Major General Richard O. Wightman, Jr., serves as the Commander NATO Headquarters, Sarajevo and NATO Senior Military Representative. He assumed command on 6 October 2006 to 14 January 2009.
An Army "brat," Major General Wightman was born in Waltham, Massachusetts. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Framingham State College and a Masters degree in Military Art and Science from the US Army Command and General Staff College. He is a graduate of the Engineer Officer Advanced Course, the Army Command and General Staff College and the Army War College.
Major General Wightman enlisted Airborne Infantry in June 1968. After completing Basic Training at Fort Jackson, Advanced Infantry Training at Fort Polk, and Officer Candidate School at Fort Belvoir, he was commissioned an Engineer Second Lieutenant in August 1969. Major General Wightman served as a platoon leader and Asst S-3 in the 18th Engineer Battalion (Combat) at Fort Devens, Massachusetts before going to Vietnam. He served in command and staff positions in the 48th Transportation Group in Binh Thuy and the 91st Combat Service Support BN in Can Tho Vietnam before leaving active duty in July 1972.
Major General Wightman joined the 101st Engineer BN of the 26th Yankee Division (Massachusetts Army National Guard) in September 1974. He was subsequently selected to represent the Army Guard on a 2-year Reserve Compensation Systems Study Group in OSD at the Pentagon. After completing this active duty assignment, he transferred to the USAR and became the Executive Officer, 1st BN, US Army Engineer Officer Candidate School Brigade, Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
After completion of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Major General Wightman joined the 418th Civil Affairs BN in Kansas City, Missouri. Eighteen months later, he was selected to command the unit, where he served for 3 1/2 years until he departed for the US Army War College. After graduation, he returned to the Kansas City area as the Logistics Operations Officer of the 917th Corps Support Group. On July 20, 1991, he assumed command of that unit. After three years in command, Major General Wightman served as the Security, Plans and Operations Officer of the 19th Theater Army Area Command (TAACOM) in Des Moines, Iowa, before transferring to the 310th TAACOM, Fort Belvoir, Virginia as the Assistant Chief of Staff, Personnel. On 1 July 1996, Major General Wightman became the Deputy Commanding General for Mobilization at HQ, Military Traffic Management Command ( MTMC) in Falls Church, Virginia. On 3 June 1998, he joined the Army staff serving as the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics (Mobilization and Training) in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, at the Pentagon. Major General Wightman assumed the position of Commanding General of the 143d Transportation Command, Orlando, Florida, on 7 June 1999, where he served until his selection as Military Executive to the Reserve Forces Policy Board (RFPB) and Military Advisor to the Chairman, RFPB, in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) on 1 Feb 2001. Major General Wightman was then selected to serve as the Deputy Commander of the Joint Warfighting Center/Deputy Joint Force Trainer (J-7), U.S. Joint Forces Command, Suffolk, VA from 1Feb 2004 to 1 Oct 2006.
Major General Wightman's awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Bronze Star with V Device, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Army Achievement Medal, among others.
Major General Wightman is married to Regina A. Phelan of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They have three children; Richie (24), Veronica (22), and Chelsea (18). Major General Wightman also has grown children, twin daughters, Allison and Cassandra (30).