Three Army colonels are on their way up the ranks — and the paperwork is already signed.
On March 9, 2026, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that President Trump has nominated three Army colonels for promotion to the grade of brigadier general, a move that would elevate officers currently embedded in medical and regional support commands across the country. The nominations span assignments from Salt Lake City to Puerto Rico to Georgia — a geographic spread that reflects the breadth of the Army’s reserve and deployment infrastructure.
The Three Nominations
First on the list is Army Col. Paul A. Lucci, Jr., who is currently serving as chief of staff of the 807th Medical Command (Deployment Support) in Salt Lake City, Utah. Hegseth’s office confirmed that Lucci’s nomination was among those formally announced Monday, with the full release stating that he “is currently serving as chief of staff, 807th Medical Command (Deployment Support), Salt Lake City, Utah.”
Then there’s Army Col. Arnold Rivera-Sanchez, who commands the 191st Regional Support Group at Fort Allen, Puerto Rico. It’s worth noting that a commander-level nomination — rather than a staff chief — carries its own particular weight, suggesting Rivera-Sanchez’s operational leadership profile factored heavily into the White House’s calculus. The announcement placed him squarely in that command role at the time of nomination.
Rounding out the trio is Army Col. Scott C. Valley, chief of staff of the 3rd Medical Command (Deployment Support) at Gillem Enclave, Georgia. Like Lucci, Valley’s position sits at the intersection of medical logistics and large-scale deployment readiness — the kind of unglamorous but critical infrastructure work that doesn’t always make headlines until something goes wrong.
What It Means
Two of the three nominees — Lucci and Valley — come from medical deployment commands. That’s not a coincidence. The Army’s medical support architecture has faced sustained scrutiny over readiness gaps in recent years, and elevating experienced officers from within those structures signals at least some institutional intent to shore up that pipeline from the top down.
Still, nominations aren’t promotions. Each of these colonels will require Senate confirmation before they can pin on that first star — a process that, depending on the political climate on Capitol Hill, can move quickly or stall entirely. It’s a reminder that in the military’s promotion world, the announcement is really just the beginning of the story.
Rivera-Sanchez’s nomination, meanwhile, carries a distinct regional dimension. Fort Allen in Puerto Rico has long served as a hub for reserve component operations in the Caribbean, and his potential elevation could signal renewed emphasis on that theater’s support capacity — or simply reflect a well-timed career trajectory. Sometimes it’s both.
The Bigger Picture
Three nominations in a single announcement isn’t unusual for the Pentagon’s routine general officer machinery — these releases tend to cluster, dropping quietly on a Monday with little fanfare. But the backgrounds here are notable. None of these officers are coming from combat arms or high-visibility operational commands. They’re logistics men, medical support leaders, regional coordinators. The backbone people.
And if they’re confirmed, they’ll be doing the same essential work — just with a star on their shoulder and a bigger seat at the table.
