COL Richmond (Rick) Luce
Colonel Richmond (Rick) R. Luce enlisted in the United States Army in 1995 and entered the Early Commissioning Program at Valley Forge Military Academy and College. He graduated with an associate degree in 1997 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Southern California (USC), where he lettered in Football and Track and Field as a Pole Vaulter and Decathlete. He also holds a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. His military education includes the Armor Officer Basic Course, M1A2 SEP Tank Course, Scout Leaders Course, Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Command and General Staff College, and Senior Service College.
COL Luce's initial assignment was with the California National Guard while completing his degree at USC. He served as a Rifle Platoon Leader in Bravo Company, 4-160th Infantry (Mechanized) in 1997, and subsequently as the Battalion Scout Platoon Leader from 1999 to 2000. Upon assessing as an Active Duty Armor Officer, he was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas, serving as a Tank Platoon Leader in B Company, 3-67 Armor, and later as the Brigade Reconnaissance Troop Scout Platoon Leader with H Company, 1-10 Cavalry. This assignment included a combat tour to Iraq in 2003. Following this deployment, COL Luce departed active duty in 2004 to pursue civilian opportunities in the energy and security sectors before returning to the Army in 2007 through the Call to Active-Duty Program.
Upon returning to active duty, he served as the Rear Detachment Commander for the HHC 101st Special Troops Battalion at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He was then assigned to Fort Lewis, Washington, and deployed to Afghanistan in 2009. During this tour, he served as the 5-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team Liaison Officer to Kandahar (RC South) and as the 4-23 Infantry Battalion S3 Air in Zhari-Panjwai and Helmand. From January 2010 - May 2011, he commanded Apache Company, 4-23 Infantry and deployed twice more to Afghanistan between 2011 and 2013.
In 2013, COL Luce successfully assessed for the Asymmetric Warfare Group (AWG). Following a rigorous six-month Operational Advisor Training course, he was assigned as a Troop Commander in Baker Squadron with a strategic focus on Korea, Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD), and Subterranean Operations. He led numerous global missions while serving in AWG, and also served as the Baker Squadron Operations Officer and completed his tour in AWG as the Group Executive Officer. In 2017, he was handpicked to serve as the TRADOC Integrator and Liaison Officer to U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, where he contributed to numerous security cooperation projects, DOTMLPF-P country assessments, and bilateral exercises across the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.
From June 2020 to June 2022, COL Luce commanded the United Nations Command Security Battalion-Joint Security Area (UNCSB-JSA) in Panmunjom, South Korea. Leading this unique ROK-U.S. combined battalion, COL Luce was responsible for securing the JSA for strategic dialogue, deterring hostile action, and executing complex armed operations within one of the world's most heavily fortified militarized zones.
Following battalion command, he served as the Current Operations (CUOPS) Chief for III Armored Corps at Fort Hood, Texas. In this role, he drove multiple Army Project Convergence exercises and a Corps Warfighter, while enabling the deployment of two divisions and seven combat brigades to Europe in support of Russian deterrence initiatives. Most recently, following his graduation from the U.S. Army War College, COL Luce completed a two-year tour at U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) in Stuttgart, Germany, serving as the Operations Division Chief (J33).
COL Luce's awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal (1 OLC), Meritorious Service Medal (3 OLC), Army Commendation Medal with "V" Device, Army Commendation Medal, Navy-Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation, Army Superior Unit Award, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal (with 2 Campaign Stars), Iraq Campaign Medal (with 1 Campaign Star), Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, and the NATO Medal.
He has earned the Combat Action Badge, Ranger Tab, Pathfinder Badge, Air Assault Badge, and Parachutist Badge. He also holds the AWG Operational Advisor (U9) identifier and is SERE-C qualified.
COL Luce is married and have three children.