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MG Robert D. Harter

Commanding General, 81st Readiness Division

Major General Robert D. Harter assumed duties as the Commanding General, 81st Readiness Division, US Army Reserve, Fort Jackson, S.C. on September 20, 2022, after most recently serving as the Deputy Chief of Army Reserve, Office of the Chief of Army Reserve (OCAR), Army Pentagon, Wash., D.C. 

He is a native of both Alaska and Virginia. He 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 National Security Strategy from the National War College.

His prior General Officer assignments include the Assistant DCG for Reserve Affairs and full time Chief of Staff for United States Army Materiel Command (AMC), Redstone Arsenal, Ala., where he was responsible for integrating headquarters operations in support of AMC’s global sustainment mission set; Commanding General of the 316th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) where he deployed to CENTCOM in support of Operations Spartan Shield, Inherent Resolve, and Enduring Freedom; Chief of Staff and G3 for OCAR; and the Army Reserve Senior Representative to the 39th Army Chief of Staff of the Army Transition Team.

His 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.

He transferred from Active Duty 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 (2007-2008); 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.

His 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, the National War College, and The CAPSTONE course. Maj. Gen. Harter and his wife, Erin, have been married for over 30 years and they have three children.