VISTA, CA, October 09, 2020 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Thomas G. Lightner has been included in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
General Lightner, a native of Haymarket, Virginia, graduated from Osbourn High School in 1954. He subsequently attended the College of William and Mary graduating in 1958 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. Concurrently, he was commissioned a second lieutenant, Field Artillery, in the US Army through the ROTC program. He later earned a Master of Arts degree in Personnel Management from Central Michigan University.
He worked briefly for the Mutual of New York Insurance Company, helping develop retirement and pension plans, before entering active duty. General Lightner retired from the US Army in 1991 after more than 32 years of service. He held numerous command and staff positions at military installations in the United States and overseas. He served two tours of combat duty in Vietnam. His military education included the US Army Command and Staff College; the US Army War College as well as the Harvard University Program for senior executives in National and International Security. Noteworthy among his many assignments was serving as Congressional Affairs assistant to the Secretary of the Army and Chief of Staff of the Army in the Pentagon.
General Lightner's last assignment just prior to retirement was Commander, US Army Security Assistance Command responsible for managing the Army portion of the President's security assistance and foreign military sales program valued at over $50 billion and extending to 106 countries around the world. He was involved extensively in assisting coalition forces during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.
General Lightner received numerous awards and decorations during his career including the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medals and several foreign decorations. He was also named Distinguished Military Graduate and Alumni of the Year from William and Mary.
Following retirement in 1991, General Lightner worked as a consultant for several defense industry firms including Raytheon Corporation and TRW Corporation. In 1993 he joined Coleman Research Corporation as a Vice President in charge of several business sectors involving energy, environmental and information technology development in support of US government agencies. Coleman Research was purchased by Thermo-Fischer Corporation (a fortune 500 company) during his tenure.
Finally, having completely retired from government and industry and residing in Vista, CA (San Diego County) General Lightner chaired a non-profit program entitled ''Turn Around for Veterans" that employs woodworking as a therapeutic means of assisting wounded veterans recover from their mental and physical wounds. He raised over $500,000 in support of this program which was conducted at no charge to the veterans or government agencies and has been extended to more than 10,000 veterans. But he still finds time to be with his wife, Carol, and spending time with his son and daughter and three grandchildren.
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Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® now publishes many Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in America®, Who's Who in the World®, Who's Who in American Law®, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare®, Who's Who in Science and Engineering®, and Who's Who in Asia®. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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