BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY : AFRICAN AMERICAN MAJOR GENERAL SANFORD E. HOLMAN UNITED STATES ARMY GENERAL : GOES INTO THE " HALL OF BLACK GENIUS "

Maj. Gen. Sanford Holman

Commanding General

Maj. Gen. Sanford E. Holman assumed command of the 200th Military Police Command 05 March 2011.

Holman previously served as the Vice Commander of the Joint Warfighting Center (JWFC) at U.S. Joint Forces Command in Suffolk, Va. As Vice Commander, he lead the JWFC efforts to conduct and support the development of capabilities that train the individual services to fight together as a team. While at JFCOM he also served as the Deputy Commander for Combined Joint Operations for U.S. Second Fleet.

A native of Gary, Ind., Holman was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the infantry in 1978 after graduating from the U.S. Military Academy.  He began his service at Fort Benning, Ga., as an infantry platoon leader and battalion S-3 (operations) air in the 197th Infantry Brigade and later as a branch chief and instructor in the weapons department of the U.S. Army Infantry School.  He later commanded an infantry company in 5th Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment in occupied West Berlin and served in the G-3 (operations) section on the Allied Staff – Berlin where his responsibilities included monitoring the status of all American, British, and French convoys entering and leaving Checkpoints Alpha, Bravo and Charlie and preparing for a second Berlin Airlift. 

Holman also served at the Close Combat Directorate at the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Analysis Command at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., and was a project leader for combat operations analysis in support of Operation Desert Shield/Storm and for cost and operational effectiveness analyses supporting the acquisition of anti-armor weapon systems.

He concluded his initial active duty in the Republic of Korea triple-hatted as the S-2/S-3 (intelligence/operations) of the 20th Area Support Group and DPTMS (Director of Plans Operations Mobilization and Security) of Military Area IV headquartered at Camp Henry in Taegu and the Airfield Commander of H-805 at Camp Walker.  As DPTMS, his responsibilities included Provost Marshal Operations at Camps Henry, Walker, George, Carroll, and Hialeah.

Holman joined the Army Reserve in 1992 and transferred to the MP Corps in 1996.  He served TRADOC again as the commander of the 4th Battalion, 318th Regiment (Military Police-One Station Unit Training (MP-OSUT)) and the commander of the 1st Brigade (MP-OSUT) of the 80th Division.  While serving as Commander of 4-318 (MP-OSUT), the battalion led the completion of the training of the last five MP-OSUT companies to graduate at FT McClellan, Alabama in 1999 while the USAMPS MP Training Brigade began MP-OSUT training at FT Leonard Wood, Missouri.  1st Brigade supported MP reclassification training of RC soldiers for mobilization in support of OIF/OEF.

He recently returned to active duty to serve as the deputy commander of the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa, Camp Lemonier in Djibouti from 2007-2008. He assisted in executing the theater security cooperation plan and directing the civil military operations for the region.  In addition, from 2004-2005 he served as the military transition team leader for the 3rd Iraqi Army Division headquartered in Al Kasik.  He directed teams assigned to the unit's headquarters at the battalion, brigade, and division level.  The Teams trained over 8000 soldiers and deployed with them while they conducted counterinsurgency operations in Northern Iraq.

Holman is a graduate of the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses and the Military Police Officer Advanced Course, CAS3, Operations Research Systems analysis Military Applications Course, CGSC, and the National War College.  He has earned a BS degree from the U.S. Military Academy, holds a MS degree in operations research from the Florida Institute of Technology and a MS degree in national security strategy from the National Defense University.

His personal decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, with one oak leaf cluster, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Combat Action Badge, the Expert Infantry Badge, the Parachutist Badge and the Army Staff Identification Badge.