Lt. Col. Chad Holder serves as Deputy Commanding Officer at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin.
Holder assumed duties as the Garrison Deputy Commander at Fort McCoy on July 28, 2025. Before this assignment, he served as the Executive Officer to the Deputy Chief of Army Reserve, Office of the Chief of Army Reserve, at Fort Belvoir, Va.
Holder holds a bachelor of science degree in kinesiology from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, and a master of science degree in educational administration from Texas A&M – Commerce, now known as East Texas A&M University.
Holder began his military career as an enlisted Soldier with the 82nd Airborne, 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment (AIR) at Fort Bragg, N.C. He earned a commission through a Green to Gold scholarship, graduated from the Armor Officer Basic Course, and was assigned to Bandit Troop, 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Carson, Colo., where he served as a Scout Platoon Leader. Following his duties as a platoon leader and executive officer, Holder was assigned as an executive officer with the 5th Squadron, 15th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Knox, Ky.
After transitioning from active duty, Holder served as a teacher and high school basketball coach in Texas before re-entering military service with the Texas National Guard as a logistician with the 536th Brigade Support Battalion in Huntsville, Texas. He then transitioned to the United States Army Reserve, where he commanded Bravo Company, 63rd Brigade Support Battalion in Sloan, Nevada.
His subsequent assignments as a Troop Program Unit Reserve Soldier include: S3, 314th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (CSSB), Sloan, Nev.; Officer in Charge (OIC) for the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center in Baghdad, Iraq; and Operations Officer, 3rd Battalion, 393rd Brigade Engineer Battalion (BEB), at Fort Hood, Texas. As an Active-Guard Reserve Officer, Holder served as Battalion Executive Officer, 3rd Battalion, 360th Training Support Battalion (TsBN) in Salt Lake City, Utah; HHD Commander, 1st Army Support Command in Rock Island, Ill.; LTC Talent Manager, Human Resources Command (HRC) at Fort Knox, Kentucky; Support Operations Officer, 90th Sustainment Brigade in Little Rock, Ark.; and Executive Officer to the Deputy Chief of Army Reserve at Fort Belvoir, Va.
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, and the Army Staff Identification Badge.