FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
Lt. Gen. Jeffrey S. Buchanan took command of U.S. Army North (Fifth Army) Friday at the Quadrangle at Fort Sam Houston in front of family, friends, Soldiers and distinguished members of the community.
Air Force Gen. Lori J. Robinson, commander, Northern Aerospace Defense and United States Northern Command, presided over the change of command ceremony. Buchannan previously served as the Army North director of operations from May 2006 to November 2007.
“Having served at U.S. Army North and Fort Sam Houston earlier in my career, my family and I are thrilled to be back in Military City USA,” Buchanan said. “I’m honored for this opportunity to command Army North and serve as Senior Commander, Fort Sam Houston and Camp Bullis.”
“The service members, civilians, and contractors on these installations have accomplished great things,” he continued. “I look forward to building on those accomplishments through hard work and unity of effort.”
Buchanan received his commission as an infantry officer in May 1982 after graduating from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Ecology. He also holds a Master of Arts in Leadership Development from the United States Military Academy.
Buchanan’s military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses at Fort Benning, Ga.; the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.; and a Senior Service College Fellowship in Geneva, Switzerland.
His duty assignments include command and staff positions within the 82nd Airborne Division, 25th Infantry Division, 101st Airborne Division and 10th Mountain Division. He also served as a company and battalion tactical officer at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y; the director for operations (J3) of Joint Task Force Full Accounting, and the senior light infantry task force trainer at the National Training Center.
Buchanan served four tours in Iraq, and from 2003-2004 he was the Director of the Operations (C3), Coalition Military Assistance Training Team. Between 2004 and 2006, he commanded the 2nd Brigade, 75th Division (Mission Command Training) and deployed a second time to Iraq to serve as an advisor to the Iraqi Special Police Commando Division.
Upon his return, he served as the U.S. Army North (Fifth Army) director of operations at Fort Sam Houston until November 2007. From 2007 through 2009, he served as 10th Mountain Division deputy commanding general, including a deployment to Iraq as the Multi-National Division-South.
Following an assignment as the G-3/5/7 for the U.S. Army Reserve Command, he returned to Iraq for his fourth tour as the director of strategic effects (J9), U.S. Forces Iraq, from July 2010 to December 2011.
Buchanan served as I Corps deputy commanding general from 2012-2013, and then commanded the U.S. Army Military District of Washington/Joint Force Headquarters-National Capitol Region from 2013-2015. He most recently served as the Resolute Support DCOS-Operations/deputy commander (Operations) for US Forces-Afghanistan from 2015-2016.
He and his wife have been married 32 years and have three adult children.