General Joseph M. Martin is a retired U.S. Army Four-Star Officer. Before retiring in August 2022, Gen. Martin most recently served as the 37th Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army, responsible for running a 1.3-million-person global organization with an annual operating budget of $173 billion.
Prior to becoming the Army Vice Chief of Staff in July 2019, Gen. Martin held several key leadership positions. He was Director of the Army Staff, Commanding General of the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley, Commanding General U.S. Army National Training Center and Fort Irwin, and Deputy Commanding General-Training, Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth.
From his time in senior Army leadership, Gen. Martin gained significant experience in transforming multi-level organizations, integrating and synchronizing the efforts of diverse stakeholders, capital allocation to achieve optimal outcomes, enterprise-level talent management and leader development, and complex problem solving.
During his 37 years in the Army, Gen. Martin commanded conventional military forces at every level. He served five combat tours in Iraq, which included leading a 20-country coalition that successfully liberated Mosul, Iraq from the Islamic State Caliphate.
Early in his career, upon graduation from the Armor Officer Advanced Course, Mr. Martin was assigned to 4th Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment in the 1st Infantry Division where he commanded Company B during Operation Desert Storm and at Fort Riley, Kansas. Mr. Martin was also the commander of 1st Battalion of the 67th Armor Regiment in the 4th Infantry Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Martin’s awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal with “V” device, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Army Commendation Medal with “V” device. He also earned the Combat Action Badge and the Parachutist Badge.
Gen. Martin is a 1986 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he received his B.S. in Chemistry. He earned a Master of Education degree from the University of Louisville, and a Master of Strategic Studies degree from the Army War College. Additionally, he attended Leadership at the Peak. Mr. Martin was recognized by the University of Louisville as the 2021 Alumni of the Year.
He and his wife Leann have two grown children. The Martins reside in Keller, Texas.