Donald L. Rutherford
| The Very Reverend Donald L. Rutherford | |
|---|---|
Official portrait of CH (MG) Rutherford, 2011
| |
| Born | 4 August 1955 Kinderhook, New York, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Army Army Reserve (1977–1990) |
| Service years | 1977–2015 |
| Rank | Major general |
| Commands | U.S. Army Chaplain Corps (CCH) |
| Conflicts | Gulf War War on terror Iraq War |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit (3) Bronze Star Medal Meritorious Service Medal (5) |
| Education | University at Albany (BA) University of Rochester (MDiv) U.S. Army War College (MSS) |
| Church | Catholic (Latin Church) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1981 by Howard Hubbard |
Donald L. Rutherford (born 4 August 1955) is an American Army officer and a Roman Catholic priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany who served as the 23rd Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army.
Biography
Rutherford attended the State University of New York, where he was a member of the ROTC program. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Sociology. After receiving a delay of duty so that he could enter priestly formation at Saint Bernard's Seminary, Rutherford was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Albany in 1981. After ordination, he served in the United States Army Reserves as chaplain to the 364th General Hospital. He entered active duty in 1990.[1]
Rutherford served in Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Hurricane Andrew Relief, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He served as chaplain to United States Army Europe and the 7th Army, Camp Victory, XVIII Airborne Corps, the 3rd Infantry Division, and the 82nd Airborne Division.[1]
On 18 February 2011, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced that Rutherford was nominated for promotion to major general and assignment of Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army.[2] He assumed this role on 7 July 2011.[3][1] He was succeeded by Paul K. Hurley on 22 May 2015.[4]
He currently serves as the Vicar for Clergy for the Diocese of Albany.[5]
Awards and decorations
Rutherford's awards and decorations include:[1]
|
Combat Action Badge |
|
Basic Parachutist Badge |
|
Army Staff Identification Badge |
|
82nd Airborne Division Combat Service Identification Badge |
|
U.S. Army Chaplain Corps Distinctive Unit Insignia |
|
4 Overseas Service Bars |
|
Army Distinguished Service Medal |
 
|
Legion of Merit (with two bronze oak leaf clusters) |
|
Bronze Star |
|
Meritorious Service Medal (with four bronze oak leaf clusters) |
|
Army Commendation Medal |
|
Army Achievement Medal |
|
Army Presidential Unit Citation |
|
Joint Meritorious Unit Award |
|
Valorous Unit Award |
|
Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal |
 
|
National Defense Service Medal (with one bronze service star) |
|
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal |
.svg){kind=small}
|
Southwest Asia Service Medal (with two bronze service stars) |
|
Iraq Campaign Medal |
|
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal |
|
Humanitarian Service Medal |
|
Armed Forces Reserve Medal |
|
Army Service Ribbon |
|
Overseas Service Ribbon |
_ribbon.svg){kind=small}
|
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) |
_ribbon.svg){kind=small}
|
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) |
See also
- Armed Forces Chaplains Board
- Chiefs of Chaplains of the United States
References
- Back to citation occurrence 1.0 Back to citation occurrence 1.1 Back to citation occurrence 1.2 Back to citation occurrence 1.3 "Biography of Chaplain (Major General) Donald L. Rutherford" (PDF). United States Army. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- Back to citation Carleton Birch, OCCH (February 18, 2011). "Deputy Chief of Chaplains nominated for second star". www.army.mil. United States Army. Retrieved February 28, 2011.
- Back to citation Chelsea Place, Pentagram Newspaper (July 22, 2011). "Rutherford assumes role as chief of Army chaplains". www.army.mil. United States Army. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
- Back to citation Julia LeDoux, Pentagram Staff Writer (May 28, 2015). "Hurley installed as new Army chief of chaplains, pins on two stars". www.army.mil. United States Army. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
- Back to citation "Vicar for the Clergy". Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany. Archived from the original on Sep 6, 2024.
External links
- U.S. Army biography
- Appearances on C-SPAN
