Army general in command of Iraq dies of cancer at 67

WASHINGTON (AP) – Raymond T. Odierno, a retired army general who commanded US and coalition forces in Iraq at the height of the war and capped a 39-year career as chief of army staff, is deceased, his family said on Saturday. He was 67 years old.

“The general died after a courageous battle with cancer; his death was unrelated to COVID, ”a family statement said. “There are no further details to share at this time. Her family is grateful for this concern and requests respect for their privacy.”

Odierno died on Friday; the family refused to say where. He said information on the funeral and burial was not yet available.

A native of Rockaway, New Jersey, Odierno graduated from the US Military Academy in West Point, New York, in 1976 with a commission in field artillery. He has served in a wide range of roles in the military and the Department of Defense with multiple tours abroad including Iraq, Germany, Albania and Kuwait. As a three-star general, he was assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a position that made him the chief military adviser to the secretary of state.

Odierno flew three missions to Iraq, capped at two years, from 2008 to 2010, as the top US commander in Baghdad. He was replaced in this post by General Lloyd Austin, who is now Secretary of Defense. Odierno was Commander of the Multinational Corps in Iraq from 2006 to 2008.

When Odierno retired in 2015, he was replaced as Army Chief of Staff by General Mark Milley, the current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.

In a ceremony marking his retirement from the military, then Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter described him as a commander whose tenacity and operational acumen gave civilian leaders great confidence.

“His towering presence calmed the confused, and his courage and compassion helped carry the burden of loss and sacrifice,” Carter said.

Soldiers from his 4th Infantry participated in the capture of ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in December 2003. This success gave hope to quash an emerging insurgency, but in 2004 the insurgency collapsed. gained momentum and led to the murderous rise of Al-Qaida. in Iraq.

Three months ago, North Carolina State University announced that Odierno had joined its board of trustees. During his military career, he obtained a Master of Science in Nuclear Effects Engineering from the State of North Carolina. He was president of Odierno Associates, a consulting firm in Pinehurst, North Carolina.