USAREUR Bids Farewell To Brigadier General Hort

By Sgt. 1st Class John S. WollalstonMay 9, 2016

Brigadier General Hort Retirement
Brigadier General John Hort U.S. Army Europe G-3 (center) stands with his wife Raylene (left) and U.S. Army Europe Commanding General Lieutenant General Ben Hodges (right) as a Presidential Certificate of Appreciation is read during General Hort's re... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

CLAY KASERNE, Germany -- Family, friends and peers of Brig. Gen. John Hort, the Deputy Chief of Staff for U.S. Army Europe, recently gathered to bid him farewell after 33 years of service. They held a retirement ceremony in his honor at the U.S. Army Europe Headquarters Freedom Field.

Commissioned as an Infantry Officer from the University of North Carolina in 1983, Hort's career took him across the globe from hotspots like Panama and Iraq to peace-keeping missions in Macedonia. He served in increasing levels of responsibility, culminating with his position as the USAREUR Operations Commander for the last 12 months.

Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, the U.S. Army Europe Commanding General was the host for the ceremony. Hodges spoke highly of his Operations Officer, noting that they didn't see much of each other over the last year due to Hort's efforts to implement Hodge's goal Strong Europe campaign goal of making, "thirty thousand look like three hundred thousand.".

In addition to receiving a certificate of retirement from the Armed Forces of the United States, Hort was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal and a Certificate of Appreciation for his service signed by the President of The United States.

The highlight of the ceremony came when Hort's father, John Hort a retired Lieutenant Colonel and decorated Vietnam veteran, helped to case his son's One-Star General Officer flag.

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