Columbus, Ga. – The U.S. Army Infantry School Commandant and Chief of Infantry pinned on his first star Aug. 20, 2024, during a promotion ceremony at the National Infantry Museum.
Brig. Gen. Phillip J. Kiniery III, who also serves as the director of the Soldier Lethality Cross Functional Team, said this promotion represents his opportunity for continued service.
“Serving our nation is not a paycheck or free education, it’s a lifestyle — one that I can never imagine not living,” Kiniery said.
The 25-year veteran grew up as an Army brat whose father, retired Command Sgt. Maj. Phillip Kiniery Jr., served 32 years in the Army. The Kiniery family legacy of service also extends to his mother, Marla, and younger brother, Matthew, who each served eight years.
“You can see what he learned as a child growing up in that family,” said Gen. Andrew P. Poppas, commanding general of U.S. Army Forces Command at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, who presided over the ceremony. “It’s a family of commitment, selfless service, and sacrifice.”
Kiniery’s wife, Elizabeth, and son, Ethan, added new one-star rank to his uniform’s shoulder epaulettes. His father presented his general officer belt and was joined by the Infantry School’s Command Sgt. Maj. Jason P. Dein to present Kiniery’s general officer flag.
Poppas spoke about serving with Kiniery during four of his own deployments.
“As you go into the cauldron of combat, and you’re with a person you can trust … it’s a person when the hard times come, you know you can lean on,” Poppas said. “That’s Phil.”
Poppas went on to describe Kiniery’s accomplishments during each of those shared deployments, which aligned with formative phases of his career – as a company commander, a field grade officer, and a deputy commanding general. Kiniery impressed Poppas with his leadership abilities early while serving as a young captain.
“He drove standards and was always out front,” Poppas said. “He trained (his Soldiers) not until they got it right, but until they couldn’t get it wrong because he knew the importance of that level of proficiency in combat …” What distinguished Kiniery from all other leaders, Poppas said, was his depth of empathy.
“When I look at Phil and what he’s accomplished and why we’re promoting him today … every formation he’s been a part of, he’s put it on his back and he’s elevated it,” Poppas said.
Kiniery accomplishes these herculean feats, Poppas said, through mentoring individual subordinates, a task the new general officer gladly shoulders to “give his rank to those he serves.”
Great commanders throughout his career allowed him to make numerous mistakes, Kiniery said, taking the opportunity to correct him and demonstrate what right looks like.
“The greatest trait all these leaders impressed upon me is their deep respect for the noncommissioned officer,” Kiniery said. “Like most officers leading our Army, we can attribute our success to an NCO who shaped us … I thank God for blessing me and allowing me to cross paths with all these warrior leaders.”
Though surrounded by servant leaders throughout his life, Kiniery attributes his desire to serve to his mother, who after leaving the Army continued to serve as a teacher for the remainder of her career. The Kiniery matriarch passed away in November, or she would have been the only one not surprised at his promotion to the rank of general officer, Kiniery said.
“I have learned over the past 25 years the Army is so great it doesn’t need me, but I need it, and I’ll continue to serve for as long as it lets me,” Kiniery said.
Kiniery earned his commission as a second lieutenant of Infantry in 1999 through the Reserve Officer Training Corps at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He also holds a Master of Education degree in continuing education from Kansas State University, and a Master of Science in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College.
During his 25-year Army career, Kiniery has completed 25 assignments, including six operational assignments and one joint assignment. He has deployed three times to Afghanistan and three times to Iraq. Before becoming the Chief of the Infantry, Kiniery served as the deputy commander (operations), 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
Photos of the Kiniery’s promotion ceremony are available for download here: https://fortmoore.smugmug.com/Maneuver-Center/MCoE-Events/2024-08-20-Brig-Gen-Kiniery-Promotion-Ceremony.
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