Advisor
General Townsend joins MAG following an impressive military career that spans more than four decades. Most recently, he served as the fifth Combatant Commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) from July 2019 to August 2022, which is one of six joint service geographic combatant commands and was responsible for all U.S. military operations and activities to protect and advance U.S. national interests in Africa. Prior to his tenure at AFRICOM, General Townsend held leadership positions spanning every level from platoon to corps to combined/joint task forces, including commanding general of both U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command and the XVIII Airborne Corps. General Townsend’s unparalleled strategic insight and rich operational background furthers MAG’s commitment to providing dynamic solutions for our customers.
From Griffin, Georgia, General Townsend commissioned as an Army infantry officer upon graduation from North Georgia College in 1982. His career included service with four Army divisions, the 82d Airborne, 7th Light Infantry, 101st Air Assault and the 10th Mountain; the 75th Ranger Regiment; the separate 3d Stryker Brigade, 2d Infantry Division; and assignments in U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and the Joint Staff, Regional Command-East in Afghanistan and Combined/Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria.
General Townsend’s vast operational experience include Operation Urgent Fury, Grenada; Operation Just Cause, Panama; Operation Uphold Democracy, Haiti; Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan; Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq. In 2016-17, he led the multinational effort to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria during Operation Inherent Resolve.
