Norwich University

O'Neil is a Distinguished Letter winner as a two-sport athlete in football and indoor track. He was a starter on the 1984 Hall-of-Fame football team and was named captain in 1985. Following graduation, O'Neil went on to a distinguished military career in the Army where he held the rank of Major General Chief of Staff in the U.S. Army Pacific until his retirement in 2019. 

"I look back on my time at Norwich and always remember the brotherhood of the athletes and team camaraderie," O'Neil said. "I'm just an ordinary guy that had extraordinary opportunities because of extraordinary people. I give all the credit to the folks that have pushed me beyond what I thought I could physically and mentally. Norwich helps build levels of grit that prep you for the rest of your life." 

O'Neil was deployed to Bosnia, in addition to 15 deployments in support of overseas contingency operations in Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom, and Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn. O'Neil's military awards and decorations include: Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters), seven Bronze Star Medals (one with valor device), Defense Meritorious Service Medal (with one Oak Leaf Cluster), Meritorious Service Medal (with one Oak Leaf Cluster), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal (with two Oak Leaf Clusters), Ranger Tab, Combat Infantryman Badge, Combat Action Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Military Free Fall Jumpmaster Badge, Master Parachute Badge and the Air Assault Badge.