Commanding General, USAACE and Fort Rucker

Major General William Gayler is a Distinguished Military Graduate of North Georgia College in Dahlonega, Georgia, where he was commissioned as an Aviation Officer in 1988.

Gayler’s key command assignments include C/2-227th Aviation Regiment in Hanau, Germany; D/2-227th Aviation Regiment in Germany and Bosnia-Herzegovina; A/1-14th Aviation Regiment in Mesa, Arizona; 3-101st (Eagle Attack) Aviation Regiment in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and Iraq; 101st Combat Aviation Regiment (Destiny) in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and Afghanistan; Deputy Commanding General (Support), 7th Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington; Director, Officer Personnel Management Directorate, Human Resources Command, Fort Knox, Kentucky; and Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Army Europe.

Gayler’s key staff assignments include Aide-de-Camp to the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Aviation Center at Fort Rucker, Alabama; Battalion S3 and Executive Officer with 2-101st Aviation Regiment at Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Brigade S3 and Executive Officer with 101st Aviation Brigade at Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Deputy Director of the Directorate of Evaluations and Standardization at Fort Rucker, Alabama; Deputy G3 RESET Chief of the 101st Airborne Division (AASLT); and Chief of Staff, 101st Airborne Division (AASLT) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

Major deployment history includes Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, 1990-1991; Former Yugoslavia/Bosnia-Herzegovina, 1995-1996; Operation Iraqi Freedom I, 2003; Operation Iraqi Freedom V-VII, 2005-2006; and Operation Enduring Freedom X, 2010-2011. 

Gayler holds two master’s degrees, one in Military Arts and Sciences and one in National Security Strategy. Gayler is a graduate of the Command and General Staff College and the National War College. 

Gayler’s most recent assignment was Deputy Commanding General, US Army Europe. He is a Master Army Aviator and Standardization Instructor Pilot in the AH-64D Longbow Apache and also rated in the OH-58A/C Kiowa.  His awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit (3-OLC), Bronze Star Medal (2-OLC), Meritorious Service Medal (5-OLC), Air Medal (Numeral 6), Army Commendation Medal (2-OLC), Army Achievement Medal (1-OLC), Air Assault Badge, and the Combat Action Badge.