Samuel T. Helland

University of Minnesota, Duluth, May 14, 2011

Samuel T. Helland received a bachelor of science degree in General Science from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 1973 after serving a tour in Vietnam. He is also a graduate of the Marine Officer Candidate School and attended Navy Pilottraining. He is a retired Commander of the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Central Command, whose contributions to U.S. national security have been profound. His military career spans more than four decades, rising from an enlisted member of the U.S. Army Special Forces to Lieutenant General and Commander of the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Central Command. He has led over 50,000 military and civilian personnel organized into eleven subordinate organizations globally to achieve national strategic and tactical objectives worldwide including combat operations, training, and contingency planning. His combat leadership experience includes Vietnam, Albania, Sierra Leon, The Congo, Haiti, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Horn of Africa. He is the recipient of numerous personal decorations including the Bronze Star, the Legion of Merit, a Purple Heart, and a Meritorious Service Medal with gold star. In 2010, he was inducted into the Academy of Science and Engineering at the UMD Swenson College of Science and Engineering.