Lt. Gen. Michael Tucker will be the keynote speaker at the Washington County Community Foundation Annual Meeting on June 19, 2014 at Cornerstone Hall.

Lieutenant General Tucker entered the United States Army as a private in 1972 and served as a cavalry scout for 1st Battalion, 35th Armor in Erlangen, Germany until he departed as a Staff Sergeant in 1977. He then served the next two years as a drill sergeant in the 3rd Basic Combat Training Brigade at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He was accepted in 1979 for Officer Candidate School where he graduated as a Distinguished Military Graduate.

Commissioned in Armor, his first assignment was tank platoon leader, B Company, 1st Battalion, 35th Armor, Germany. During this tour from January 1980 until July 1984 he served as a Tank Company Executive Officer, Battalion Motor Officer, commanded the Battalion’s Combat Support Company and C Company. After a CONUS assignment to attend school, he returned to Germany in January 1986 to command Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 35th Armor, then served as the Battalion Adjutant, Deputy Sub-Community Commander of Ferris Barracks, and finally as the S3, 1st Battalion, 35th Armor in OPERATION DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM.

Lieutenant General Tucker attended Command and General Staff College in 1991-92 and was then assigned as an Assistant Professor, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York. He was then selected to serve as a joint staff officer, and was assigned as Chief, Joint Network Simulations at the Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Alabama.

Lieutenant General Tucker commanded 1st Battalion, 64th Armor, 3d Infantry Division (Mechanized) from June 1996 to June 1998 and following attendance at the U.S. Army War College, was assigned as the G3, 3d Infantry Division (Mechanized) from June 1999 to February 2001. In March 2001, he assumed command of 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, which included a deployment in support of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM. Following brigade command he assumed duties as Executive Officer to the Commanding General U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army

Upon completion of his assignment as Executive Officer, he was reassigned to the 1st Armored Division from August 2004 to June 2006 where he served as the Assistant Division Commander (Maneuver) and then as the Assistant Division Commander (Support). From July 2006 until March 2007, he served as the Deputy Commanding General/Assistant Commandant, United States Army Armor Center and Fort Knox. From April 2007 to October 2008 he served as the Deputy Commanding General, North Atlantic Regional Medical Command and Walter Reed Army Medical Center and then transitioned to be the Assistant Surgeon General for Warrior Care Transition, Office of the Surgeon General.

In May 2008, he deployed to Afghanistan where he served as Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations for the International Security Assistance Force until taking command of the 2nd Infantry Division in October 2009 after his return from Afghanistan. In October 2011, he was assigned as the Special Assistant to the Vice Chief of Staff at the Pentagon and later assumed duties as the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7 prior to taking command of First Army in August 2013.

His civilian education includes a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from the University of Maryland, a Master’s Degree in Military Arts and Sciences from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Shippensburg University.

Lieutenant General Tucker has earned the Expert Infantry Badge, the Drill Sergeant Identification Badge, the Parachutist Badge, the Department of the Army Staff Badge, and the German Ranger Badge.

Tickets are on sale now for $25.00 and are available by contacting the Washington County Community Foundation office at 812-883-7334 or info@wccf.biz.

The mission of the Washington County Community Foundation is to engage people, build resources and strengthen our community.

Washington County will be honoring fallen heroes during several Memorial Day programs on Monday, May 26. And this year, the events will feature something new — two brothers will be playing in military echo style.

Christian and Colin Kemker will be playing Taps at the gravesites, both around the county and at the service at Crown Hill Cemetery.

First off, the annual cemetery salute begins  at 8 am at the Smedley cemetery and continue with stops about every 15 minutes at the following cemeteries:

Smedley
Mt. Tabor
Old Union
Livonia
Claysville
Saltillo
Cave Town
Mt Carmel
Hop Cemetery
Campbellsburg and final service at the American Legion Home at about 10:30a.

The annual Memorial Program will begin at 11a at Crown Hill Cemetery. Post Commander Pat Rice will lead the ceremony, Frank Nobles will be the speaker and Bob Holler will give the invocation.

WSLM will provide the sound system as well as broadcast the program LIVE on the radio – 97.9 FM and 1220 AM.