Colonel (R) Thomas E. Fleming is a 1958 graduate of Syracuse University where he received a BA degree and his commission as a Second Lieutenant of Armor. In 1984, he transferred from Armor to the newly created Aviation Branch. During his thirty years of active-duty service, Colonel Fleming served in numerous Armor and Aviation unit assignments. Assignments included command of four armored and air cavalry units– 1st Cavalry Division, the 3rd Armored Division, the 5th Mechanized Division, the 25th Infantry Division and the Military District of Washington. He also served as a Commander, S-3 Air, Instructor, Maintenance and Supply Officer, Flight Operations Officer, Officer Assignment Officer, Force Integration Staff Officer, Command Aviation Officer, Executive Officer (Army Staff level), Deputy Installation Commander at the unit, training center, university, installation, major command, field army, and Department of the Army levels. Colonel Fleming is a qualified Master Army Aviator and has served as a Standardization Instructor Pilot, Instrument Flight Instructor, Maintenance Test Pilot, Tank and Aerial Gunnery Instructor, and Military Science Instructor. He has been recognized for his expertise in Air Cavalry operations, Armor and Aviation material requirements, force management integration, personnel management, and installation management.
Colonel Fleming served as personal pilot and flight instructor for numerous high ranking Flag Officers including the Chief of Staff of the Army. He is qualified in 20 models of Army fixed and rotary wing aircraft and has flown over 3000 hours, 650 of which were flown in combat during two tours in Vietnam While serving in Vietnam, Colonel Fleming was awarded several medals for his bravery and heroism while participating in aerial flight against hostile forces. Colonel Fleming also served in Korea, Germany, Hawaii, and numerous locations in the continental United States. His last assignment was at the Picatinny Arsenal NJ, where he served as the Director of Personnel Training and Force Development and as Director, Installation Support Activity for the US Army Armament Research and Engineering Center.
Colonel Fleming is a graduate of the Armor Officer Basic and Career Courses; the Fixed and Rotary Wing Qualification Courses; the Instructor Pilot and Aerial Gunnery Courses; the Installation Management and Personnel Management Courses; the Command and General Staff College; and the Army War College. His awards and decorations include: the Legion of Merit; the Distinguished Flying Cross, with Oak Leaf Cluster; the Bronze Star, with Oak Leaf Cluster; the Meritorious Service Medal, with Oak Leaf Cluster; the Air Medal, with V Device and 20 Oak Leaf Clusters; the Army Commendation Medal, with V Device and Oak Leaf Cluster; the Vietnam Campaign Medal, with 5 Campaign Stars; the Army General Staff Identification Badge; and the Master Army Aviator Badge. For his service with the 3d Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 25th Infantry Division in Vietnam, Colonel Fleming is authorized to wear: the Presidential Unit Citation; the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, with Palm Device, and the Vietnam Civic Action Medal, with Palm Device.
Colonel Fleming and his wife, the former Virginia Maurer, both natives of Leonia, NJ, have two sons: Thomas, a Professor of Geology at Southern Connecticut State University and Jeffrey, a Contract Administration Specialist at Science Applications International Corporation. After retirement from the Army in 1988, Colonel Fleming attended Marymount University in Arlington, VA, where he received a Master of Education degree and a Teaching License for Secondary Social Studies from the Commonwealth of Virginia. Colonel and Mrs. Fleming reside in Springfield, VA. Colonel Fleming is an active member of the Army Aviation Association of America, the Association of the United States Army, and the 3″ Squadron, 4″ Cavalry Association.