After two (2) years in Tampa, I returned to Fort Gordon. The Signal School at Fort Monmouth was being consolidated at Fort Gordon with the Southeastern Signal School. I served as an instructor to the Signal Officer Basic Course, Advance Course, Radio Officer Course, Wire Officer Course, and Warrant Officer Course from 1973 – 1975. I then moved over to the 67th Signal Battalion—the only TO&E unit on post at the time—and commanded Company C until I became the Battalion S-3 (Operations Officer). I left the 67th Signal battalion in April 1977 to attend the Army’s new Organizational Effectiveness Staff Officer course at Fort Ord, CA—a sixteen week TDY enroute to Germany. The OESO turned out to be another very rewarding experience, both personally and professionally.

I served as the first OESO for the 7th Signal Brigade at Coleman Barracks, near Mannheim. I feel I was successful in establishing the program and in proving its worth to some skeptical senior officers. However, I still wasn’t willing to hang my “newly defined” career on the Organizational Effectiveness program, so I took the position of Deputy Installation Commander of Coleman Barracks (the 7th Signal Brigade Commander was the Installation Commander) for the remainder of my tour in Germany. I left Germany in May 1979 a few days after I received word of my maternal grandmother’s death—a retired school teacher and one of the most positive influences in my life. I was headed for Fort Leavenworth, KS for the Command and General Staff College (or as we kidded, “the short course”).

After CGSC, a Major by then, I returned to (you guessed it) Fort Gordon. I served as an action officer in the Office of the TRADOC System Manager for Tactical Automatic Switching from 1981 – 1983 and then moved to the 2nd Signal School Training Brigade as the Deputy Commander. During that time, another very special and influential person in my life, my maternal grandfather, passed away. I thank him for teaching me the basics of living a good life. In June 1984, the Fort Gordon Chief of Staff was headed to Fort Huachuca, AZ to be the Commander of the Communications-Electronics Engineering and Installation Activity. He asked me to go with him to be the Executive Officer of the activity.  Due for a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) and not knowing what else might be in the cards, I decided to go to AZ.  Unfortunately, I lost my dad to a heart attack at the end of June during this transition. I still miss him and wish I had been closer in the last years he was alive

After serving as the XO for CEEIA for about six (6) months, I was offered the position of Secretary of the General Staff (SGS) for the Army’s Information Systems Command (formerly Strategic Communications Command, but as ISC was upgraded to a three star command). I took the job. It was very time demanding, but I loved the job and also I took a chance and started pursuing my Masters Degree. I took classes at night and on weekends using my VA education benefits. In the middle of all this, I lucked out and made the Battalion Command List. I was slated for (yep, you guessed it) a battalion at Fort Gordon. I was blessed with a Masters Degree and a command as I left Fort Huachuca in June 1986.

I took command of the 3rd Battalion, 2nd School Brigade in July 1986. The Regimental system was being implemented. My battalion was re-designated as the newly reactivated 551st Signal Battalion (formerly “Aircraft Warning”). I loved the command tour. I commanded what was probably the most unique battalion in the Army at the time—I had three (3) TRADOC Table of Distribution and Allowances (TDA) companies, the Replacement and Processing Company, the 258th Signal Company (Wire and Cable), the Military Police Company, a company of Combat Engineers, and two (2) Tactical Ambulance Detachments. Total assigned strength averaged over 1,700 personnel—a lot of these soldiers were on the installation staff. In fact, I was the Commanding General’s Battalion Commander! I turned over my command in July 1988. I had decided I would retire in 1989 and was offered the position of the Assistant Chief of Staff after command. I lucked out again and was on the O-6 promotion list that year. However, I was still going to retire. The Senior Service College list came out and a (honestly to my surprise) I was on it. I was slated for the Army War College at Carlisle, PA—I decided to go. After a very educational and fun year at Carlisle, it was time to move on—yep, you guessed it—back to Fort Gordon, having been selected for a TRADOC Systems Manager (TSM) position.

I returned to Fort Gordon in 1990, supposedly to be the TSM for Battlefield Computers; however, the Colonel in the position decided not to retire for another year. I was assigned as the Director of Evaluation and Standardization—a fancy title for a quality control job over the school house. He did move on after another year., but by that time moving into the job I had been transferred there to take a year earlier no longer excited me. I served as the TSM for about a year and began to get those feelings—those feelings that it was time to do something else. You always know when it is time. I retired as a Colonel on October 1, 1992—twenty-six years and three days after being drafted as a Private.

I actually went on terminal leave in August 1992 and began working on a government contract supporting the Department of Energy at their Savannah River Operations Office near Aiken, SC. In 1995 I assumed duties of the Program Manager and have held that position until now.

Diana and I have two daughters, Debbie and Michele, and four grandchildren, Tyler, Katherine, Jonathan Preas, and Jessica! 

My military decorations and awards include the Parachutist Badge, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal with 5 stars, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Army Commendation Medal, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Legion of Merit.

I currently reside in Martinez, GA (yep, you got it—near Fort Gordon!