Col. R.J. Garcia will become the 81st commandant of cadets at the United States Military Academy later this year. Garcia, a 1996 graduate of West Point, N.Y., will be promoted to brigadier general before taking charge of the corps of cadets. (U.S. Army)
The Army has named a West Point alum who has flown Apache helicopters in combat as the next commandant of cadets at the U.S. Military Academy, the institution announced Wednesday.
Col. R.J. Garcia will become the school’s 81st commandant of cadets later this year, West Point officials said. Garcia, a 1996 graduate of West Point, N.Y., will be promoted to brigadier general before taking charge of the corps of cadets.
The commandant of cadets serves as West Point’s No. 2 officer and is responsible for the day-to-day training and development of its cadets.
Garcia will replace Maj. Gen. Lori L. Robinson, another West Point alum, who has served as commandant since June 2023. She is expected to take command of the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command at Redstone Arsenal, Ala., according to the school. A date for their change of command has not yet been scheduled, a West Point official said.
In addition to attending West Point, Garcia was previously an instructor at the institution in its Behavioral Sciences & Leadership Department, according to the Army.
Garcia is a veteran of the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. As an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter pilot, he has served in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Infantry Divisions, the 1st Cavalry Division, the 1st Armored Division, on the Army staff at the Pentagon and at the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence at Fort Novosel, Ala., according to his official service biography. He is now serving as the deputy commander for support at the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, according to the service.
Garcia is from San Antonio, Texas, and is married with two children, according to his bio. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from West Point, a master’s degree in adult and occupational education from Kansas State University and a master’s in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College, according to the Army.
