A Naperville native is soon to be a leading presence in a deployment of U.S. paratroopers to the Middle East as part of Operation Epic Fury, according to multiple news reports.
Major General Brandon Tegtmeier, a Naperville native and West Point graduate, is a special forces commander who leads the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division. He is set to direct a deployment of at least 1,000 troops to the area of the war in Iran, according to reports by the Associated Press and NBC 5 Chicago.
Leading paratroopers to secure hostile territory
News reports say Tegtmeier will be leading a unit that can deploy into action on short notice and is considered the Army’s emergency response team.
Members of the 82nd Airborne “are trained to parachute into hostile or contested territory to secure key territories and airfields,” according to the Associated Press. The paratroopers are among roughly 50,000 U.S. troops sent to the Middle East since military operations began there in late February.
“The importance of the 82nd is paramount,” according to NBC, “because when its paratroopers jump and land, it would mark the first large-scale advancement of U.S. forces onto Iranian territory.”
Naperville native leads throughout Army career
Tegtmeier, 51, has a long history in the Army and was commissioned after graduating from West Point in 1996 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He also attended the U.S. Army War College, where he earned a master’s degree in strategic studies.
Tegtmeier married his wife, Julie, in 2000. He is a father and has held several Army leadership roles, including as Commander of the 75th Ranger Regiment and Executive Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Background among ‘achievers’ in Naperville
Before beginning his military education and career, Tegtmeier grew up in Naperville.
In a 1988 Chicago Tribune article showing a “Roundup of student achievers” from Indian Prairie School District 204, Tegtmeier is listed twice — both as a Gregory Middle School Student. One listing shows he received a Rotary award, and he’s mentioned again for winning a science award.
Photo courtesy: CENTCOM
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