Pentagon picks familiar face to lead Special Forces

**Dan** · 06-22-2006, 01:09

Pentagon picks familiar face to lead Special Forces
By Henry Cuningham
Military editor

Quote:

The Army has selected Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Csrnko to command U.S. Army Special Forces Command at Fort Bragg, the Pentagon said Wednesday.

Csrnko has been commander of Special Operations Command, Europe at Patch Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany, since August 2003.

He will replace Brig. Gen. John F. Mulholland, who became the leader of the Army’s Green Berets on Sept. 30. Mulholland’s next assignment has not been announced, said Maj. Jim Gregory, a command spokesman.

Special Forces Command has about 9,500 soldiers in five active-duty Special Forces groups, including the 3rd Group and 7th Group at Fort Bragg. Two groups are in the National Guard. The command trains and prepares Special Forces units to deploy and conduct missions around the world.

Csrnko commanded the 1st Special Forces Group at Fort Lewis, Wash., from 1998 to 2000 and then served as deputy commander/assistant commandant of the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg. The school oversees how Special Forces train and fight.

Csrnko said in an interview in 2001 that he only met one person who correctly guessed the origin of his name, which is pronounced “schronko.”

‘‘The nationality is Wendish,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s a Gypsy nationality on the Austria-Hungary border prior to World War II. With the German invasion, they went and settled in southern Yugoslavia.’’

He grew up in Bethlehem, Pa., where his father worked for a steel company for 35 years. His passions are sports, the outdoors and scouting.

Csrnko was commissioned through Army ROTC at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree. He began his Army career in the infantry, spent time in tank units and commanded Special Forces organizations that work in the Middle East and the Pacific Ocean nations.

He graduated from the Special Forces Officer Qualification Course at Fort Bragg and then commanded an A-team and a company in the the 5th Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg.

From 1985 to 1988, he was inspector general of the JFK Center.

From 1993 to 1995, he commanded the 1st Battalion of the 5th Group, which had relocated to Fort Campbell, Ky.
Military editor Henry Cuningham can be reached at cuninghamh 'at' fayettevillenc.com or 486-3585.

**Dan** · 07-08-2006, 06:51

Mulholland to go to Joint Special Ops
By Henry Cuningham
Staff writer

Quote:

Brig. Gen. John F. Mulholland Jr. will become the deputy commander of the Joint Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, the Army announced on Friday.

Mulholland will turn over command of Army Special Forces Command to Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Csrnko on July 17 at Fort Bragg.

The Joint Special Operations Command oversees the counterterrorist forces of the Army, Navy and Air Force, including Delta Force and some Navy SEALs.

Mulholland commanded the 5th Special Forces Group, which is based at Fort Campbell, Ky., from 2001 to 2003. During that time, he was in charge of joint task forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the mid-1990s, he served as an assistant operations officer, deputy operations officer and operations officer in Delta Force.

Csrnko has been commander of Special Operations Command, Europe, at Patch Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany, since August 2003. Mulholland became the leader of the Army’s Green Berets on Sept. 30.

Special Forces Command has about 9,500 soldiers in five active-duty Special Forces groups, including the 3rd Group and 7th Group at Fort Bragg. The command trains and prepares Special Forces units to deploy and conduct missions around the world.

In another military announcement, the Air Force said Friday that Brig. Gen. Ronald R. Ladnier will become to vice commander of the Tanker Airlift Control Center of the Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois.

Ladnier attended Seventy-First High School and graduated from Douglas Byrd High School in 1973. He commanded the first operational C-17 airlift squadron and has been nominated for promotion of two-star general.

He is director of resource integration for the Air Force deputy chief of staff for logistics, installations and mission support at the Pentagon. In that job, he is responsible for the planning, programming, budgeting and execution of more than $30 billion annually for Air Force logistics systems and functions, according to his military biography.
Military editor Henry Cuningham can be reached at cuninghamh 'at' fayettevillenc.com or 486-3585.

Max_Tab · 07-09-2006, 10:07

What is the authorized rank of the USASFC Commander. BG Mulholland was a 1 star,(obviously) and he is being replaced by a 2 star. Has it always been a 2 star post or is this something new.

I did search, but couldn't find anything.

**The Reaper** · 07-09-2006, 10:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Max_Tab

What is the authorized rank of the USASFC Commander. BG Mulholland was a 1 star,(obviously) and he is being replaced by a 2 star. Has it always been a 2 star post or is this something new.

I did search, but couldn't find anything.

The USASFC CG is a two-star position. It has recently been a "growth" position, as the CG is usally appointed as a BG or a BG(P) and pins the second star while in the job. The senior SF two-star position is SWCS, which the USASFC CG frequently moves into. Otherwise, there are very few ways for an SF officer to make it to MG or LTG, as the Army makes very few slots available in "Big Army" for SF GOs.

HTH.

TR

Max_Tab · 07-09-2006, 10:30

Thanks for the quick reply. You learn something new every day. I do find it interesting, that the SWCS commander outranks the USASFC Commander.

Doc · 07-09-2006, 10:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Max_Tab

I do find it interesting, that the SWCS commander outranks the USASFC Commander.

Same here.

Edit to add. I'm guessing the SWCS CDR is the Proponent of SF and that's the reason.