Brigadier General Robert D. Harter, a native of both Alaska and Virginia, was commissioned in the Field Artillery Corps in 1988, after graduating from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business and Communications. He also holds a Masters in Strategic Studies from the National War College.
Brig. Gen. Harter assumed responsibilities as Director of the Staff for the Office of the Chief of Army Reserve (OCAR) on Nov. 9, 2015. He was previously assigned as the Army Reserve Senior Representative to the 39th Army Chief of Staff of the Army Transition Team. As the Director of the OCAR Staff, Brig. Gen. Harter is responsible for synchronizing the actions of the 400-person Army Reserve Headquarters based at Fort Belvoir, Va., in support of the Chief of Army Reserve’s priorities.
Brig. Gen. Harter’s active duty assignments include the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Bad Hersfeld, Germany, where he participated in multiple border security missions before the fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification, and deployed to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in support of Operation Desert Storm; the 101st Corps Support Group, where he served as a Group Maintenance Officer and Battalion Operations Officer; Commander, 584th Direct Support Maintenance Company, Fort Campbell, Ky.; and as an instructor at the Ordnance (Ammunition) Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Redstone Arsenal, Ala.
Brig. Gen. Harter transferred to the Active Guard Reserve program in 1999. His AGR assignments include: Training Chief for Readiness, 99th Regional Readiness Command, Pittsburgh, Pa.; Support Operations Officer, 55th Sustainment Brigade, Fort Belvoir, Va.; Distribution Management Chief, 316th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, mobilized to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom; Branch Chief, Force Protection Branch, Joint Staff J8, Force Structure, Resources, and Assessment, Washington, D.C.; Executive Officer, Office of the Chief of Army Reserve, Washington, D.C.; and Assistant Chief of Staff, Office of the Chief of Army Reserve, Fort Belvoir, Va.
Brig. Gen. Harter’s awards include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and the Parachutist and Air Assault badges. He is a graduate of the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course, Ordnance Officer Advanced Course, Combined Arms and Services Staff School, Command and General Staff College and the National War College. Brig. Gen. Harter and his wife have been married more than 27 years and they have three children.