COL Norman P. Gottlieb

A native of Kalamazoo, Michigan, Colonel Gottlieb was one of the first recipients of the Army's ROTC Scholarship Program in 1965. A Co-Captain of the WMU track team he was elected President of the WMU Letterman's Club for two years and served on the WMU Presidents Student Advisor Council. As Distinguished Military Graduate he earned his degree and was commissioned in the Regular Army in 1968.

Upon completing Armor branch qualification at Ft. Knox, KY and Ranger School at Ft. Benning, GA, he was assigned to various leadership positions in Armor and Infantry units and a Brigade headquarters in the 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized) at Ft. Carson, CO. Finishing Airborne Training at Ft. Benning and Rotary Wing Training at Ft. Rucker, AL, he was promoted to Captain. Completing Cobra Gunship Training he was assigned to combat aviation leadership positions in Vietnam with the 123rd Aviation Battalion, 23rd Infantry Division (Mechanical) and is the last remaining officer on Active Duty in the Army who served in that Division.

From Vietnam he was assigned to the 3rd Armored Division in Germany where he served in Armor leadership assignments and then in the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate as an Assistant Staff Judge Advocate. Resigning his Regular Army commission in 1975 he accepted a Reserve Commission and served in the Ready Reserve until 1983. Volunteering for training and on special tours he acted as an aviation officer at Ft. Ord, CA and at Ft. Hunter Leggett, CA as the airfield commander, in the Headquarters, United States Army Europe, Heidelberg, Germany, and in the Headquarters, Training and Doctrine Command, Ft. Monroe, VA in operational, training and personnel positions and was promoted to Major.

While in the Ready Reserve he owned his own business in London, England and was later employed as a Department of Army Civilian and served as Chief, Postal Operations, Headquarters, U.S. Postal Group Europe, and next as an International Agreements Negotiator in Headquarters U.S. Army Europe in Heidelberg, Germany.

Returning to Active Duty in 1983 in the Active Guard and Reserve Program he managed the Army Reserve's largest flight facility at Naval Air Station Dallas, TX until 1985 when he was assigned as an Aviation Personnel Manager at the Army Reserve Personnel Center, St. Louis, MO. He branch transferred from Armor to Aviation in 1984. In 1987 he was assigned to the Pentagon to become the Army Reserve Aviation Force Integrator in the Office, Chief Army Reserve. Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel he then served as the Division Chief for all Army Reserve Force Integrators. In 1990 he served as the Army Reserve Command Manager in the Office, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans on the Army Staff. Moving to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs in 1994 he served as a Senior Military Reserve Assistant to Secretary and was promoted to Colonel.

Retiring in 1996 he was immediately recalled to Active Duty to serve at the pleasure of the Secretary of the Army. Assigned as Executive Officer to the Chief Army Reserve until his retirement in 1998 he was then reassigned as a Senior Board Member and the Reserve Component Advisor to the Army Review Board Agency and today serves as a voting member on the Army Clemency and Parole Board, on all Officer Elimination Boards, on the Army Physical Disability Appeals Board, the Army Discharge Review Board, the Army Grade Determination Board and the Army Security Review Board and as special advisor to the Army Board for the Correction of Military Records.

His decorations, badges and unit awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal w/2 Oak Leak Clusters, Air Medal w/5 Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Commendation Medal w/2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal w/2 Bronze Stars, Army Reserve Components Achievements Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Twenty Year Hour Glass, Overseas Service Ribbon, Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Three Campaigns, Overseas Service Bars 2, Ranger Tab, Parachute Badge, Senior Army Aviator, Army Staff Badge, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Army Superior Unit Award w/3 stars, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation.

Alumni
(by year)

[1950-1959]
[1960-1969]
[1970-1979]
[1980-1989]
[1990-1999]
[2000-present]