U.S. Army Colonel (Retired) John D. Carpenter COL (R) John D. Carpenter is a native of East Tennessee and a graduate of Maryville High School. He entered ETSU in 1962 and graduated in 1967 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Transportation Corps.
He commanded the 587th Aviation Detachment (Maintenance) in Vietnam; Delta Company, Third Aviation Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division in Germany; and the 169th Maintenance Battalion, 13th COSCOM at Fort Hood, Texas.
His significant staff positions were as Deputy Commander, Division Materiel Management Center, 2nd Armored Division; Battalion Executive Officer and Battalion Materiel Officer (S-3), 124th Maintenance Battalion; Assistant Chief of Staff G-4 (Logistics), and Executive Officer, Division Support Command, 25th Infantry Division (Light); and Chief, Defense Logistics Agency's (DLA) Combat Operations Center during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. His last assignment was as Chief of the Consumable Item Transfer Management Office (CIMO), DLA.
His awards and decorations include the Vietnam Campaign Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon,
Army Service Ribbon, Vietnam Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Achievement
Medal, Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal, Meritorious Service
Medal with Three Oak Leaf Clusters, Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Defense
Superior Service Medal. He also earned the Master Aviator Badge.
After his military retirement in 1993, Colonel Carpenter taught JROTC for three years
at Gentry High School, Indianola, Mississippi; was primary instructor for two years
at the Henry Johnson Alternative Learning Center, Johnson City; and taught JROTC for
ten years at Science Hill High School in Johnson City, Tennessee. He has been married
since 1966 to the former Brenda Trivette of Johnson City. Their family includes three
married daughters with eight grandchildren.