Major General Fred E. Elam, Retired
Major General Fred Eldon Elam was born in Seminole, Oklahoma on 10 July 1937. Upon completion of the Reserve Officer Training Corps curriculum and the educational course of study at the University of Arkansas, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology. He also holds a Master of Business Administration Degree from Michigan State University.
His military education includes completion of the Basic Course at the Infantry School, the Advanced Course at the Transportation School, the Army Command and General Staff College and the Naval War College.
General Elam held a variety of important command and staff positions culminating in his July 1990 assignment at the Assistant Chief of Staff for Logistics, Headquarters, Department of the Army. Other key assignments include Chief, Joint U.S.Military Mission for Aid to Turkey (1988-1990), Commanding General, U.S.Army Transportation Center and Commandant, U.S. Army Transportation and Aviation Logistics Schools (1985-1988). He also had the additional duty as Chief of Transportation from 1985-1988. Under the U.S.Army Regimental System, he assumed command of the Transportation Corps Regiment during its activation ceremony at Fort Eustis, VA on 26 July 1986.
General Elam has also served as the Director of Management, Office of the Chief of Staff, United States Army, Washington, DC ( 1984-1985); Commanding General 19th Support Command, Eight United States Army ( 1982-1984) and Director, Plans, Doctrine and Systems, United States Army Materiel Development and Readiness Command, Alexandria, Virginia ( 1979-1982).
General Elam served in a variety of progressive assignments. They included his initial assignment as Rifle Company Platoon Leader, Weapons Platoon Leader, Executive Officer, Company A, 2nd Battle Group, 39th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Washington (Jul 60-Sep 61), followed by assignment as S3 Operations Officer, 1st Battle Group, 8th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Washington (Sep 61-Feb 62); Assistant S3, HQ, 14th Transportation Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Washington (Feb 62-Jul 62); Movements Control Officer, 173rd Airborne Brigade (Sep), Okinawa and Republic of Vietnam (Jan 64-Sept 65); Commander, A Company, 173rd Airborne Brigade (Sep). Republic of Vietnam (Sep 65- Jun 66); Staff & Faculty, U.S.Army Transportation School, Fort Eustis, VA ( Jul 66-Sep 66); Division Transportation Officer, 3rd Infantry Division, Wurzburg, FRG, (Apr 67-Jan 68);SGS, HQ 3rd Infantry Division, Wurzburg, FRG ( Jan 68-Jul 68); Division Transportation Officer, Americal Division, ( Jul 69-Jan 70); Chief, Movements Division, HQ 1st Logistical Command, Republic of Vietnam (Jan 70-Jul 70); Instructor, Course Director, Dept Chairman, Defense Depot Operations Management Course, Army Logistics Management Center, Fort Lee, VA ( Jul 70-Jun 72); Operations Research Analyst, Office of the Assistant Vice Chief of Staff, HQDA ( Jun 72-Jul 74); Commander 29th Transportation Battalion ( MTR), Fort Campbell, Kentucky, (Jul 74-Jan 76); G4, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Fort Campbell, Kentucky (Jan 76-Jul 76); Commander Material Support Center –Korea (Aug 77-Aug 79).
Awards and decorations which Major General Elam received include:
Distinguished Service Medal (with 1st Oak Leaf Cluster)
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters)
Meritorious Service Medal (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters)
Air Medal
Army Commendation Medal (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters)
Parachutist Badge
Department of the Army Staff Identification Badge
Medal of Merit from the Republic of Turkey
Korean Service Medal from the Republic of Korea
Valorous Unit Award
Meritorious Unit Commendation (3OLC)
Army Superior Unit Award
National Defense Service Medal w/ Bronze Star
Member of the Transportation Corps Hall of Fame
Distinguished Member of the US Army Transportation Corps Regiment (DMOR)
The Ancient Order of Saint Christopher- Order of Transporters
Lifetime Staff & Faculty Member, Army Logistics Management Center
General Elam joined Advancia Corporation upon retirement from active duty in 1993. As the Vice President for Operations; he was responsible for the supervision of nine Program Managers with offices spread from Washington, DC to Anchorage, Alaska. His corporate level management of contracts included clients in the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Immigration and Naturalization Service, DOD contracts in support of the Air National Guard, the Air Force Reserve and the US Army and services contracts in support of State of Oklahoma agencies.
He is a recipient of the Advancia Corporation Lifetime Achievement Award.
General Elam founded the Elam Consulting & Coaching firm in 2003 upon retirement from the Advancia Corporation. He currently provides consulting and coaching services for private sector clients.
He is listed in Marquis “Who’s Who in America”. He has lectured on leadership at the University of Virginia Darden Graduate School of Business Administration. He is also a volunteer counselor for the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) and was selected by the SCORE DC Chapter as the counselor of the Year for 2007. He is a Commonwealth of Virginia Election Officer.
He and his wife, the former Judy Teller, reside in Springfield, VA. They have two adult children and two grandchildren.