Joseph Votel

Joseph L. Votel is a lieutenant general in the United States Army and the former Special Operations Command Chief of Staff. In June 2011, Votel succeeded Admiral William McRaven as the commander of the Joint Special Operations Command.

Early career
Votel attended the United States Military Academy and was commissioned in 1980. He began his career as a Rifle Platoon Leader, later becoming the Executive Officer, A Company, later S-1 (Personnel), moving up to Commander, A Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division, United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany.

Other assignments include: Small Groups Tactics Instructor, United States Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia; Plans/Liaison Officer, later S-3 (Plans), 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Georgia, and Operation Just Cause, Panama; Staff Officer, Contingency Initiatives Branch, Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff, Plans and Policy, Allied Forces Southern Europe, Naples, Italy and NATO Peace Implementation Force (IFOR), Sarajevo; Commander, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Georgia, and Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq.

General Officer
As a general officer, he served as Deputy Director, Joint IED Defeat Organization, Office of the Deputy Secretary of Defense, Washington, DC. He also served as Deputy Commanding General (Operations), 82d Airborne Division/Deputy Commanding General (Operations), Combined Joint Task Force 76, Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan, and, most recently, Deputy Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Education
His military schools include Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, United States Army Command and General Staff College, and the United States Army War College.