Major General Horst (U. S. Army-Retired) retired from the United States Army on October 1, 2013 after more than 37 years of enlisted and commissioned service. During that time, he had the privilege to lead Soldiers at every level of the military, at home and around the world, in peacetime and in combat.

In his last assignment on active duty he served as Chief of Staff for U.S. Central Command at MacDill AFB, Tampa. His last command assignment was as the Commanding General of Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region and the Military District of Washington. Complementing his command experience, General Horst had staff responsibilities at several senior levels: Headquarters, Department of the Army; NATO Military Headquarters; U.S. European Command; U.S. Joint Forces Command; U.S. Northern Command; and finally at U.S. Central Command.

Upon retirement, General Horst followed an atypical career path and went into the automobile industry where he was the General Manager of a major car dealership. Following his passion as a leader, General Horst authored the book “Common Sense Leadership,” with ten leadership lessons learned during his time in the Army. While he lectures on the subject of leadership and National Security issues, he also leverages his experience from the Middle East, lecturing on the contemporary geo-political and religious challenges of the Middle East and the Levant.

General Horst is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Army War College, and the NADA Dealer Academy.