William Pagonis


Lieutenant General William Gus Pagonis served as the director of American logistics during the Gulf War of 1991.

Career

Pagonis served in the United States Army for 29 years, retiring with the three-star rank of lieutenant general. He earned both a bachelor's degree in Transportation and Traffic Management and a master's degree in Business Administration from Pennsylvania State University. He is a brother of the Alpha Chi Rho fraternity.

Gulf War

Pagonis served as Norman Schwarzkopf's logistics advisor during the Gulf War. Pagonis was actually the first American to arrive in Saudi Arabia, hours after it was decided to send troops. Lacking a hotel room, he had slept two nights in the back of his rented Chevrolet near the port of Dammam. He would be promoted to lieutenant general during the war.
Pagonis retired from the position of head Sears Logistics Group in 2004, becoming a Chairman of the Board/Director for RailAmerica. He is also Vice-Chairman of GENCO ATC, a logistics firm based out of Pittsburgh and previously served as an advisor to CombineNet, Inc. Pagonis is also an author, having written Moving Mountains: Lessons in Leadership and Logistics from the Gulf War, published by Harvard Business School Press.