Guy C . Swan III Lieutenant General Guy Carleton Swan III ( born January 28 , 1954 ) of the United States Army is a retired United States Army officer . His final assignment was Commanding General United States Army North ( USARNORTH ) , at Fort Sam Houston , Texas . Swan grew up in the Pines Lake neighborhood of Wayne , New Jersey , where he attended Wayne Hills High School . Military career . Swan was commissioned as an armor officer from the United States Military Academy at West Point , New York , in June 1976 . After graduation and initial officer training , he served in Korea as a tank platoon leader in the 2nd Infantry Division ' s 1st Battalion , 72nd Armor . Upon returning to the United States in 1978 , he joined the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Bliss , Texas , serving as a cavalry platoon leader , troop executive officer , and squadron adjutant . From 1982 to 1985 he was the commanding officer of Company A , 2nd Battalion , 77th Armor Regiment at Fort Lewis , Washington , and later served as aide - de - camp to the commanding general , 9th Infantry Division ( Motorized ) . From 1985 to 1987 Swan served as an Armor Branch assignment officer in Washington , D . C . . He graduated from the US Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth , Kansas , in 1988 and from the School of Advanced Military Studies in 1989 . Swan then served as the chief , G3 Plans for the 1st Armored Division , VII Corps , US Army Europe and Seventh Army in Ansbach , Germany , and later as the division ' s deputy G3 ( Operations ) in Kuwait , Saudi Arabia , and Iraq during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm . In 1991 he returned to the cavalry , joining the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment ( Blackhorse ) , V Corps , United States Army Europe and Seventh Army where he served as the executive officer of the 1st Squadron in Kuwait during Operation Positive Force , and as the regimental executive officer in Fulda , Germany . Swan commanded the 4th Battalion , 64th Armor Regiment , an M1A1 Abrams main battle tank unit , in the 24th Infantry Division ( Mechanized ) , Fort Stewart , Ga . , from July 1993 to July 1995 . He then completed a year - long National Security Fellowship at Harvard University ' s John F . Kennedy School of Government . From June 1996 to June 1998 Swan was the regimental commander for the 2500 - soldier 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment ( Blackhorse ) , serving as the 57th colonel of the regiment and as the commander of the Opposing Forces ( OPFOR ) at the US Army ' s National Training Center , Fort Irwin , California . Swan served at the Pentagon in Washington , D . C . , from June 1998 to August 2000 as the assistant deputy director for strategy and policy ( J - 5 ) for the Joint Chiefs of Staff . He took up a training mission again , this time as commanding general of the 7th Army Training Command ( 7th ATC ) , which he led from September 2000 to August 2002 at the Grafenwoehr / Hohenfels Training Area in Upper Bavaria , Germany . In that capacity , he was responsible for supporting the military training readiness of the 65 , 000 US Army Soldiers based in Europe . Returning to Washington , D . C . , Swan became the Army ' s " pointman " on Capitol Hill , serving as the Army ' s Chief of Legislative Liaison from August 2002 to July 2005 . Prior to his assignment to USNORTHCOM , Swan was the commanding general of the Military District of Washington ( CG / MDW ) and Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region ( JFHQ - NCR ) from July 21 , 2005 through June 5 , 2007 . As CG MDW / JFHQ - NCR , Swan became a known figure when he escorted Betty Ford during the nine days in December 2006 and January 2007 that marked the death and state funeral of her husband , former U . S . president Gerald Ford . His immediate predecessor , Major General Galen B . Jackman , escorted former First Lady Nancy Reagan at the state funeral of former U . S . president Ronald Reagan . Swan retired in December , 2011 , after relinquishing command to William B . Caldwell IV . As of 2012 Swan was serving as Vice President of the Association of the United States Army . Qualifications and decorations . Swan holds a Master of Arts degree in National Security Studies from Georgetown University and a Master of Military Art and Science degree from the School of Advanced Military Studies . His awards include the Distinguished Service Medal , the Defense Superior Service Medal , the Legion of Merit , the Bronze Star , the Ranger Tab , the Parachutist Badge , and the United States Armor Association ' s Honorable Order of St . George .