Rank: Lieutenant Colonel (Ret)
Branches: Military Intelligence, Infantry
Retirement Date: July 31, 1984
Number of Years of Service: 22
Wife’s Name: Barbara; Children: 3; Grandchildren: 10; Great Grandchildren: 4
City and State: Lorton, Virginia
Awards: Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with 60 Device, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with Palm, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm, Presidential Unit Citation (Army), General Staff Identification Badge, Parachutist Badge, Combat Infantryman Badge, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Meritorious Service Medal (1OLC), Bronze Star Medal.
Civilian /Military Schools and Degrees: BS – Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte, North Carolina; MBIS – Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia; Infantry Officer Candidate School, Intelligence Research Officer Course, MI Officer Advanced Courses, National Security Management Course, Command and General Staff College.
Summary of Assignments: Pre-OCS: Medic, 5th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, North Carolina & 8th Special Forces Group, Fort Gulick, Panama. Post-OCS: XO, HHC, 8th SFG, Panama; XO, A-Team (A-108) & Mike Force Company Commander, 5th SFG (I Corps, Vietnam); Company Commander, Army Training Center- Fort Bragg, North Carolina; MI Basic Course, Fort Holabird, Maryland; Commander, Pittsburgh Field Office (109th MI Group); MACV Team 42 (Phoenix Program – II Corps, Binh Ding Province, RVN); MI Advance Course, Fort Huachuca, Arizona; Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia – Master’s degree; Information Systems Officer, Army Transportation Center & School, Fort Eustis, Virginia; SSO Detachment, Germany (XO, Heidelburg & CO, Field Station Augsburg); Senior Systems Analyst, Army Concepts Analysis Agency, Bethesda, Maryland; Information Management Officer, ACSI, Pentagon
Jobs/Profession following military: Knowledge Engineer, GE Aerospace Division; President, Graphic Printing Company; Director of Marketing, Defense Contractor; Senior Management Analyst, US Department of Education; Consultant, US Department of Education
Current hobbies/interests: Hunting, Fishing, Golf; Church and Community Services Volunteer
My Military Story for OCS Class 1-66
Theodore R. Strange, Jr.
LTC (Ret.), US Army
I came to OCS in the summer of 1965 as an E-5 Special Forces Medic from the 8th Special Forces Group, Ft. Gulick, Panama.
After completing OCS in January 1966, I was reassigned to the 8th Special Forces Group in Panama as a 2nd Lieutenant, Infantry (XO, HHC).
About a year later I was sent to Viet Nam to serve on an A-Team (A-108, Quang Nhi Province) stationed in I Corps with “Yards” as our support troops. Six months later, I was reassigned as the commander of a Mike Force Company covering all of I Corps operating out of the Danang area (Marble Mountain).
I returned to the States in 1967 as a 1LT Company Commander of a Basic Training Company at Ft. Bragg, NC. After being promoted to Captain, I became the Battalion XO.
In 1968 I received a Branch transfer to the Military Intelligence Branch. Upon completing the Counterintelligence Basic Course at Ft. Holabird, MD, I was assigned as Commander of the Pittsburgh Field Office, 109th MI Group.
After about a year in Pittsburgh, PA I was assigned to the DLI, Ft. Bliss, TX to learn the Vietnamese language in preparation for another one and a half years in Viet Nam as a member of a Phoenix Team operating in Binh Dinh Province.
Upon returning back to the States in 1971 I attended the MI Officers Advanced Course at Ft. Huachuca, AZ. Followed by a stint at Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia to obtain a Master’s Degree in Business Information Systems.
While serving as the Transportation Center Information Systems Officer, Ft. Eustis, VA, I was promoted to Major. Now it was time to learn another language in preparation for a tour in Germany (1977-1980) as the XO of a Special Security Detachment in Heidelberg and later as the Commander of the Special Security Detachment at Field Station Augsburg.
Returning to the States in mid-1980 I was assigned to the US Army Concept Analysis Agency, Bethesda, MD. I was promoted to LTC in 1981.
My final assignment was in the Pentagon serving on the ACSI staff as an Automated Systems Engineer from which I retired in July 1984.
The entire 22 years of Service were filled with trials and joys. But through it all I was constantly reminded of my days as one of Cady’s Tigers. The pushups and runs instilled in me a sense of duty and responsibility (even swinging on the beds to avoid walking on the barrack floors in my room).
I thank you’ll for continuing to carry the torch of unity and friendship. One day soon I‘ll return to Ft. Benning for something other than a hardship tour (jump school and OCS).