Gen. Robert B. "Abe" Abrams assumed command of the U.S. Army Forces Command in August 2015. Previously, he served as a senior military assistant to the secretary of defense, Washington, D.C., and was commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga. During his 33 years in uniform, he has served in command and staff positions across the Army, joint and DoD community in Germany, the U.S. and Southwest Asia. He has commanded at every level from company through division, and deployed in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy and holds master’s degrees from Central Michigan University and the U.S. Army War College.

Commander, Operations Group - National Training Center

Colonel Christopher R. Norrie most recently commanded the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado.  His previous tours include Director of the Chief of Staff of the Army’s Coordination Group, Washington DC (2014-2015); Division G3 (Operations), 1st Armored Division; Commander, 6th Squadron, 1st U.S. Cavalry (Stryker Reconnaissance Squadron), 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas; S3 (Operations), 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division with duty in Kirkuk Iraq (2010); S3 (Operations), 4th Squadron, 9th U.S. Cavalry (Armored Reconnaissance Squadron), 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division with duty in Baghdad, Iraq (2006-2008); Secretary of the General Staff, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; Observer/Controller (Cobra Team), National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California; Commander, Tank and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 8th U.S. Cavalry with duty in Bosnia-Herzegovina; S4, 1st Battalion, 8th U.S. Cavalry, Fort Hood, Texas; Tank Company Executive Officer, 2nd Battalion, 70th Armored Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas; Aide-de-Camo to the Deputy Commanding General (Maneuver), 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas; and Tank and Scout Platoon Leader, 4th Battalion, 37th Armored Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley.

Colonel Norrie is a Distinguished Military graduate of Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania and holds Masters Degrees in Business Administration from Embry-Riddle University and in National Security Strategy from the National War College.  He is also a graduate of the U.S. Army Armor Officer Basic Course, Infantry Officer Advanced Course, and the Command and General Staff College.

His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal (three awards, one with Valor), Meritorious Service Medal (four awards), Iraq Campaign Medal, NATO Medal, and the Combat Action Badge.

Commanding General, 1st Infantry Division

Major General Joseph M. Martin graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1986 and was commissioned as an Armor officer.Maj. Gen. Martin has served in a variety of troop assignments.  From 1987 to 1990 he served as a Tank Platoon Leader, Scout Platoon Leader, and Company Executive Officer in the 1st Battalion, 37thArmor Regiment in the 1st Armored Division.  Upon graduation from the Armor Officer Advanced Course, Maj. Gen. 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. Maj. Gen. Martin then commanded the 1stBattalion, 67th Armor Regiment in the 4th Infantry Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom in Ba’Qubah, Iraq and at Fort Hood, Texas. Maj. Gen. Martin commanded the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division from Fort Riley, Kansas, and deployed with that command to serve in northwest Baghdad, Iraq. Following brigade command, Maj. Gen. Martin became the Chief of Staff of III Corps in Fort Hood, Texas. From June 2012 to April 2013, Maj. Gen. Martin commanded the U.S. Army Operational Test Command. Maj. Gen. Martin served as the Deputy Commanding General (Maneuver) for the 1st Cavalry Division. His most recent assignment was as the Commanding General for the National Training Center and Fort Irwin, California.Maj. Gen. Martin’s non-troop assignments include: Observer Controller, Fort Irwin, California;  Instructor/Writer and Aide to the Commanding General at the United States Armor Center at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Maj. Gen. Martin also served as a Battalion Operations Officer, Aide to the III Corps Commanding General and Brigade Operations Officer at Fort Hood, Texas.  Additionally, Maj. Gen. Martin served as the Armor Branch Chief and Chief of the Maneuver, Fires and Effects Division at the United States Army Human Resources Command in Alexandria, Virginia. He also served as the Initiatives Group Director for the Commander, U.S. Forces Iraq and U.S. Joint Forces Command.Maj. Gen. Martin holds a Master’s in Education from the University of Louisville. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the United States Army War College.Maj. Gen. 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.

Adjutant General, Georgia Department of Defense

Major General Joe Jarrard graduated from North Georgia College and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army in 1988.  He served on Active Duty for over 20 years.

Appointed by the Governor of the State of Georgia in 2014, Maj. Gen. Jarrard serves as the 42nd Adjutant General of the Georgia Department of Defense. Previously, he served for more than three years as the Assistant Adjutant General - Army and Commanding General of the Georgia Army National Guard.

Under his leadership, the Georgia Army National Guard was selected by U.S. Army Forces Command to lead the way in implementing the Army's Associated Unit Program - the only state organization to have both division and battalion level associations with the Active Army component. This is a 5-year pilot program in which Georgia's 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is directly aligned with the 3rd Infantry Division.

Furthering international theater security cooperation initiatives, the Georgia National Guard was selected by the National Guard Bureau for a second partner country (Argentina) for the U.S. State Partnership Program. This is in addition to the Georgia National Guard's 24-year partnership with the Country of Georgia.

Locally, the Georgia Department of Defense has recently opened a third Youth Challenge Academy (Milledgeville), making Georgia one of only three states with three academies. Georgia was also selected to establish one of only three cyber protection Teams in the National Guard, placing Georgia in the forefront of cyber defense.

While on active duty, Maj. Gen. Jarrard served at numerous duty stations to include Germany; Fort Stewart, Ga.; Fort Riley, Kan. and Fort Bragg, N.C. He deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and 2005.  He also worked as a defense contractor in Afghanistan from April 2010 to September 2011.

Major General Jarrard's awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster and Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster.

He and his wife, Susan, have three sons, Ben, Will and Joseph.

Performing the Duties of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness

Dr. Elizabeth P. Van Winkle is performing the duties of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness.

Dr. Elizabeth P. Van Winkle served as the Principal Director for Force Resiliency under the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. In this role, Dr. Van Winkle acted as the principal staff advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness, the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, and the Secretary of Defense for developing policies, providing oversight, and integrating activities in the areas of sexual assault prevention and response, suicide prevention, diversity management, equal opportunity, drug demand reduction and other personnel risk reduction efforts, and for Department of Defense collaborative efforts with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Dr. Van Winkle works with counterparts from across the entire Department of Defense, including the Office of the Secretary of Defense; the Military Departments (to include the Chiefs/Directors of Service Reserve Components); the Joint Staff; the Chief, National Guard Bureau; the Defense Agencies; the Combatant Commands; staff members from other Executive Branch Departments, and Members of Congress.

Prior to her appointment as Principal Director, Dr. Van Winkle was the Director of the Health and Resilience Research and Surveys program within the Office of People Analytics (OPA). In this position, Dr. Van Winkle oversaw survey and research efforts on topics of health, well-being, morale, and resilience in support of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. She served as the Principal Investigator (PI) for the Workplace and Gender Relations surveys (WGRs), Military Justice Experience surveys (MIJES), Service Academy Gender Relations surveys (SAGR), Workplace and Equal Opportunity surveys (WEOs), and related focus group studies.

Prior to her work at the Department of Defense, Dr. Van Winkle was a senior clinician on a specialized trauma services team in Washington, D.C.. In this position she provided direct and group services to individuals with co-occurring psychiatric disorders and PTSD as a result of psychological, physical, and sexual trauma.

Dr. Van Winkle holds a Ph.D. in Applied Experimental Psychology from The Catholic University of America, an M.A. in Sociology from Boston University, and B.A. in Psychology and English from Kenyon College. She is a published author on the impact of combat stress on symptoms of PTSD, the impact of deployments on military spouse well-being, and numerous technical reports on sexual assault and harassment in military populations. She resides in Alexandria, VA with her husband and two children.