William Gothard
About Jay Gothard
BG William J. Gothard was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Infantry upon graduation from the University of Dayton with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1978 and was assigned to the 82d Airborne Division as a Rifle Platoon Leader.
BG Gothard served over 36 years in a variety of Infantry, Special Operations and command assignments, retiring in May 2014 as the Deputy Commanding General – Support, 81st Regional Support Command, Ft. Jackson, SC. Since April of 2015, BG Gothard has served as the Science and Technology Division Chief for the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Ft. Bragg, NC.
BG Gothard’s education includes the Infantry Officer’s Basic and Advanced Courses, the Civil Affairs Officer Advanced Course, the Special Forces Qualification Course, the Army’s Command and General Staff Officer’s Course, the Defense Acquisition University Advanced Program Management Course, the U.S. Air Force Air War College and the U.S. Army War College. He also graduated from the Airborne, Ranger, Jumpmaster, and Military Freefall Schools. BG Gothard holds a Master of Arts degree in Management from Webster University, a Master of Strategic Studies degree in National Security Studies from the U.S. Army War College, and a certificate in National Security Management from Syracuse University.
BG Gothard’s awards and decorations include the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, Combat and Expert Infantry Badges, Expert Parachutist and Military Freefall Badges. BG Gothard was honored by the award of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by the Governor of the State of North Carolina in 2014.