LTC Tom Jones

LTC Tom Jones

Dates of Service: May 1967 - Jul 1989
RETIRED
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548 Contacts
Influence Score: 416,298
307 out of 865,913 Veterans
About Discussions

Promotions

  • PFC
  • SPC Nov 67
  • SP5 Jun 68
  • 2LT Mar 69
  • 1LT Mar 70
  • CPT Mar 71
  • MAJ Apr 79
  • LTC 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
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
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
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
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.

Deployments

(1 year, 11 months)
Nov 1969 - Nov 1970
Vietnam ribbon
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
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.

Military Credentials

Professional Development Schools

Jul 1968 - Mar 1969

Infantry OCS

Individual & Special Skill Schools

Sep 1969 - Oct 1969

Recondo (5th ID at Fort Carson)

Apr 1969 - May 1969

Motor Officer Course

Certifications

Aug 2015

CDL

Nov 2013

SOIP

Apr 1993

Rifle Marksmanship Instructor

Foreign Language Skills

1970

Vietnamese (2/0+)

Security Clearance
None / Expired

Academic Degrees

Academic Degrees

1974 - 1975

Columbus College (GA)

Bachelor's Degree, History (Major)

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