Richard Holcomb

Mr. Richard Holcomb is the Deputy to the Commanding General, U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC). In this position, Mr. Holcomb integrates diverse resource and research programs- such as science and technology, force development, combat development, resourcing, contracting and acquisition, and military construction with a single vision of future Army Special Operations Force requirements, capabilities, and readiness.

Mr. Holcomb was commissioned as an infantry officer through the Western Illinois University Army ROTC program in 1978. During his first 16 years of service, Rich served in staff and command positions with the 25th Infantry Division, 82d Airborne Division, 2d Infantry Division, and 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). He transitioned to Army Comptrollership in 1994 and served as the Comptroller for the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), the Resource Manager for Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and the Resource Manager for XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg. His final active duty assignment was in the Pentagon as the Chief of Current Operations, Army Budget Office, Directorate of Operations and Support. Rich retired from the Army in November 2003 after 25½ years of service.

He began his Federal Service career as the Deputy Director of Resource Management, Department of Energy, Office of Security from November 2003 to September 2004. He then served as the Chief Financial Officer, American Battle Monuments Commission from September 2004 to December 2005. Rich was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in December 2005 and assigned as the Deputy Chief Financial Officer for the U.S. Treasury Department where he served until January 2008. He assumed duties as the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-8, U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM), the Army’s largest command, until October 2012.

Mr. Holcomb has vast experience as a practitioner and coach of quality programs and processes such as Activity Based Costing, Activity Based Management, and Business Process Reengineering. He has served as an examiner for the Army’s Communities of Excellence Team and the Presidential Quality Award Team.

He was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in the southern suburb of Chicago Heights. He received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Western Illinois University and a master’s degree in Systems Management from the University of Southern California