John W. Nicholson Jr.

John William Nicholson Jr. (born May 8, 1957) is a United States Army four-star general who has commanded U.S. Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A) and the Resolute Support Mission since March 2016, succeeding General John F. Campbell. He was previously commanding general, Allied Land Command from October 2014 and commander of the 82nd Airborne Division. Nicholson is the son of John W. Nicholson, also a former general officer in the United States Army, distantly related to British Brigadier John Nicholson (1822–1857).

Career
John W. ("Mick") Nicholson Jr. graduated from West Point in 1982 and was commissioned into the infantry. He earned a Bronze Star with "V" device as a paratroop lieutenant during the invasion of Grenada in 1983.

He was a strategist for Eric Shinseki at the point of the 9/11 attacks. He went on to do six tours in Afghanistan.

Nicholson was the deputy director of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization. He became commander of the 82nd Airborne Division in 2012.

In 2014 Nicholson took control of Allied Land Command in Izmir, Turkey.

Nicholson told the Senate Armed Services Committee in 2016 that "Since 9/11, the U.S. campaign in Afghanistan has largely defined my service." Nicholson was given command of the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, amid a worsening security situation.

Nicholson apologized in person for U.S. involvement in the Kunduz hospital airstrike.