Ronald F. Lewis

Ronald Flynn Lewis (born 1966) is a former three-star general in the United States Army, retroactively demoted to brigadier general. He last served as special assistant to Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army Daniel B. Allyn, and prior to that was the senior military assistant to United States Secretary of Defense Ash Carter from April to November 2015.

Early life and education

Lewis was born in Kittery, Maine to Richard and Emma Lewis, the former being a retired United States Air Force sergeant with 12 years of military service. He was raised in Chicago, Illinois and graduated from Vanderpoel Elementary School and later Mendel Catholic Preparatory High School before proceeding to West Point in 1983. He graduated from West Point with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering. Lewis was a student in the United States Naval War College from 2006 to 2007, where he received a master's degree in national security and strategic studies.

Military career

Lt. Gen. Mark Milley (left), then the commander of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command, speaks with Brig. Gen. Lewis (right) at Forward Operating Base Gamberi in Laghman province, Afghanistan, 22 May 2013

Lewis was commissioned into the Army as a second lieutenant in May 1987. Notable individuals in his class include Edward M. Daly (commander of United States Army Materiel Command), David Mikolaities (adjutant general of New Hampshire) and John H. Moellering Jr. (son of retired general John H. Moellering). Initially intending to become an infantry officer, a mentor inspired him to join the aviation branch instead. In Afghanistan, Lewis was deputy commanding general for support of the 101st Airborne Division, dual-hatted as deputy commanding general for support of Regional Command East from 2012 to 2014.

Lewis later became military assistant to Ash Carter three times - when Carter was Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Deputy Secretary of Defense and finally Secretary of Defense. He also served as a member of Carter's SecDef transition team, introducing him to key senators and preparing him for his Senate confirmation hearing. He was chief of Army public affairs from 2014 to 2015, promoting to major general on 7 January 2014.

The IG investigation concluded in October 2016 that Lewis had demonstrated conduct "unbecoming an officer and a gentleman on multiple occasions" while serving as Carter's military assistant. Such practices included using a government credit card to pay for bills in strip clubs in Rome and South Korea, spending more than on excessive drinking while on duty and engaging in inappropriate relationships with female subordinates. Lewis was also determined to have made false statements to the department in service of other acts of misconduct, claiming his government credit card had been stolen while on duty in South Korea.

7th Cavalry Regiment Distinctive Unit InsigniaArmy Presidential UnitCitationwith bronze oak leaf clusterJoint Meritorious UnitCommendationwith bronze oak leaf clusterArmy Meritorious UnitCommendationwith two bronze oak leaf clustersNavy UnitCommendation101st Airborne Division Combat Service Identification Badge