FORT IRWIN—Ted Martin, the commander of the National Training Center at Fort Irwin since February 2013 and one of the U.S. Military’s leading experts on countermeasures to the improvised explosive devices used with such devastating effect against American soldiers in Iraq, has been promoted to major general.
Martin, who was a brigadier general when he arrived at Fort Irwin last year, received his second star on January 24.
The promotion ceremony was officiated over by General Daniel Ally, the commanding general of the United States Army Forces Command, who had travelled from his headquarters at Fort Bragg to confer the honor on Martin.
Martin serves as the training lead for the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization, maintaining and managing a counter-improvised explosive device training unit. He is also responsible for enabling the development and propagation of new operational techniques and tactical procedures and provides a venue for training and support for the experimentation and testing of emerging counter–improvised explosive device equipment and concepts.
He attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point from 1979 to 1983, was commissioned an armor officer upon graduation and in 1987 completed the Infantry Officer Advance Course after serving his initial company grade assignments at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He was then stationed at Schweinfurt, Germany, where he was the commander of Charlie Company, and later, assistant S3 (Air), 2d Battalion, 64th Armor, 3d Infantry Division (Mechanized).
Martin later served three years as a staff officer in the U.S. Army Combined Arms Command, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He then spent two years as a senior military advisor for the Saudi Arabian National Guard Modernization Program, Saudi Arabia.
He has served in a number of other command assignments, including commander of 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry, 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Hood, Texas, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq; commander, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq; commander, Operations Group, National Training Center, Fort Irwin; Commandant and 45th Chief of Armor, U.S. Army Armor School, Fort Benning, Georgia. Prior to his current assignment, he served as the 73rd Commandant of Cadets, U.S. Military Academy.
His other assignments include serving as the G3 for the 4th Infantry Division and Task Force IRONHORSE in Iraq; the Iraq field team leader for the Joint IED Defeat Task Force in Baghdad, Iraq, and as the chief of the Armor Branch Division, and later, as chief of the Combat Arms Division, U.S. Army Human Resources Command, Arlington, Virginia.
Martin has a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College, a master’s degree in strategic studies from the Army War College, a master’s degree in business from Webster University and a bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Military Academy.
His awards, decorations and badges include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit (two oak leaf clusters), Bronze Star Medal (with ‘V’ device), Bronze Star Medal (oak leaf cluster), Meritorious Service Medal (six oak leaf clusters), Army Commendation Medal (oak leaf cluster), Army Achievement Medal (five oak leaf clusters), the Combat Action Badge and Parachutist Badge.
All three of Martin’s brothers are graduates of West Point. His father served in the Navy and Army and served in Korea and Vietnam before medically retiring in 1969. Martin and his brothers are the tenth generation of his family to serve in the U.S Military, spanning back to the Revolutionary War, when Pvt. Daniel Martin fought against the British as an enlisted member of the 1st New Jersey Infantry Regiment, including participating in the storied encampment at Valley Forge.