Major General Hugh C. Van Roosen was commissioned an Infantry Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School Reserve Component Class 2-81 on December 3, 1981. His first duty assignment was as Rifle Platoon Leader, A Company, 1st Battalion, 104th Infantry, Massachusetts Army National Guard, Springfield, Massachusetts.

His subsequent duty assignments include: Detachment Executive Officer, A Company, 1st Battalion, 11th Special Forces Group; Company Operations Officer, A Company, 1st Battalion, 11th Special Forces Group; Detachment Commander, C Company, 1st Battalion, 11th Special Forces Group; Company Adjutant, C Company, 1st Battalion, 11th Special Forces Group; Military Freefall Detachment Commander, Company C, 1st Battalion, 11th Special Forces Group; Detachment Commander, Company B, 1st Battalion, 11th Special Forces Group; Company Executive Officer, Company A, 1st Battalion, 11th Special Forces Group; Battalion Operations Officer, 401st Civil Affairs Battalion; Company Commander, U.S. Army John F. Kennedy (JFK) Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Course Manager and Instructor, U.S. Army JFK Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Chief, Civil Affairs Proponency, U.S. Army JFK Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Director, SOJ7, Special Operations Command, Europe, Stuttgart, Germany; Battalion Commander, 402nd Tactical Civil Affairs Battalion, Baghdad, Iraq and Tonawanda, New York; Deputy G3, United States Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Commander, 360th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne), Baghdad, Iraq and Fort Jackson, South Carolina; Deputy Commanding General, US Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Chief of Staff Forces, United Nations Mission in Liberia, Monrovia, Liberia (where he was the only US flag officer to have commanded People’s Republic of China units, among others); Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Army JFK Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Director, Institute for Military Support to Governance, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Senior Advisor to the United Nations on South Sudan, New York, New York; Deputy G1, Department of the Army, the Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia; Deputy Military Advisor (Deputy Assistant Secretary General), United Nations Headquarters, New York, New York.

His military awards include: Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Army Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit w/ 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal w/ 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal w/4 Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal w/2 Oak Leaf Clusters, National Defense Service Medal with bronze star, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Achievement Medal w/ 40 year device and M device, Special Forces Tab, Combat Action Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Military Freefall Badge, Norwegian Military Ski Badge, Norwegian Parachutist Badge, Canadian Parachutist Badge, German Silver Parachutist Badge, British Parachutist Badge, Army Staff Identification Badge, Iraqi Campaign medal with 2 bronze stars, and the Joint Meritorious Unit Award w/ 2 Oak Leaf Clusters.

Major General Van Roosen is a graduate of the University of the State of New York at Albany, the Army War College, the National Security Studies Course, and CAPSTONE.