Lieutenant General David P. Valcourt

U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command

February 2008–May 2010

Lt. Gen. David P. Valcourt is a native of Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts. He entered the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1969 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the field artillery branch on June 6, 1973. Over the course of the next 37 years, Lt. Gen. Valcourt devoted himself to training, developing and educating Soldiers and noncommissioned officers. His experiences while serving in myriad assignments at the most senior levels of the Army provided the means to influence change in the training and education of noncommissioned officers, emphasizing professional development, growth and learning.

He contributed significantly to leader development while assigned as the commanding general of the U.S. Army Field Artillery Center and Fort Sill, where he influenced the quality of the NCO Education System for artillery sergeants attending the Basic NCO Course and Advanced NCO Course.

He served as the commanding general of Eighth Army and the chief of staff of United States Forces Korea, Combined Forces Command, and the United Nations Command in the Republic of Korea.

As deputy commanding general and chief of staff at TRADOC, he became an engineer of change for the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy. He supported the concept plan that would transform the Sergeants Major Course curriculum from training to an educational learning, outcome-based strategy. He contributed directly to elevating the prestige and importance of the Academy as the premier noncommissioned officer institution of learning in the world. Lt. Gen. Valcourt further demonstrated his commitment to noncommissioned officer development by serving as a senior mentor for the Pre-Command/Command Sergeants Major Designee Course at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Lt. Gen. Valcourt has earned two master’s degrees: a Master of Science in physical education and a Master of Arts in national security and strategic studies. He graduated from the Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in 1986; the Naval War College at Newport, Rhode Island, in 1994; and the British Higher Command and Staff Course, Shrivenham, England, in 2002.

His awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal (with one oak leaf cluster), Legion of Merit (with three oak leaf clusters), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (with three oak leaf clusters), Army Commendation Medal (with two oak leaf clusters), Army Achievement Medal, (with one oak leaf cluster) and Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge.