Commander, 43rd Military Police Brigade
Brigadier General Rick Baccus assumed duties as the Commander of Joint Task Force 160 on 28 March 2002. As the commander of the 1,500 strong, multi-service task force, he is responsible for receiving and holding detainees in support of the global war on terrorism. General Baccus is also responsible for preparations for conducting migrant surge operations in support of humanitarian assistance policies.
General Baccus received a regular Army commission in 1974 as an Infantry Officer through the ROTC program and immediately entered active duty. His most recent assignment before promotion was as the United States Property and Fiscal Officer for Rhode Island, a title 10 tour officer reporting to the Chief, National Guard Bureau. His responsibilities included receiving and accounting for all federal funds and property assigned to the Rhode Island National Guard, and the assignment was a joint billet.
1974 Eastern Michigan University - BS Degree - Mathematics
1990 University of Rhode Island - MBA
1992 U.S. Army War College
1. Apr 74 - Aug 74, Training Officer, Company D, 15th Battalion, 4th Basic
Combat Training Brigade, Fort Knox, Kentucky
2. Aug 74 - Mar 75, Student officer, Infantry Officer Basic and Ranger, Fort
Benning, Georgia
3. Mar 75 - Jun 75, Platoon Leader, Company A, 1st Battalion (Mechanized), 58th
Infantry, 197th Infantry Brigade, Fort Benning, Georgia
4. Jun 75 - May 76, Executive Officer, Company A, 1st Battalion (Mechanized),
58th Infantry, 197th Infantry Brigade, Fort Benning, Georgia
5. May 76 - Sep 76, Assistant S4, Property Book Officer, 1st Battalion
(Mechanized), 58th Infantry, 197th Infantry Brigade, Fort Benning, Georgia
6. Sep 76 - Feb 77, Support Platoon Leader, 1st Battalion (Mechanized), 58th
Infantry, 197th Infantry Brigade, Fort Benning, Georgia
7. Feb 77 - Jul 78, Platoon Commander, 187th Infantry Platoon (Pathfinder,
Airborne), 34th Medical Battalion, Fort Benning, Georgia
8. Aug 78 - Aug 78, USAR Control Group (Reinforced)
9. Aug 78 - Apr 79, TAC Officer, Officer Candidate Program, Rhode Island
Military Academy, Camp Varnum, Rhode Island
10. May 79 - Nov 79, S4, Command and Control Headquarters (Special Forces), Camp
Fogarty, Rhode Island
11. Dec 79 - Aug 81, Assistant S3, Command and Control Headquarters (Special
Forces), Camp Fogarty, Rhode Island
12. Aug 81 - Sep 82, S1, Command and Control Headquarters (Special Forces), Camp
Fogarty, Rhode Island
13. Oct 82 - May 86, S1, Troop Command (Special Forces), Camp Fogarty, Rhode
Island
14. May 86 - Feb 87, S3, Troop Command (Special Forces), Camp Fogarty, Rhode
Island
15. Feb 87 - Jan 89, Assistant G3 (Training) and Chief, Training Division,
Headquarters, State Area Command, Providence, Rhode Island
16. Jan 89 - Mar 90, Comptroller, Directorate of Resource Management, State Area
Command, Providence, Rhode Island
17. Apr 90 - Aug 92, Chief, Plans, Operations, and Military Support Division,
State Area Command, Providence, Rhode Island
18. Aug 92 - Jun 96, Director of Personnel, State Area Command, Providence,
Rhode Island
19. Jul 96 - May 99, Supervisory Logistics Management Specialist and Assistant
United States Property and Fiscal Officer for Rhode Island, Providence, Rhode
Island
20. Jun 99 - Mar 01, United States Property and Fiscal Officer, National Guard
Bureau, with duty at Providence, Rhode Island
21. Mar 01 ' Dec 02, Commander, 43rd Military Police Brigade, Warwick, Rhode
Island
22. Mar 02 - Dec 02, Commander, Joint Task Force 160, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba,
Operation Enduring Freedom
Meritorious Service Medal (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters)
Army Commendation Medal (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters)
Army Achievement Medal (with 1 Oak Leaf Clusters)
Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal (with Silver Oak Leaf Cluster)
National Defense Service Medal (with Bronze Service Star)
Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with Silver Hourglass)
Expert Infantry Badge
Master Parachutist Badge
Pathfinder Badge
ARNG Recruiter Badge
German Parachutist Badge (Bronze)
Ranger Tab
Special Forces Tab
2LT AUS 29 Apr 74
2LT RA 5 Jun 74
1LT AUS 29 Apr 76
CPT AUS 13 Jun 78
CPT USAR 1 Aug 78
CPT ARNG 8 Aug 78
MAJ ARNG 8 Sep 83
LTC ARNG 1 Aug 88
COL ARNG 22 Aug 92
BG (Line) ARNG 7 Mar 01
(Current as of January 2003)
The date of publication indicated on this biography reflects the most recent update. It does not necessarily reflect the date of printing.