NSSC Senior Commander
BG John J. McGuiness
Senior Commander,
US Army Natick Soldier Systems Center
Deputy to Commanding General of RDECOM
Natick, Massachusetts 01760
Brig. Gen. John J. McGuiness will assume the duties of Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command and Senior Commander of the Natick Soldiers System Center, Natick, Mass. May 10, 2011.
He is a 1983 graduate of the United States Military Academy. He also earned a Master of Science degree in Systems Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology and a Master of Science degree in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College.
Before his assignment as RDECOM Deputy Commanding General and Senior Command of the Natick Soldiers System Center, Natick, Mass., Brig. Gen. McGuiness served as Deputy Commander for Programs, Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan.
He is a graduate of the Infantry Officer Basic Course, the Armor Officer Advanced Course, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, the U.S. Army War College, and the Senior Service College Fellowship at Harvard University.
His other assignments include Rifle Platoon Leader, Company C, later Anti-Armor Platoon Leader, later Executive Officer, Company E, later Liaison Officer, 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Carson, Colorado. He served as the S-3 (Air), 2d Battalion, 6th Infantry Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Germany; as the Commander, Company A, later Commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2d Battalion, 1st Armored Division, Germany.
Brig. Gen. McGuiness served as Infantry Systems Officer, and later as Assistant Product Manager (Mortars), U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, Picatinny Arsenal, N.J. He served as a Staff Officer with the Close Combat Systems Directorate, and later Systems Integration Officer, Department of the Army Systems Coordinator-Bradley, and later the Staff Officer, Office of the Assistant Secretary (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology), U.S. Army Security Agency, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. He served as Product Manager, Bradley Fire Support Vehicle, Program Executive Office, Ground Combat Systems, Warren, Michigan and OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, Iraq. He also served as Executive Officer and Military Assistant for the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology), Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Later, he served as Project Manager, Soldier Equipment, Program Executive Office Soldier, Fort Belvior, Va. and Assistant Deputy for Acquisition and Systems Management, ASA (ALT), Washington, D.C.
His awards, decorations and badges include the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (with three Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal (with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters), the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Parachutist Badge, Ranger Tab and Army Staff Identification Badge.