Gary W. Johnston

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This article is about the US Army general. For the Australian footballer, see Gary Johnston.
Gary W. Johnston
Maj. Gen. Gary W. Johnston (4).jpg
Official portrait, 2019
Born(1964-10-21)October 21, 1964
Russellville, Arkansas, U.S.[1]
DiedJanuary 20, 2022(2022-01-20) (aged 57)
Alexandria, Virginia, U.S.
Buried
Arlington National Cemetery
AllegianceUnited States of America
BranchUnited States Army
RankMajor General
Commands held
Awards
Alma mater
Spouse(s)BG Amy E. Hannah[1][2]
Children3

Gary Wayne Johnston (October 21, 1964 – January 20, 2022)[1] was a United States Army major general who last served as the commanding general of the United States Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) from June 2018 to July 2021. As commander of the direct reporting unit, he served as the overall mission commander for the Army's 17,500 operational intelligence forces and a key source of logistics and support to the United States Intelligence Community.

Military career[]

Johnston previously served as deputy chief of staff for intelligence for Resolute Support Mission, and prior to that as director for intelligence of the United States Special Operations Command. He also served as deputy commanding general of INSCOM in his first general officer assignment.[3][4][5][6]

Johnston with CSM Schmitz in 2019.

As commander of INSCOM, Johnston led investigations of the suicides of his senior enlisted advisor, Command Sergeant Major Eric M. Schmitz, and clandestine intelligence operative sergeant first class Michael Froede.[7]

Retirement[]

Following his retirement in July, 2021, Johnston joined the board of North Carolina-based defense contractor Leyden Solutions.[8]

Personal life[]

Johnston was born in Russellville, Arkansas in 1964, going on to attend Arkansas Tech University, commissioning through the school's ROTC program.

He was married to brigadier general Amy E. Johnston (née Hannah), a public affairs officer whose tenure as the Army's Chief of Public Affairs was mired in controversy over her handling of the murder of specialist Vanessa Guillén,[9] and a 2020 rating as the most toxic leader in the Army.[10]

In early 2022, Johnston committed suicide; an Army investigation is underway.[1] He will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery.[1]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e "Major General Gary Wayne Johnston". Cunningham Funeral Home. 2022-01-31. Retrieved 2022-02-06.
  2. ^ "Chief of Public Affairs". U.S. Army. Archived from the original on 2022-02-06.
  3. ^ "INSCOM - Commanding General". Retrieved 2021-06-03.
  4. ^ "Major General Gary W. Johnston (USA)". Retrieved 2021-06-03.
  5. ^ "Johnston Bio" (PDF). Retrieved 2021-06-03.
  6. ^ Becker, Nathan (2018-06-14). "INSCOM welcomes Maj. Gen. Gary W. Johnston as the new commanding general". U.S. Army. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
  7. ^ Murphy, Jack (February 5, 2022). "A clandestine Army operative concealed his mental health problems until it was too late. Is the military to blame?". Yahoo News. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  8. ^ "Army Vet Gary Johnston Joins Leyden Solutions Advisory Board". GovCon Wire. 2022-01-19. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  9. ^ Winkie, Davis; Myers, Meghann (2021-09-23). "Top Army spokesperson suspended after abysmal climate survey". Army Times. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  10. ^ Britzky, Haley (2021-10-01). "Inside the office of a one-star Army general that 100% of soldiers rated 'hostile'". Task & Purpose. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
Military offices
Preceded by
 Director of Intelligence of the United States Special Operations Command
2016–2017 		Succeeded by
Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence of the Resolute Support Mission and Director of Intelligence of
2017–2018 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
 Commanding General of the United States Army Intelligence and Security Command
2018–2021 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from ""