LTC Tom Jones

Army | Infantry Officer

Dates of Service: May 1967 - Jul 1989

RETIRED

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45 Endorsements

548 Contacts

Influence Score: 419,613
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Promotions

Nov 67
Jun 68
Mar 69
Mar 70
Mar 71
Apr 79
Feb 86

Commissioning Source: OCS, Mar 1969

Recent Activity -

Bio

Received my draft notice on my 21st (Happy) birthday; thereafter, served twenty-two years in the active Army as Tank Crewman, Troop Clerk, Combat Advisor in Vietnam, Research and Development Coordinator on the Bradley Fighting Vehicle and with the Army Research Institute studying Training in Units. Retired as Executive Officer with the Army Training Support Center (ATSC).

Military Experiences

Jul 1985 - Jul 1989

Executive Officer

Army Training Support Center (ATSC) | Joint Base Langley-Eustis (JBLE)

Tenure at ATSC (the World's largest Training Support Activity) began as Operations Officer with DAART (DA Ranges & Targets) followed by assignment as the Center's Exec and culminating as the Director of Operations, Plans and Integration. Duties were overwhelmingly administrative. Lots of coordination and paperwork. Interestingly selected as the Center's representative to the Sino-US Staff talks at HQ, TRADOC in '89. Thought it interesting (and a little uncomfortable) that General Thurman selected as his opening presentation a briefing on the Inchon landing. Another interesting moment (to me) came when I briefed the CoS of a small African nation on the Center's Mission, Organization and Functions and came to find out that the ATSC annual budget exceeded his country's GNP.

Jul 1981 - Jun 1985

Research and Development Coordinator

Army Research Institute | ARI Field Unit, Monterey, CA

Our shining time. Was the senior military (SME) assigned with some dozen. mostly Ph. D, psychologists studying training in units. Worked with the High Technology Test Bed at Fort Lewis and the 7th ID at Forts Ord and Hunter Liggett on Battle Drills, the NTC on data collection, assessment and integration and special education projects like BSEP. Largely reviewed research products and, in the field, acted as interpreter explaining to the "troop" what the researcher was asking and, in turn, explaining the answer to the scientist. Liesure time spent traveling N.California with the Monterey Bay Swim Club (sons were members), playing basketball in the DLI league and with the Marines at the NPGS and completing C&GSC by correspondence.

Aug 1977 - Jun 1981

Test Officer/Chief, Test & Evaluation

PMS, Bradley Fighting Vehicle | Detroit, MI

First two years was on a weekly rotation among Government Testing at Aberdeen Proving Grounds (APG), MD, Contractor Testing at FMC in San Jose, CA, and the PMS Ofc in Detroit. Schedule was especially brutal during the winter months. Assignment coincided with DSARC approval for initial buy of the BFV/CFV weapons systems.

Aug 1975 - Aug 1977

Admin Officer

USACC (Communications Cmd) | Fort Monroe, VA

Assignment followed a year of "Bootstrap" at Columbus College. Not a labor of love. Most positive outcome was becoming, under the tutelage of retired Colonel and DAC, Adrian Stilson, a better writer. Also learned a lot from the Commander at the time who drove most everyone crazy on a daily basis and who "never made a mistake" because he "talked to God." Enjoyed playing for the Post basketball team.

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Deployments

(1 year, 11 months)

Nov 1969 - Nov 1970

Vietnam War

Exec on two MACOORDS Camp conversion teams; A-502 near Nha Trang and A-235 on the Cambodian/II Corps & III Corps borders.

Oct 1967 - Jul 1968

Germany

Trained as 11E, Tank Crewman, initially assigned to Bravo Troop, 1/3 ACR in Baumholder, Germany. Upon arrival, OJT'd as an 11D, Scout then reassigned (another OJT) as Troop clerk. Unit reforged to Fort Lewis, WA; Infantry OCS from there.