About Kevin
Soldier. Scholar. Storyteller.
A career shaped by military service, strategic education and a lifelong fascination with how people make decisions under pressure.
Biography
A career shaped by service and scholarship.
Colonel (Retired) Kevin J. Weddle, Ph.D., FRHistS, is a Distinguished Fellow, military historian and former Elihu Root Chair of Military Studies at the US Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania.
A native Minnesotan and graduate of the United States Military Academy, Kevin served over 28 years on active duty in the US Army before retiring as a colonel. His command and staff assignments in the United States and overseas included command of a combat engineer battalion, service during Operations Desert Storm and Enduring Freedom, and senior roles at the US Army War College.
Kevin holds master’s degrees in history and civil engineering from the University of Minnesota and a Ph.D. in history from Princeton University, and is a licensed professional Civil Engineer. At the Army War College he led the Advanced Strategic Art Program and later served as deputy dean of academics. He was William L. Garwood Visiting Professor at Princeton University in 2019.
Today he writes, lectures, contributes to historical documentaries and leads military and civilian groups on battlefield tours and staff rides across the United States and Europe.
Education
Academic life
- Ph.D., History — Princeton University, 2003
- M.A., History — Princeton University, 2001
- Diploma — US Army War College, 1999
- Diploma — US Army Command and General Staff College, 1990
- M.S.C.E., Civil Engineering — University of Minnesota, 1986
- B.S., Applied Sciences and Engineering — United States Military Academy, 1979
Military career
A career of command and strategic education
Over 28 years of command, staff and academic leadership.
- 1979
United States Military Academy
Graduates from West Point and is commissioned into the US Army.
- 1979–1981
Platoon Leader and Company Executive Officer
5th Engineer Battalion.
- 1981–1983
Company Commander
515th Engineer Company.
- 1986–1989
Assistant Professor, Department of History
Teaches history at the United States Military Academy.
- 1990
Early promotion to Major
Selected ahead of his year group, an early sign of the trajectory to come.
- 1990–1991
Operation Desert Storm
Brigade Staff, 7th Engineer Brigade, VII Corps.
- 1991–1993
Operations Officer
555th Combat Engineer Group, I Corps.
- 1993–1995
Engineer Team Chief
Defense Intelligence Agency.
- 1994
Early promotion to Lieutenant Colonel
A second early promotion, continuing a run of accelerated advancement.
- 1995–1997
Battalion command
Commands the 299th Engineer Battalion, 4th Infantry Division.
- 1997–1998
Engineer Team Chief
Army Staff, the Pentagon.
- 1999
Brigade Command Primary Selectee
Selected for brigade command, the Army’s most senior tactical leadership track.
- 2000
Promoted to Colonel
Continues a career spanning command, intelligence, strategy and senior military education.
- 2001–2002
Director, Theater Strategy
US Army War College, Operation Enduring Freedom.
- 2002–2005
Advanced Strategic Art Program
Director of the US Army War College program for advanced strategic education.
- 2005–2007
Deputy Dean of Academics
Serves in senior academic leadership at the US Army War College.
- 2021–2023
Elihu Root Chair of Military Studies
Holds one of the Army War College’s distinguished academic chairs.
- 2024–present
Distinguished Fellow
US Army War College.
Areas of expertise
Campaigns, command and the decisions behind them.
Selected honors
Recognition for scholarship, teaching and public service.
Trustee, New York State Military Museum, 2025–present
James C. Rees Fellowship on the Leadership of George Washington, Mount Vernon, 2025–2026
Department of the Army Distinguished Civilian Service Award, 2023
Simley High School (Minnesota) Hall of Fame induction, 2023
Oxford University Press Best Books of 2022 List, for The Compleat Victory
Gilder Lehrman Prize for Military History
Society of the Cincinnati Prize
Fraunces Tavern Museum Book Award
US Army War College Excellence-in-Public-Scholarship Award, 2020
Senior Fellow, James Madison Program, Princeton University, 2019–present
William E. Colby Award
William E. Colby Society Fellow and Writer’s Circle, 2007–present
Fellow of the Royal Historical Society
Two US Army War College Excellence-in-Teaching Awards
Six Colonel John J. Madigan III US Army War College Writing Awards
In Kevin’s words
Five questions
Kevin is often asked about history, command and what a battlefield reveals that a book cannot. Here, in his own words, are his answers to five of the questions that come up most.
What first drew you to military history?
I can’t recall a time when I wasn’t interested in history in general and specifically military history. My father was a keen reader of history, so I imagine it rubbed off on me in some fashion. I was also fortunate that my history professors at West Point were all excellent and were able to bring the past alive.
What can you understand on a battlefield that you simply cannot get from a book?
No matter how much you read about a battle or campaign and pore over detailed maps and first-person accounts, you can’t fully understand such events without walking the ground. Geography can and often does determine the conduct and outcomes of battles and campaigns, and no amount of study can replace actually visiting the key sites. That is why I try to visit every site I write about, and why I enjoy leading groups to battlefields around the world.
Which campaign or commander do you find yourself returning to most often, and why?
My favorite American military leader is Ulysses Grant, the US general in chief during the final year of the Civil War. I think he is the greatest general in US history. However, I am also partial to George Washington, Dwight Eisenhower, George Patton, and this might surprise some people, British commanders Bernard Montgomery and Alan Brooke. As far as battles and campaigns go, I never tire of visiting Gettysburg and Normandy. The leadership and strategic lessons gained from studying these generals and their campaigns are priceless.
What do you hope people take away from one of your talks or tours?
I like to tell stories, and I emphasize people and relationships during my talks and my tours. I hope people are both enlightened and entertained, and that they are inspired to read more about the event and to visit the key sites. I am passionate about my interest in history, and I’d like to think that some of that is passed on to my audiences.
After decades of studying war and leadership, what still surprises you?
As a career US Army officer, I led soldiers for almost 29 years, so this shouldn’t surprise me, but I am always astounded by the resilience of the American and British soldier throughout history. In countless cases throughout history, they have been knocked down only to bounce back and persevere, usually to ultimate victory. My talks and tours often illustrate this key quality.
“Kevin’s knowledge, passion and clear speaking made it so enjoyable and informative.”