Lt. Gen. Joseph M. Martin was promoted to general and sworn in as the Army’s vice chief of staff on Friday.
Gen. Mark Milley, the outgoing Army chief of staff, promoted Martin and swore him in as the Army’s 37th vice chief, the Army announced Friday.
Martin was serving as the director of the Army staff. He now replaces Gen. James McConville, who is stepping up to be the 40th Army chief of staff.
McConville will replace Milley, who was confirmed Thursday to become the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, making Milley the top uniformed officer in the nation’s military.
“I am humbled and grateful for this tremendous honor,” Martin said on Friday. “I have had no greater privilege than leading and serving with the great men and women of our United States Army, and am truly blessed to be able to continue being by their side as Vice Chief of Staff.”
Martin, 56, is a career armor officer who has served as commander of the National Training Center and Fort Irwin, California and then the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas. With 1st ID, he had his fifth deployment to Iraq. Martin was also the commander of Operation Inherent Resolve’s Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command and with his soldiers led the coalition of Iraqi forces who liberated Mosul from the Islamic State.
His awards and honors include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal with "V" device, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with "V" device, the Combat Action and Parachutist badges.
Martin has a master’s degree in education from the University of Louisville. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the U.S. Army War College.
Kathleen Curthoys is editor of Army Times. She has been an editor at Military Times for 20 years, covering issues that affect service members. She previously worked as an editor and staff writer at newspapers in Columbus, Georgia; Huntsville, Alabama; Bloomington, Indiana; Monterey, California and in Germany.
