{{short description|United States Army general}} {{Infobox military person |name= Kevin R. Wendel |image= Kevin R. Wendel, United States Army General.png |image_size= |alt= |caption= Wendel as commander of First Army Division East and interim commander of First United States Army, 2013 |nickname= |birth_date= {{birth year and age|1957}} |birth_place= Bridgewater Township, New Jersey |death_date= |death_place= |burial_place= |allegiance= United States |branch= United States Army |service_years= 1977–2014 |rank= Major General |service_number= |unit= |commands= Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan<br/>First United States Army<br/>First Army Division East<br/>20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and high-yield Explosives Command<br >3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division |battles= War in Afghanistan |awards= Army Distinguished Service Medal (2) |relations= |other_work= }}
'''Kevin R. Wendel''' (born {{Circa|1957}}) is a retired officer of the United States Army. He attained the rank of major general, and his assignments included interim commander of First United States Army, commander of First Army Division East, commander of the 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and high-yield Explosives Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, and commander of 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division.
==Early life and education== Kevin Robert Wendel{{sfn|"BRHS-W grads awarded diplomas"}} was born in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey circa 1957, the son of Fred W. Wendel and Marie Elizabeth (Burns) Wendel.{{sfn|"Wedding Announcement, Wendel-Kaiser"}}{{sfn|"Obituary, Marie Elizabeth Wendel"}} In 1975, he graduated from Bridgewater-Raritan High School West in Bridgewater, New Jersey.{{sfn|"BRHS-W grads awarded diplomas"}}{{sfn|"Wedding Announcement, Wendel-Kaiser"}} Wendel graduated from Valley Forge Military Academy and College with an associate degree in 1977{{sfn|"School Briefs: Kevin Wendel"}} and received his commission as a second lieutenant via Early Commissioning Program. He graduated from Furman University with a bachelor's degree in business administration{{sfn|"Division commander settles into new job"}} and completed the last two years of his Reserve Officers' Training Corps training there as an Infantry officer.{{sfn|"Division commander settles into new job"}}
==Military career== ===Field rank=== After completing the Infantry Officer Basic Course, Wendel served in a variety of command and staff positions in the United States, as well as completing assignments in South America, Europe and Southwest Asia.{{sfn|"Division commander settles into new job"}} He graduated from the Infantry Officer Advanced Course in 1983, after which he commanded Company D, 4th Battalion, 187th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, followed by command of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade, 101st Division.{{sfn|"Division commander settles into new job"}}
Wendel graduated from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in 1991, after which he held a variety of field grade officer staff positions,{{sfn|"Division commander settles into new job"}} and commanded 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment.{{sfn|''Hearings on National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999''}} He subsequently graduated from the United States Army War College, after which he served as special assistant to the commanding general of the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas.{{sfn|"Division commander settles into new job"}} Wendel holds a master's degree in public administration from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, and earned a master's degree in Strategic Studies and Theory from the Army War College.{{sfn|"Division commander settles into new job"}}
===20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and high-yield Explosives Command=== From 2000 to 2003, Wendel commanded 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division.{{sfn|"Division commander settles into new job"}} In August 2003, he was assigned as chief of the strategy division in the Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate (J-5) on the Joint Staff at The Pentagon.{{sfn|"Division commander settles into new job"}} From 2004 to 2005, Wendel was assigned as assistant deputy director for Strategy and Policy (J-5) on the Joint Staff.{{sfn|"Division commander settles into new job"}}
Wendel served as commander of the 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and high-yield Explosives Command (CBRNE) (originally called the 20th Support Command) at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland from 2005 to 2008.{{sfn|"Division commander settles into new job"}} His subsequent assignments included director of operational maneuver for United States Army Central in Kuwait, and deputy director of Operations for United States Africa Command.{{sfn|"Division commander settles into new job"}}
===General officer=== From 2011 to 2013, Wendel was commander of First Army Division East;{{sfn|"Division East changes commander but not mission focus"}} during 2013, he was interim commander of First United States Army following the departure of John Michael Bednarek to serve as Chief of the Office of Security Cooperation (OSC) in Iraq, and prior to the arrival of Michael S. Tucker to assume command of First Army.{{sfn|"Division East changes commander but not mission focus"}}
After leaving First Army, Wendel was assigned as commander of Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan (CSTC–A)/Ministerial Advisory Groups and Commander of North Atlantic Treaty Organization Training Mission – Afghanistan.{{sfn|"Division East changes commander but not mission focus"}} Wendel's first deputy commander with (CSTC–A) was Harold J. Greene,{{sfn|"Letter from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction"}} who was killed in action in August 2014.{{sfn|"Maj. Gen. Harold Greene, Army officer since 1980, is killed in Afghanistan"}} Wendel completed this assignment in October 2014, and was succeeded by Todd T. Semonite.{{sfn|"CSTC-A welcomes new commander"}}
==Awards== Wendel received the Army Distinguished Service Medal for his accomplishments while in command of the 20th CBRNE Command,{{sfn|"Snow assumes command of FORSCOM’s 20th SUPCOM"}} and again for his success while in command of First Army Division East and First United States Army.{{sfn|"Division East changes commander but not mission focus"}}
==Family== Wendel is the husband of Denise Jane Kaiser of Bridgewater, New Jersey.{{sfn|"Wedding Announcement, Wendel-Kaiser"}}{{sfn|"Obituary, Marie Elizabeth Wendel"}}{{sfn|"Division East changes commander but not mission focus"}}{{sfn|"Obituary, John Howard Kaiser"}} They graduated from high school together, and were married in 1979.{{sfn|"BRHS-W grads awarded diplomas"}}{{sfn|"Wedding Announcement, Wendel-Kaiser"}}
Kevin Wendel is one of four sons born to Fred and Marie Wendel; his brothers include Jeffrey, a retired commander in the United States Navy, Dale, and Greg, also a retired Navy commander.{{sfn|"Obituary, Marie Elizabeth Wendel"}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==Sources== ===Internet=== * {{cite news |last=Rhodes |first=Lisa R. |date=April 1, 2011 |title=Division commander settles into new job |url=https://www.army.mil/article/54235/Division_commander_settles_into_new_job |work=www.army.mil/ |location=Washington, DC |ref={{sfnRef|"Division commander settles into new job"}}}} * {{cite news |last=Glenn |first=Amanda C. |date=August 27, 2013 |title=Division East changes commander but not mission focus |url=https://www.army.mil/article/110044/Division_East_changes_commander_but_not_mission_focus |work=www.army.mil/ |location=Washington, DC |ref={{sfnRef|"Division East changes commander but not mission focus"}}}} * {{cite news |date=December 29, 2013 |title=Obituary, John Howard Kaiser |url=http://obits.nj.com/obituaries/starledger/obituary.aspx?pid=168811260 |work=Star-Ledger |location=Newark, NJ |ref={{sfnRef|"Obituary, John Howard Kaiser"}}}} * {{cite web |last=Sopko |first=John F. |url=https://www.sigar.mil/pdf/special%20projects/SIGAR-14-36-SP.pdf |title=Letter from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction |date=February 19, 2014 |publisher=United States Department of Defense |location=Washington, DC |page=1 |ref={{sfnRef|"Letter from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction"}} |access-date=March 1, 2017 |archive-date=December 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223134940/https://www.sigar.mil/pdf/special%20projects/SIGAR-14-36-SP.pdf |url-status=dead }} * {{cite news |last1=Martinez |first1=Michael |last2=Shoichet |first2=Catherine E. |last3=Sciutto |first3=Jim |date=August 6, 2014 |title=Maj. Gen. Harold Greene, Army officer since 1980, is killed in Afghanistan |url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/05/us/afghanistan-general-greene/ | work=CNN.com |location=Atlanta, GA |ref={{sfnRef|"Maj. Gen. Harold Greene, Army officer since 1980, is killed in Afghanistan"}}}} * {{cite news |last=Fallon |first=Michael J. |date=October 4, 2014 |title=CSTC-A welcomes new commander |url=http://www.hqda.army.mil/daen/engineer/MESSAGE%20TO%20THE%20REGIMENT%20105.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161020203619/http://www.hqda.army.mil/daen/engineer/MESSAGE%20TO%20THE%20REGIMENT%20105.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 20, 2016 |work=The Engineer Blast |publisher=Office of the Army Chief of Engineers |location=Washington, DC |page=1 |ref={{sfnRef|"CSTC-A welcomes new commander"}}}}
===Newspapers=== * {{cite news |date=June 23, 1975 |title=BRHS-W grads awarded diplomas |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/223078627/ |work=The Courier-News |location=Bridgewater, NJ |page=12 |url-access=subscription |ref={{sfnRef|"BRHS-W grads awarded diplomas"}}}} * {{cite news |date=June 28, 1977 |title=School Briefs: Kevin Wendel |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/222901499/ |work=The Courier-News |location=Bridgewater, NJ |page=4 |quote=Kevin Wendel of Bridgewater was awarded a teo-year Army R.O.T.C. scholarship recently. He will attend Furman University, Greenville, S.C. |url-access=subscription |ref={{sfnRef|"School Briefs: Kevin Wendel"}}}} * {{cite news |date=December 19, 1979 |title=Wedding Announcement, Wendel-Kaiser |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/222974071/ |work=The Courier-News |location=Bridgewater, NJ |page=26 |url-access=subscription |ref={{sfnRef|"Wedding Announcement, Wendel-Kaiser"}}}} * {{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Yvonne |date=July 17, 2008 |title=Snow assumes command of FORSCOM's 20th SUPCOM |url=https://www.apg.army.mil/PDF/APGNEWS/archives/pdf2008/July1708/July1708.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161025191432/https://www.apg.army.mil/PDF/APGNEWS/archives/pdf2008/July1708/July1708.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 25, 2016 |work=APG News |location=Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD |page=1 |ref={{sfnRef|"Snow assumes command of FORSCOM’s 20th SUPCOM"}}}} * {{cite news |date=May 30, 2014 |title=Obituary, Marie Elizabeth Wendel |url=http://obits.nj.com/obituaries/starledger/obituary.aspx?pid=171171075 |work=Star-Ledger |location=Newark, NJ |ref={{sfnRef|"Obituary, Marie Elizabeth Wendel"}}}}
===Books=== * {{cite book |last=Military Readiness Subcommittee, United States House of Representatives Armed Services Committee |date=1999 |title=Hearings on National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tQlt9tdwL_8C&q=%22kevin+r.+wendel%22 |location=Washington, DC |publisher=US Government Printing Office |page=227 |ref={{sfnRef|''Hearings on National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999''}}|isbn=9780160579165 }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wendel, Kevin R.}} Category:1950s births Category:Living people Category:Bridgewater-Raritan High School alumni Category:People from Bridgewater Township, New Jersey Category:United States Army generals Category:United States Army personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Category:Valley Forge Military Academy and College alumni Category:Furman University alumni Category:Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania alumni Category:United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni Category:United States Army War College alumni Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Category:Military personnel from Somerset County, New Jersey Category:Year of birth missing (living people)