of several impersonators. This included many fake social networking and dating service accounts. The victims were initially contacted on Skype and then lured to the fraudulent accounts. Many other officers have become targets as well.
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...
Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
. MG Cucolo was the Commanding General of the 10th Mountain Division
10th Mountain Division
The 10th Mountain Division is a light infantry division of the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York. It is a subordinate unit of the XVIII Airborne Corps and the only division-sized element of the U.S. Army to specialize in fighting under harsh terrain and weather conditions...
as well as the 3rd Infantry Division and Fort Stewart
Fort Stewart
Fort Stewart is a census-designated place and U.S. Army post primarily in Liberty County and Bryan County, but also extending into smaller portions of Evans, Long, and Tattnall Counties in Georgia, USA. The population was 11,205 at the 2000 census...
/Hunter Army Airfield
Hunter Army Airfield
Hunter Army Airfield , located in Savannah, Georgia, United States, is a military airfield and subordinate installation to Fort Stewart.Hunter features a runway that is 11,375 feet long and an aircraft parking area that is more than 350 acres...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
Military career
Major General Tony Cucolo was commissioned a Second LieutenantSecond Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
of infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
in 1979 serving 16 of the past 29 years in infantry and armor divisions
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
. He commanded two companies
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
and was an operations officer at both the battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
and brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
level. He commanded an Infantry battalion in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and deployed his unit as a combined arms
Combined arms
Combined arms is an approach to warfare which seeks to integrate different branches of a military to achieve mutually complementary effects...
task force
Task force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
for the first eleven months of the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
NATO Implementation Force (IFOR) in the contested area of Brčko
Brcko
Brčko can refer to the following related geographical locations in Bosnia and Herzegovina:* Brčko District* Brčko...
, Bosnia. Cucolo also commanded 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, and was the Assistant Division Commander for the 10th Mountain Division
10th Mountain Division
The 10th Mountain Division is a light infantry division of the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York. It is a subordinate unit of the XVIII Airborne Corps and the only division-sized element of the U.S. Army to specialize in fighting under harsh terrain and weather conditions...
, Fort Drum, New York. While in this capacity, he deployed to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
for Operation Enduring Freedom and served as Deputy Commanding General, CJTF-180, during the 10th Mountain Division's service there in 2003-2004.
Cucolo's other Joint assignments include duty with the Joint Staff at the Pentagon from July 2001 to July 2003, with service in the Strategy and Policy Directorate (J5), Chief of the Future Operations Group in the Operations Directorate (J3) immediately after 9/11, and then Chief of European and NATO Policy, J5. His most recent joint assignment was as Director, Joint Center for Operational Analysis, US Joint Forces Command, from September 2004 through May 2006. In that time, Cucolo deployed to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
multiple times, embedding in joint operational headquarters there, as well as duty with JTF-Katrina
Joint Task Force Katrina
Joint Task Force Katrina was a joint operation between the United States Department of Defense and the Federal Emergency Management Agency created on August 31, 2005 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi to organize relief efforts along the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The operation was...
to develop the lessons learned from civil support operations in the U.S. Gulf Coast region. Cucolo's next assignment was a two year tour in the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
as the Chief of Public Affairs for 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...
. On 14 July 2008, Cucolo took over command of the 3rd Infantry Division, leading them to their fourth deployment to Iraq. On 15 April 2011, after 33 months as the Division Commander, Cucolo passed command of the 3rd Infantry Division to Robert B. “Abe” Abrams
Robert B. Abrams
Major General Robert B. “Abe” Abrams is the Commanding General of the 3rd Infantry Division. He is a 1982 graduate of the United States Military Academy where he was commissioned as an Armor officer...
Personal life
Cucolo is married to the former Ginger Allen, they have 3 children together.During Cucolo's deployment to Iraq he has become the target of several impersonators. This included many fake social networking and dating service accounts. The victims were initially contacted on Skype and then lured to the fraudulent accounts. Many other officers have become targets as well.
External links
- http://www.c-spanvideo.org/tonycucolo
- http://www.dvidshub.net/video/84379/maj-gen-tony-cucolo-part-1#.TiePSWG5Mqw