Eric Wendt

Eric P. Wendt is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who last served as the 5th^[2] commander of the NATO Special Operations Headquarters, departing command on January 29, 2021. As a general officer, Wendt previously served as the United States Security Coordinator for the Israel-Palestinian Authority from November 2017 to October 2019, with prior general officer terms as the chief of staff of the United States Pacific Command from May 2015 to September 2016, as the commanding general of the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School from 2014 to 2015, as the commander of Special Operations Command Korea from 2012 to 2014,^{[3][4][5][6][7][8]} and as the deputy commander of Regional Command North of the International Security Assistance Force from 2011 to 2012 in Afghanistan.^[9]

Eric P. Wendt
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1986-2021
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands held	NATO Special Operations Headquarters John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School Special Operations Command Korea
Awards	Defense Distinguished Service Medal Army Distinguished Service Medal (2) Defense Superior Service Medal (3) Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal (3) German Gold Cross of Honour
Alma mater	University of California, Santa Barbara (BA) Naval Postgraduate School (MA)^[1]

Wendt was commissioned in the Army as a second lieutenant via the ROTC program at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1986, graduating with a B.A. degree in law and society, and later graduated from the Naval Postgraduate School with a M.A. degree in national security affairs. He retired effective March 1, 2021 after over 34 years of distinguished service, including over 4 years in the infantry and 30 years as a Special Forces Green Beret.^[10] He speaks Arabic and Korean.^[8]

President Donald Trump nominated him to be United States ambassador to Qatar on September 22, 2020, but his confirmation hearing was not scheduled before the 116th Congress permanently adjourned on January 3, 2021, so his nomination was returned without action.^[11]

References

1. later Senior College Fellow
2. "NATO SOF HQ (NSHQ) on Twitter: "LTG Eric P. Wendt assumed command as the 5th NSHQ commander in a change of command ceremony held at SHAPE. LTG Wendt received command from VADM Colin J. Kilrain during a ceremony presided over by SACEUR General Tod D. Wolters".
3. "Change of Command at NATO Special Operations Headquarters". shape.nato.int.
4. "NATO Special Operations Headquarters holds Change of Command". shape.nato.int.
5. "Wendt Eric P. - State of Qatar - September 2020".
6. "Camp Smith, HI - Major General Eric P. Wendt, U.S. Army". Retrieved 2021-05-22.
7. "Wendt takes helm of special ops command in South Korea". Stars and Stripes.
8. "Office of Special Operations - Lieutenant General Eric Wendt" (PDF). Retrieved 2021-05-22.
9. "RC-North female shura". DVIDS.
10. "PN344 — Army, 100th Congress (1987-1988)". 15 May 1987. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
11. "PN2244 — Eric P. Wendt — Department of State, 116th Congress (2019-2020)". 3 January 2021. Retrieved 2021-05-22.

Military offices
Preceded by Neil H. Tolley	Commander of Special Operations Command Korea 2012–2014	Succeeded by E. John Deedrick
Preceded by David G. Fox	Commanding General of the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School 2014–2015	Succeeded by James B. Linder
Preceded by John L. Dolan	Chief of Staff of the United States Pacific Command 2015–2016	Succeeded by Kevin Schneider
Preceded by Frederick S. Rudesheim	United States Security Coordinator of the Israel-Palestinian Authority 2017–2019	Succeeded by Mark C. Schwartz
Preceded by Colin J. Kilrain	Commander of the NATO Special Operations Headquarters 2019–2021	Succeeded by Rob Stephenson Acting