Richard A. Kidd

(Redirected from Richard Kidd)

Richard A. Kidd (born June 24, 1943) is a retired United States Army soldier who served as the ninth Sergeant Major of the Army. He was sworn in on July 2, 1991, and served until his term expired in June 1995.

Richard A. Kidd
Born (1943-06-24) June 24, 1943 (age 81)
Morehead, Kentucky, U.S.
AllegianceUnited States
Service / branchUnited States Army
Years of service1962–1995
RankSergeant Major of the Army
Battles / warsVietnam War
AwardsArmy Distinguished Service Medal (2)
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit (2)
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal (2)
Air Medal
Army Commendation Medal (2)

Military career

edit

Kidd's assignments include two combat tours in Vietnam (1966–67 and 1970–71) and multiple tours in South Korea, including first sergeant of B Company 1/32nd Infantry Regiment, Camp Howze, South Korea and Europe. Before becoming the Sergeant Major of the Army, he was command sergeant major (CSM) of I Corps and Fort Lewis, Washington. Among his other assignments, he has been command sergeant major for numerous organizations. These included CSM of the 9th Aviation Battalion; 2d Battalion 2d Infantry; Commandant, 1st Armored Division, NCO Academy, Katterbach, Germany. He returned to Fort Lewis after his tour in Germany and served consecutively as CSM of the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment; 3d Brigade, 9th Infantry Division (Motorized); and 9th Infantry Division (Motorized).

Awards and decorations

edit
  Combat Infantryman Badge
  Master Parachutist Badge
  Special Forces Tab
  Army Staff Identification Badge
  Expert Marksmanship Badge
  23rd Infantry Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia
Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
  Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
  Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
  Air Medal
Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
  Meritorious Unit Commendation
  Department of the Army Outstanding Civilian Service Award
  Army Good Conduct Medal with 1 gold Good Conduct Loops
National Defense Service Medal with service star
Vietnam Service Medal with four campaign stars
   NCO Professional Development with award numeral 4
  Army Service Ribbon
   Overseas Service Ribbon with award numeral 4
  Vietnam Gallantry Cross with bronze star
  Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
  Vietnam Campaign Medal

Since military retirement, Kidd continues to serve the military community and has received numerous awards including the Outstanding Civilian Service Award, the 2005 Sergeant Major of the Army William G. Bainbridge Medal and in 2006 he received the Doughboy Award for his outstanding contributions to the United States Army Infantry.

Retirement

edit

In 2007, Kidd was vice president, GEICO Field Representative Sales Management/Military Department. In 2010 Kidd retired from GEICO and lives in Colorado

References

edit
  •   This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Army
  • The Sergeants Major of the Army, Daniel K. Elder, Center of Military History, United States Army Washington, D.C. 2003.
Military offices
Preceded by Sergeant Major of the Army
1991—1995
Succeeded by