Fort Leavenworth honors German Army leader

By Harry SarlesFebruary 27, 2015

Lt. Gen. Bruno Kasdorf
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS - The U.S. Army Command and General Staff College honored one distinguished graduate with induction into its International Hall of Fame Feb. 27. Lt. Gen. Bruno Kasdorf, German Army Chief of Staff and a 1990 graduate of the College was inducted in a ceremony at the fort's Lewis and Clark Center at 10:30.

Kasdorf said he appreciated his time as a CGSC student because it gave him a deeper understanding of the American concepts of leadership and leader development and joint, international, and interagency operations. He also said it was a unique opportunity to live in America among Americans.

In 1989 and 1990 when Kasdorf was at Fort Leavenworth the Berlin Wall fell and Germany was reunified. He said he appreciated the interest and support he received from those around him at the time. He said he never met an American who doubted his country would reunify following those historic events.

Kasdorf told the more than 1,000 CGSC students attending the ceremony that he used the things he learned at Leavenworth through the rest of his career and they are still applicable today. He told the students to think operationally, follow the tenants of mission command, and be aware that future combat will be hybrid warfare where the rules of combat are changed from what we know now. Tomorrow's armies will have to be proficient in a broad range of land warfare capabilities that will be employed in a highly integrated design, he said.

Lt. Gen. Robert B. Brown, Commanding General Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth and Commandant of the Command and General Staff College conducted the event. The International Hall of Fame recognizes international graduates of the College who, through military merit, serve as the senior military officer in one of their nation's service components (Chief of Staff of the Army equivalent), or as the senior military officer in the nation's defense establishment (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff equivalent).

Kasdorf assumed duty as Chief of Staff, Army, on 11 September 2012. He joined the Bundeswehr in 1973 and completed his armored infantry officer training in 1974. He was platoon leader and company commander. Later, he commanded Armored Infantry Battalion 323 / 322 in Schwanewede, Armored Brigade 12 "Oberpfalz" in Amberg, and served as Chief of Staff, German Army Forces Command in Coblenz. He was Commander of the 14th Armored Infantry Division "Hanse" in Neubrandenburg between 2006 and 2007.

General Kasdorf served as Deputy Commander, Army Forces Command in Coblenz from 2008 to 2009 and was Vice Chief of Staff German Army in Bonn from 2010 to 2012 General Kasdorf served operational assignments in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Afghanistan.

Kasdorf holds a degree in business administration from the Bundeswehr University, Hamburg after studies of economics and organizational sciences. He attended the U.S. Army Command and General Staff Officers Course in Fort Leavenworth from 1989 to 1990 and the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, PA, from 1999 to 2000.

Of the more than 7,700 international students that have graduated from CGSC, 257 officers from 70 countries have been inducted into the Hall. More than 50 percent of the college's international students achieve the rank of general officer. The College has graduated 28 international officers who went on to become heads of state.

The International Hall of Fame was established in 1973 jointly between the college, The Greater Kansas City Chapter of the Military Order of the World Wars, and the CGSC Alumni Association (now CGSC Foundation). Inductees are presented a certificate of honor by the Military Order of the World Wars and a lifetime membership from the CGSC Foundation. Their framed portrait is displayed, alongside earlier inductees, in the International Hall of Fame Gallery located on the 3rd floor of the Lewis and Clark Center.