Major General Robert J. Courter Jr

US Air Force Military Biographies, Annual, 2004

MAJOR GENERAL ROBERT J. COURTER JR.

Retired Aug. 1, 2002.

Maj. Gen. Robert J. Courter Jr. is Director, Defense Commissary Agency, Fort Lee, Va. General Courter is responsible for directing and centrally managing the military's worldwide commissary system. DeCA encompasses four regions and nearly 280 commissaries and 17,000 employees. The annual sales from DeCA's commissaries totaled almost $5 billion in fiscal 2001.

General Courter entered the Air Force in 1968 as a distinguished graduate of the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Rutgers University. He has commanded two squadrons as a base civil engineer and has extensive experience in resource management at the headquarters level at three separate major commands. The general attained the academic position of Associate Professor of Engineering Management at the Air Force Institute of Technology, then served in two different key resource management positions at Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. General Courter served as the Command Civil Engineer at Air Force Logistics Command, later, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He also served as the 37th Training Wing Commander at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. General Courter is a registered professional engineer in Texas, and a society fellow and previous national board member of the Society of American Military Engineers.

EDUCATION

1968 Bachelor of science degree in industrial engineering, Rutgers University

1971 Squadron Officer School

1974 Master's degree in industrial and business management, Central Michigan University

1975 Air Command and Staff College

1978 Air War College

1987 Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

1992 Executive Development Program, Whittemore School of Business and Economics, University of New Hampshire

ASSIGNMENTS

1. October 1968-May 1970, Chief of Industrial Engineering, 3510th Civil Engineering Squadron, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas

2. May 1970-June 1972, Command Industrial Engineer, Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil Engineering, Headquarters Air Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas

3. June 1972-May 1973, Chief of Engineering and Construction, later, Chief of Operations and Maintenance, 635th Civil Engineering Squadron, U-Tapao Airfield, Thailand

4. June 1973-June 1977, associate professor and course director, School of Civil Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio

5. June 1977-April 1982, engineering management officer, Operations and Maintenance Division, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics and Engineering, and Special Assistant to the Director of Engineering and Services, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.

6. April 1982-June 1984, Commander, 67th Civil Engineering Squadron, Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas

7. June 1984-July 1986, Commander, 1st Civil Engineering Squadron, Langley Air Force Base, Va.

8. July 1986-June 1987, student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

9. July 1987-March 1990, Director of Readiness and Force Development, and Director of Programs, Deputy Chief of Staff for Engineering and Services, Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va.

10. March 1990-June 1992, Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil Engineering, Headquarters Air Force Logistics Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio

11. July 1992-June 1995, Command Civil Engineer, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio

12. June 1995-July 1997, Commander, 37th Training Wing, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas

13. July 1997-December 1999, Director of Plans and Programs, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio

14. December 1999-present, Director, Defense Commissary Agency, Fort Lee, Va.

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Defense Distinguished Service Medal

Distinguished Service Medal

Legion of Merit

Bronze Star Medal with "V" device and oak leaf cluster

Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters

Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters

Vietnam Service Medal

Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm

Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

"Construction Industry Limited Mobilization--A Key to Air Power Projection," Commandant's Award for excellence in research, Industrial College of the Armed Forces

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION

Second Lieutenant Oct 4, 1968

First Lieutenant Apr 4, 1970

Captain Oct 4, 1971

Major May 1, 1977

Lieutenant Colonel Oct 1, 1981

Colonel Nov 1, 1985

Brigadier General Jul 15, 1994

Major General Mar 20, 1998

(Current as of July 2002)