Preston M. Geren
Former Secretary of U.S. Army (2007-September 2009)
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Geren took the reins as the Army secretary in 2007 when a dark cloud hung over the service for its treatment of wounded soldiers at the Walter Reed Army Medical Facility in Washington, D.C.In September 2009, Geren stepped down when former New York Rep. John McHugh (R), previously the ranking House Armed Services Committee member, replaced him.
In 2007, President George W. Bush nominated Geren, a former congressman with strong ties to the Hill, for the Army's top civilian post when then-Army Secretary Francis Harvey was ousted over his handling of the revelations of shoddy living conditions at Walter Reed and the poor treatment of wounded soldiers there.
- Alma Mater: University of Texas, B.A., 1974; University of Texas Law School, J.D., 1978
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Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Geren's road to the Army's top civilian post wound through law school, a career as an attorney and a seat in the U.S. Congress.
In 1974, Geren received his B.A. from the University of Texas before getting his J.D. in 1978 from the University of Texas Law School. An attorney and businessman in Fort Worth, Geren was first elected to the House in 1989 in a special election to succeed former House Speaker Jim Wright (D) for the 12th district. A Democrat, Geren served until 1997 when he opted not to seek re-election. During his House tenure, Geren was a member of the House Armed Services and the Science and Technology committees, and the House Public Works and Transportation panel.
The ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have placed a heavy burden on the Army, both in terms of personnel and equipment. The Bush administration's plan to "surge" the number of troops in Iraq in 2007 and into 2008 led the Army to boost the average stint of soldiers' deployments from more than12 months to 15 months, with one year spent at home between deployments.
Army units heading to war after the fall of 2008 are expected to revert back to the one-year deployment schedule. However, Geren told an audience at the Center for National Policy on Nov. 18, 2008, that 12 months between deployments is not enough time to properly train units for anything except their own job and that soldiers instead need 18 to 24 months at their home bases.
- "Army studies suicides; Officials vow to release information throughout 5-year investigation," Air Force Times, Nov. 17, 2008
- Washington Post Investigation of Walter Reed
- Tiron, Roxana, "Army Secretary fears crisis will hit Army funding," The Hill, Sept. 29, 2008
- "Sizing is Biggest Challenge for U.S. Army," States News Service, Nov. 18, 2008
- Lou, Michael, "Soldiers Testify Over Poor Care At Walter Reed," New York Times, March 5, 2007
- "Warrior Care: Survivability Begins With Soldiers on the Battlefield, Leaders Say," Congressional Quarterly Federal Department and Agency Documents, Nov. 7, 2008
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