Major General Walter Rugen

Director, Army Aviation, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff G-3/5/7 US Army

Born and raised in Onalaska, Wisconsin, and was commissioned through the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY in 1989. Following commissioning and flight school, MG Rugen served in a variety of company grade positions while assigned to Camp Page, Korea and Fort Campbell, KY, culminating in company command of B Co/9-101st Aviation Battalion (Air Assault). After two years with US Special Operations Command J5, MG Rugen went back to Special Operation aviation in 2007 to command 3/160th SOAR(A) where he deployed again to Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2017, MG Rugen assumed the role of 7th Infantry Division Deputy Commanding General – Support at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. His most recent assignment was serving as the Director of U.S. Army Futures Command’s Future Vertical Lift Cross Functional Team at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama from 2018-2023.