Burwell B. Bell III

{{multiple issues| {{COI|date=September 2010}} {{BLP sources|date=June 2008}} }} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}{{Use American English|date=December 2024}} {{Infobox military person | name = Burwell B. Bell III | image = Bell Final Mil Pic.JPG | image_size = | alt = | caption = Official portrait, 2008 | nickname = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1947|04|09|df=y}} | birth_place = Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | burial_place = | allegiance = United States | branch = United States Army | service_years = 1969–2008 | rank = General | service_number = | unit = | commands = United Nations Command ROK-US Combined Forces Command United States Army Europe III Corps | battles = Gulf War | awards = {{nowrap|Defense Distinguished Service Medal (2)}} Army Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit (5) Bronze Star Medal | relations = Married with one son | other_work = }} '''Burwell Baxter Bell III''' (born 9 April 1947) is a retired United States Army four-star general.<ref name="oakridger_retire">{{cite news|title=Four-star general, Oak Ridge native Bell retiring Aug. 1|url=http://www.oakridger.com/localnews/x784972285/Four-star-general-Oak-Ridge-native-Bell-retiring-Aug-1|accessdate=19 August 2010|newspaper=The Oak Ridger|date=28 May 2008|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928025952/http://www.oakridger.com/localnews/x784972285/Four-star-general-Oak-Ridge-native-Bell-retiring-Aug-1|archivedate=28 September 2011}}</ref>

==Early life and education== Bell was born and raised in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, the son of Burwell B. Bell Jr. His father was a West Point graduate who worked in government nuclear facilities at Oak Ridge.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://apps.westpointaog.org/Memorials/Article/13235/|title=Burwell B. Bell, Jr. Jan 1943|author=Gen. B.B. Bell|publisher=westpointaog.org|access-date=2012-11-05|archive-date=2013-12-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216041247/http://apps.westpointaog.org/Memorials/Article/13235/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Bell is the great-great-grandson of Arkansas Governor Henry Massie Rector and Mississippi governor and senator James L. Alcorn. He graduated from Oak Ridge High School in 1965 and played high school football for the "Wildcats".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chattanoogan.com/2011/7/26/205840/Gen.-Bell-Heritage-High-School.aspx|title=Gen. Bell: Heritage High School Generals And Our Wounded Warriors-- Thank You|date=July 26, 2011|author=General B.B. Bell|work=Chattanoogan.com}}</ref> In 1969 he graduated from the University of Chattanooga (now the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga), where he was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2008/jun/10/tennessee-gen-bell-changes-command/|title=Gen. Bell changes command|author=Lauren Gregory|newspaper=Times Free-Press|location=Chattanooga, Tennessee|date=June 10, 2008|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216040438/http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2008/jun/10/tennessee-gen-bell-changes-command/|archivedate=December 16, 2013}}</ref> with a degree in Business Administration. As a Distinguished Military Graduate of the university's ROTC Program, Bell was commissioned in the United States Army in June 1969 as an Armor/Tank second lieutenant. Later, he received a Master of Science in Systems Management from the University of Southern California. Over the years, Bell also received Honorary Doctorate Degrees from the University of Maryland, University College; Keimyung University, South Korea; and the University of Tennessee.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}

==Military career== During his military service, Bell completed the United States Army Armor School, Armor Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, United States Army Command and General Staff College, and the National War College. He also completed the army's Ranger School where he was awarded the Ranger Tab.

From 1969 to 1972, Bell spent his initial assignment in the Army with the 3d Squadron, 14th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Bad Hersfeld, West Germany. During this initial three-year period of service during the Cold War, he led units patrolling the Iron Curtain between East and West Germany.

During his 39-year active duty career, Bell's command positions included L Troop, 3d Squadron, 14th Armored Cavalry Regiment; D troop, 5th Reconnaissance Squadron; the 2nd Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized); and the 24th Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team.

In 1994 Bell served as a Senior Military Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City, and has since been selected as a serving member on the council. Bell deployed as General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr.'s Executive Officer in Desert Shield and Desert Storm; and later served as Chief of Staff, USAREUR Forward Headquarters, Taszar, Hungary during Operation Joint Endeavor in the Balkans.

From June 1995 through August 1996 and as a brigadier general, Bell served as an Assistant Division Commander in both the 3d and 1st Infantry Divisions located at Warner Barracks in Bamberg, Germany.

From August 1996 to July 1999 Bell served as Chief of Staff of V Corps, and as Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations and subsequently Chief of Staff, United States Army, Europe and Seventh United States Army.

As a major general Bell commanded the United States Army Armor Center and Fort Knox from July 1999 through August 2001 at Fort Knox, Kentucky. As a lieutenant general, Bell commanded the Army's III Corps from August 2001 to November 2002, headquartered at Fort Hood, Texas. Following Corps Command, Bell was promoted to four-star general and commanded the United States Army, Europe and 7th Army, as well as NATO's Land Component Command, Heidelberg, Germany. On completion of his command assignments in Europe, in 2006 Bell was reassigned to South Korea where he commanded U.S. Forces, Korea, the Korea—U.S. Combined Forces Command, and the United Nations Command.

He retired from the Army in 2008.

Bell's staff positions included service as an ROTC instructor at Texas Tech University; Force Plans Analyst for the Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans in the Pentagon; and Joint Staff Officer responsible for the Unified Command Plan in the J5, Joint Chiefs of Staff, also in the Pentagon. Additionally, he was a tank battalion Operations Officer in Korea and the Chief of Staff of 3rd Infantry Division in Würzburg, Germany.

==Personal life== Bell endorsed Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in 2016, and again in 2024.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-receives-endorsements-from-88-military-leaders-1473192075|title=Donald Trump Receives Endorsement of 88 Military Leaders|last=Reinhard|first=beth|date=2016-09-06|work=The Wall Street Journal|accessdate=6 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=America |first=Flag Officers 4 |title=Flag Officers 4 America |url=https://flagofficers4america.com/sign-our-letter#66032789-fe00-4fac-bc6d-0326874415d7 |access-date=2024-11-18 |website=Flag Officers 4 America |language=en-US}}</ref>

10 March 2026, he sent a condolence message when General Lee Sang-hee passed away.<ref>[https://www.chosun.com/english/national-en/2026/03/13/KBGPUOBU6NGNZDBUWQEA7HHVNA Former U.S. Forces Korea Commander Pays Tribute to Late Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee]</ref>

==Awards and decorations== {| |- |80px |Ranger tab |- |80px |Army Staff Identification Badge |- |80px |United States Central Command Shoulder Sleeve Insignia |- |80px |9th Cavalry Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia |} {| |{{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Defense Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=80}} |Defense Distinguished Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster |- |80px |Army Distinguished Service Medal |- |80px |Defense Superior Service Medal |- |{{Ribbon devices|number=4|type=oak|ribbon=Legion of Merit ribbon.svg|width=80}} |Legion of Merit with four oak leaf clusters |- |80px |Bronze Star Medal |- |{{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=80}} |Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster |- |{{Ribbon devices|number=2|type=oak|ribbon=Army Commendation Medal ribbon.svg|width=80}} |Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters |- |{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Joint Meritorious Unit Award ribbon.svg|width=80}} |Joint Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster |- |{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Army Superior Unit Award ribbon.svg|width=80}} |Army Superior Unit Award |- |{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=80}}14px14px |National Defense Service Medal with two bronze service stars |- |{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Southwest Asia Service Medal ribbon (1991-2016), 3rd award.svg|width=80}} |Southwest Asia Service Medal with three service stars |- |{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Global War on Terrorism Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=80}} |Global War on Terrorism Service Medal |- |{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Korea Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=80}} |Korea Defense Service Medal |- |{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=Armed Forces Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=80}} |Armed Forces Service Medal with one service star |- |{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Army Service Ribbon.svg|width=80}} |Army Service Ribbon |- |{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Army Overseas Service Ribbon.svg|width=80}}15px |Army Overseas Service Ribbon with bronze award numeral 5 |- |80px |NATO Meritorious Service Medal |- |{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=NATO Medal Yugoslavia ribbon bar.svg|width=80}} |NATO Medal for Former Yugoslavia |- |80px |Polish Army Medal in gold |- |80px |Crosses of Military Merit, White Grand Cross (Spain) |- |80px |Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, Knight Commander's Cross |- |80px |Order of National Security Merit, Tong-il Medal |- |80px |Cross of Naval Merit (Spain) with yellow decoration (con distantivo amarillo) |- |{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) ribbon.svg|width=80}} |Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) |- |{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) ribbon.svg|width=80}} |Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Portal|Biography}} {{commons category}} * [http://www.koreasociety.org/dmdocuments/2008-01-28-us-rok-military-alliance-bell.mp3 Korea Society Podcast: General B.B. Bell Discusses the Evolution of the U.S.-Korea Military Alliance] *{{C-SPAN|1018838}}

{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{s-bef | before = Montgomery C. Meigs}} {{s-ttl | title = Commanding General of United States Army Europe | years = 2002–2005}} {{s-aft | after = David D. McKiernan}} {{s-bef | before = Leon J. LaPorte}} {{s-ttl | title = Commander of United Nations Command Commander of United States Forces Korea Commander of ROK/US Combined Forces Command | years = 2006–2008}} {{s-aft | after = Walter L. Sharp}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Burwell B., 3}} Category:1947 births Category:Living people Category:People from Oak Ridge, Tennessee Category:Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit Category:Texas Tech University faculty Category:United States Army generals Category:United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni Category:University of Tennessee at Chattanooga alumni Category:Recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal Category:Knights Commander of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Category:Recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal (United States) Category:Commanders, United States Forces Korea