Meet the Commandant - Breakfast with Major General Rapp

Meet the new Commandant of the U.S. Army War College, Major General William E. Rapp.  During this program we'll learn more about the new Major General, his plans for the US Army War College, and how we can support this community. 

Major General William E. Rapp is the 50th Commandant of the U.S. Army War College.  He graduated from the United States Military Academy (USMA) in 1984 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers. His civilian education includes a Bachelor of Science degree from USMA, a Masters of Arts in Political Science and a PhD in International Relations from Stanford University. His military education includes the Engineer Officer Basic Course, Infantry Officer Advanced Course, US Army Command and General Staff College, the Army War College where he earned a Masters of Arts in National Security Policy, and the Joint Forces Staff College. He was the distinguished honor graduate of his Infantry Officer Advance Course, Ranger School class, Jumpmaster class, and the Strategist Program at CGSC. Major General Rapp is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Virginia.

Major General Rapp’s early assignments included duties as a Platoon Leader, Executive Officer, Assistant S3, and the Corps Operations Officer in Germany and at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He commanded an airborne engineer company during OPERATION DESERT STORM. Following grad school, he then served as an instructor and assistant professor in the Department of Social Sciences at USMA and as an Engineer Battalion S3 and Group S3 at Fort Lewis, Washington. He also served as the Military Assistant to the Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) before commanding the 54th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Mech) in Bamberg, Germany.

Following command, Major General Rapp was selected for the Council of Foreign Relations Fellowship at the Institute for International Policy Studies in Tokyo, Japan. He returned to the states in the summer of 2003 to attend the Army War College before proceeding to Fort Lewis to serve as the Chief of Plans (G3) for I Corps Headquarters. In June 2005, he assumed command of 555th Combat Engineer Group and deployed in support of the 101st Airborne Division for OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM.

In 2007, Major General Rapp completed his command and returned to Iraq as the Director of the Commander’s Initiatives Group serving under GEN Petraeus in Multi-National Forces-Iraq. In 2008, Major General Rapp served as the Commanding General of the Northwestern Division of the Corps of Engineers in Portland, Oregon followed by assignment as the 72nd Commandant of Cadets at the United States Military Academy in 2009.  Major General Rapp served as the National Support Element Commander and Deputy Commanding General for Support of US Forces, Afghanistan, in 2011, responsible for performing National Command Element and National Support Element functions for all US Forces in Afghanistan.  Major General Rapp’s most recent assignment was Chief, Army Legislative Liaison.

His awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters, and the Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters. He has earned the Combat Action Badge, Master Parachutist wings, Air Assault wings, Ranger Tab, and the Engineer Regiment’s Silver DeFleury Medal.