Edward Soriano Lieutenant General Edward Soriano ( born 12 November 1946 ) is the highest - ranking Filipino American officer to have served in the United States military , and the first promoted to a general officer . Born in the Philippines , Soriano moved with his family to the United States and graduated from Salinas High School before being commissioned as an officer through Army ROTC at San Jose State University . Soriano served with infantry units throughout the United States , Korea , and in Germany . Later Soriano was a liaison officer during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm , and deployed during Operation Joint Endeavor ; he retired in March 2005 . Since retiring from the Army , Soriano has worked for the aerospace and defense technology company Northrop Grumman and has sat on various boards of directors . Early and personal life . Born on 12 November 1946 in Pangasinan to Ilocos Sur natives , Soriano came to the United States in the early 1950s when his father , Fred Soriano , a soldier in the United States Army , was assigned to Fort Benning , Georgia ; he was six when he left the Philippines . Soriano ' s mother ' s name was Encarnacion . Soriano ' s father was a corporal in the 57th Infantry ( Philippine Scouts ) during World War II . After the surrender of American forces on Bataan to the Japanese , the elder Soriano became a prisoner of war and was subjected to the Bataan Death March . The elder Soriano later served in the Korean War , and again became a prisoner of war . During the Korean War , young Edward and the rest of his family moved from Guam back to the Philippines . His father later retired from the army as a major . In the 1960s , his family moved to Salinas , California , and Soriano later graduated from Salinas High School . His father ' s service inspired Edward Soriano to join the military . Soriano graduated from San Jose State University ( SJSU ) in 1970 , and later earned a Master of Public Administration from the University of Missouri . Soriano is married to Vivian Guillermo , who was born in the United States to Laoag natives . The couple have two children , Melissa and Keith . Military career . Soriano was commissioned as an infantry officer through the Army Reserve Officers ' Training Corps at SJSU , in 1970 . Soriano ' s first assignment was at the Recondo School at Fort Bragg , North Carolina , which was followed by command of an anti - tank platoon in the 508th Infantry . Soriano was then sent to Korea where he commanded Combat Support Company , 1st Battalion , 23d Infantry , 2nd Infantry Division , before he was transferred to command Company A , 3d Battalion , 47th Infantry , 3d Brigade , 9th Infantry Division at Fort Lewis , Washington . After attending the United States Army Infantry School at Fort Benning , Soriano served with the United States Army Recruiting Command in Albany , New York , before commanding Company C , 1st Battalion , 39th Infantry Regiment , 8th Infantry Division in Germany . Following his service in Europe , Soriano attended the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth and University of Missouri , Kansas City , before serving in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans and in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel at The Pentagon . After his service in The Pentagon , he commanded 2nd Battalion , 41st Infantry , 2nd Armored Division at Fort Hood , Texas , before attending the United States Army War College and returning to The Pentagon . During operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm , Soriano served as the chief of the liaison team to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force . After the conflict ended , Soriano contributed to the Secretary of Defense ' s Gulf War Report as the chief of the army section while serving in the Office of the Chief of Staff . In 1992 , Soriano received his first assignment at Fort Carson , Colorado , as the commander of the 1st Brigade , 4th Infantry Division . Following this command , Soriano returned to Germany to serve with the 3d and 1st Infantry Divisions , which included deployments to Bosnia for peacekeeping during Operation Joint Endeavor . Returning to the United States , he undertook various positions in Virginia and The Pentagon , including service as Director , Officer Personnel Management , within the Total Army Personnel Command . From 1999 to 2001 , Soriano commanded the 7th Infantry Division and Fort Carson . Soriano served as Director of Homeland Security for United States Joint Forces Command from October 2001 to August 2002 , which laid the foundations for what has become the Northern Command . Soriano ' s final assignment was command of I Corps and Fort Lewis , beginning in August 2002 . Under his leadership , Fort Lewis became a force provider for Operation Iraqi Freedom , including the first deployment of the Stryker with the 2nd Infantry Division . In June 2004 , as the commander of Fort Lewis , Soriano ordered the court - martial of Ryan G . Anderson , who was convicted of providing aid to al - Qaeda and was sentenced in September 2004 to life in prison with the possibility of parole after Soriano removed the death penalty as a possible sentencing option . In September 2004 , Soriano met with Philippine President Gloria Macapagal - Arroyo at Malacanang , who he had met before during Arroyo ' s state visit in May 2003 , after being invited by General Narciso Abaya , Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . In November 2004 , Soriano turned over command of I Corps and Fort Lewis to Lieutenant General James M . Dubik , and finally retired from active duty on 1 March 2005 . Post - military career . Since his retirement , Soriano has worked for Northrop Grumman as the Director of Training and Exercises for Homeland Security and Joint Forces Support . He has also sat on numerous boards of directors including Home Front Cares and Goodwill Industries of Colorado Springs . Additionally , Soriano is the current president of the board of directors of the Mountain Post Historical Center at Fort Carson , and the vice - chairman of the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce ' s military affairs committee . Awards and decorations . Soriano received the following awards and decorations :