USC names new chief of staff, adds James Smith to top position

University of South Carolina President Robert Caslen has named two men to top positions, the school announced Monday.

James Smith, a former Democratic gubernatorial candidate and former S.C. representative who has been working as an advisor to Caslen, was named interim special assistant to the president. Smith will remain at his current salary of $140,000.

USC has also hired retired Army Col. Mark Bieger to be Caslen’s new chief of staff. Bieger, who was Caslen’s chief of staff while he was the superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, will report directly to Caslen.

“He is the perfect choice to lead my team, and he is a leader whom I have worked closely with before and whom I have the upmost trust and confidence in,” Caslen said in a press release.

Bieger’s salary will be $220,000, according to the release.

Bieger, a combat veteran, served two, one-year tours in both Mosul and Baghdad, from 2004-2005 and from 2009-2010, respectively, according to the release. Bieger also trained soldiers at Fort Jackson and commanded the 171st Infantry Brigade, based in Columbia, from 2012-2014, the release said.

Civilians may recognize Bieger from a commonly shared 2005 war photo. In that picture Bieger is seen holding back tears as he cradles a dying Iraqi girl in Mosul after she was wounded by a car bomber, according to CBS News. The image became a symbol of soldiers showing humanity even amid the chaos of war.

Bieger joins an entourage of executive positions that support Caslen. Those include Smith; Susan Bon, a professor who is serving as an assistant to Caslen through a newly created fellowship; and Rob Godfrey, a former spokesman for then-Gov. Nikki Haley who is serving as Caslen’s communications adviser.

The chief of staff position was one of several criticized by state lawmakers for having a five-day application period, according to a previous article from The State. Lawmakers who criticized the process said five days is not long enough to conduct a serious search. There was no publicized search for Smith’s position, given that it is an interim position.

This story was originally published January 6, 2020 at 11:02 AM.