William E. Christman

By U.S. ArmyJanuary 6, 2014

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William E. Christman

Deputy Garrison Commander

U.S. Army Garrison Daegu. South Korea

Installation Management Command, Pacific Region

Mr. William E. Christman was born in New York and raised in California. He is a retired U.S. Navy Captain, who received his commission in 1974 through the Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps after graduation from the University of California at Berkeley.

After his designation as a U.S. Navy aviator in 1975, Mr. Christman served in a variety of operational flying positions as a helicopter pilot specializing in anti-submarine warfare. He has been assigned to numerous aircraft carriers and surface combatants to include the USS Forrestal (CV 59), USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), and USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67). In addition, he served as detachment Officer-in-Charge onboard the USS Harry W. Hill (DD 986) while conducting anti-submarine warfare against Soviet Union submarine activity near the Strait of Juan de Fuca in 1987.

Mr. Christman also served as an operational test pilot in Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 1 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, and was Air Boss on the USS Denver (LPD 9). He was Executive Officer of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 7 onboard the USS John F. Kennedy during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and after assuming command of HS-7, participated in Operation Provide Promise, the stabilization of Bosnia. Mr. Christman logged 3,500 flight hours and has made seven at-sea life saving rescues.

Mr. Christman's shore duty assignments were centered on politico-military affairs with significant experience in arms control negotiations. He served on the Chief of Naval Operations staff in the Strategic Concepts Group where he tackled the Naval Arms Control issues with NATO Allies and the Warsaw Pact. Assigned to the Deputy Directorate for International Negotiations of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he dealt with multilateral negotiations on the Convention of Certain Conventional Weapons, anti-personnel landmine policy, blinding laser weapons, and the Non-Proliferation Treaty. He has served as an associate delegate to the First Committee of the United Nations. Mr. Christman's also served as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans, and Logistics for the Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Japan, in Yokosuka. He retired in July 2004 following an assignment as the Commanding Officer for the Naval ROTC program at the University of Arizona.

Mr. Christman, as the Garrison Manager, leads U. S. Army Garrison Daegu in managing and providing base operations services for more than 10,000 people working and living on installations in U. S. Army Garrison Daegu and Area IV. U. S. Army Garrison Daegu and Area IV is the largest of the U.S. Army's four geographic regions in the Republic of Korea. It extends from Daejeon to Busan. Major U.S. Army installations in Area IV include Camps Henry, Walker and George in Daegu, Camp Carroll in Waegwan, and the Busan Storage Center and Pier 8 in Busan.

Mr. Christman graduated from UC-Berkeley in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology. He also holds a Master of Science in Systems Management from the University of Southern California and Master of Science in International Security Studies from the U.S. Naval War College.

Mr. Christman's military awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (2), Meritorious Service Medal (2), Strike/Flight Air Medal (2), Joint Commendation Medal, Navy Commendation Medal (3), Navy Achievement Medal and numerous unit and campaign awards.