Biography
Paul J. Kern
General (Retired), United States Army

General Kern has recently been named as a Senior Counselor to the Cohen Group and member of the Board of Directors of the EDO Corporation. He retired in January 2005 after serving as the commander of the Army Materiel Command, a worldwide organization responsible for research, production, and supply distribution for US forces and their allies. He revitalized its research in the emerging areas of bio-engineering, nano-sciences, and international cooperation; expanded production while introducing continuous improvement, and initiated the deployment of the largest worldwide enterprise supply chain modernization attempted to date.

General Kern's career included leadership of combat operations, management of technical programs, and personal advisor to the Secretary of Defense. Prior to his most recent assignment General Kern was Director of the Program Executive Officers and Program Managers and advisor to the Chief of Staff of the Army on all acquisition, logistics, and technology matters. Previously he commanded the Army Experimental Force, the 4th Infantry Division, which developed the Army's network battlefield capabilities. Since 1996 General Kern has been a key leader in the Transformation of the Army.

For three years General Kern managed the Office of the Secretary of Defense and was the Secretary's key personal advisor and representative in political-military affairs. This was a dynamic period which focused on a preventive defense strategy from China to Russia, established the first Americas Defense Ministerial and Partnership for Peace in Eastern Europe, and denuclearization of the former Soviet States.

General Kern is a decorated combat veteran beginning in Vietnam where he received the Silver Star for valor and three Purple Hearts. He led the 24th Infantry Division's 400 kilometer attack into Iraq in 1991 as a Brigade Commander, and recently led the Army's investigations of Abu Ghraib.

General Kern graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, received Masters Degrees in Civil and Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan, and was a Senior Security Fellow at the John F Kennedy School, Harvard University. He is a member of Chi Epsilon, Phi Kappa Phi, Council on Foreign Relations, and the Society of Automotive Engineers. He has published books on Acquisition Management, Logistics, and technical papers in automotive engineering.

General Kern has lectured in England as the Kermit Roosevelt Lecturer, and at Harvard, MIT, Stanford, and the United States Military Academy, as well as in numerous public forums on technical and military matters. As the principal government witness to numerous Congressional Committees he has an established a reputation for integrity with the Legislative, Judiciary, and Executive branches.

In addition to receiving the Department of Defense's highest award for Service, the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, General Kern has been awarded the Society of Automotive Engineers Teeter Award, the Alumni Society Medal from the University of Michigan, and the German Cross of Honor of the federal Armed Forces (Gold).