Thomas J. Plewes
Thomas J. Plewes
Thomas J. Plewes was born in 1940 and raised in Zeeland. After graduation from Hope College in 1962, he moved to Washington, DC, taking a job with the US Department of Labor. In 1966, Plewes enlisted in the Army and was commissioned in 1967, after completing Engineer Officer Candidate School. His military service spanned almost four decades, including three years of active duty in Germany and at Fort Riley, Kansas. Army Reserve duty, in several states, followed. General Plewes served in a variety of challenging administrative and command positions, and in an assortment of support, logistics, and staff units. His outstanding leadership and administrative skills led him into increasingly challenging positions of responsibility, culminating in his return to active duty (1998-2002) to become the Commanding General, United States Army Reserve Command and the first Chief of the Army Reserve to be promoted to Lieutenant General, a three-star rank. His Army Reserve duty also allowed him to continue his civilian career in various positions, including the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, the National Academy of Sciences, and as a consultant on management of labor statistics programs to five foreign governments on four continents. He supports many veterans’ and community causes in his spare time, in both leadership and mentorship positions.