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CORAOPOLIS, Pa- Retired Major General Rich Staats, a West Point graduate and a 41-year veteran of the U.S. Army, was inducted into the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps Hall of Fame. The award is a recognition of an exemplary career that started decades ago and was characterized by service, leadership, and innovative contributions to Army logistics and sustainment.
Established almost forty years ago, the Quartermaster Corps Hall of Fame is the greatest form of award provided by the branch to those who have contributed the most to its history and traditions. Staats described the honor was surreal as well as humbling.
Staats said “this is the highest award given by the Quartermaster community to one of its members.” “I can say without reservation I could never have imagined being inducted into the Hall of Fame. Some of my heroes as a young quartermaster were eventually given this honor, and I am still feeling a bit of disbelief.”
Staats had seven command assignments in a career at the company level to a two-star general, five of which were overseas and three in active combat. His most influential experience was one he got early in his career as a first lieutenant in the role of a lieutenant colonel as a petroleum officer. He served the NATO allies and Western European governments directly and at their source, assisting in the determination of the strategic level of logistics strategy of the Army. He remained the commanding general in charge of the initial Innovation Command of the Army post he refers to as the final jewel to a great career.
“As a Quartermaster Soldier, we are expected to innovate, to find ways to accomplish the mission, no matter what the circumstance,” Staats states.
Staats had to see major improvements in the Quartermaster Corps over the years. He cited the inclusion of women in the normal force as one of the most radical and good changes. He also noted the Corps moving outside of tasks like field bakeries and canvas repair to the joint integration and birth of Logistics Corps as a fundamental one.
“Integration is vital. That said, we need to be careful to maintain deep expertise in our Quartermaster core responsibilities,” Staats emphasizes. Mentorship was a focal point in Staats’ In the leadership experience. He gives credit to Colonel Ron Bila, Colonel Bill Hand, and Major General Les Carroll as key individuals who identified servant leadership, highest standards, and informed risk-taking, as examples. “ A word from the wise to the wise suffices,” Staats remembers being influenced by his mentors.
Staats has three guiding principles for future Quartermasters. The Perrin Principle involves tactical and technical excellence, the Stafford Principle promotes initiative and value-adding thinking, and the Peterson Principle promotes positivity and mutual respect in the working environment. These principles were to him, “spokes on a wheel.” He advises, “They have to be taken in balance. If one or two the spokes is too long or too short then the wheel will be out of balance and will not operate smoothly. When all the principles are operating and in balance, there is no limit to what an individual or unit can accomplish.”
Staats continues to be very involved in the Quartermaster community, although he is officially retired. Even to this day, he also mentors young leaders and is often up-to-date on the changes happening within the field of logistics and frequently accepts requests to visit and receive questions from those who are in the service.
“My main contribution over the 41 years of service was the recruiting, training, and educating five generations of Soldiers.” Staats says. “Those who served with me will recognize the principles, and I hope that many of them have internalized those principles and made them their own.”
Staats is a Ph.D. graduate of MIT and has a master's degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College. His military decorations are the Distinguished Service Medal, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, and Polish Medal of Distinction, among others. Besides his military service, Staats has served in national defense think tanks, published widely, recorded more than 280 songs, and continues to be an avid public speaker and educator.
He is married to Ann Staats, a retired school teacher and award-winning children's author. They collectively have five children: a medical doctor, a chef, a Marine who has become the CEO of a company, a marketer, and a financial analyst.
As Staats reflects on his life of service, he repeats the statement of General MacArthur “Old soldiers never die, they just fade away.” His leadership, principles, and influence however, live on through the lives that he has touched.
| Date Taken: | 07.02.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.02.2025 11:07 |
| Photo ID: | 9144569 |
| VIRIN: | 250702-A-SU865-5014 |
| Resolution: | 250x325 |
| Size: | 22.01 KB |
| Location: | CORAOPOLIS, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Hometown: | PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 6 |
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