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Retired Fort Bragg Soldier honored at Fort Hood ceremony by Randy Murray
Settled in his home in Sanford, N.C., Horton then began a 24-year career as a Department of the Army civilian, working for his old unit, the ABNSOTD. His 47 total years service and contributions as a military and civilian test officer led to his recent selection and induction into the U.S. Army Operational Testers’ Hall of Fame. Horton was recognized during a ceremony held at Fort Hood, Texas, home of the U.S. Army Operational Test Command, parent unit of the ABNSOTD. “Today marks the eighteenth induction ceremony of the Operational Testers’ Hall of Fame,” said Col. Laura Richardson, USAOTC commander, during the Aug. 18 ceremony. “Since 1994, 31 others have been honored for their contributions to the testing community … I am pleased to induct number 32 … Mr. Harold Dean Horton, a retired Vietnam veteran and a retired Department of the Army civilian with a combined total of 47 years service to his country.” Richardson went on to list some of the many equipment and concept testing projects Horton worked on as a test officer, including certification for the G-11B cargo parachute and aircraft certification for the C-5 and C-130J, as well as airdrop certification for the 60,000-pound, low velocity airdrop system used with the C-17. She also noted that Horton comes from a Henry County, Va., Family with a rich military history. Three uncles served in World War II, and one served in the Korean War. Horton’s brother also served in Vietnam and his son-in-law is a retired Soldier who recently returned from Afghanistan. With his accomplishments and Family history lauded, Richardson asked Horton, his wife, Iris, and Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Bobb, USAOTC command sergeant major, to help unveil Horton’s Hall of Fame award plaque. “This is far beyond any expectation I’ve ever had,” Horton said and then thanked the three most important people in his life, including his deceased mother, his wife of 51 years and Jesus Christ. “Little did I know (back) then I would spend a good portion of my life expanding airborne capability,” he said. The Operational Testers’ Hall of Fame goes back to October 1994 when USAOTC was called the Test and Experimentation Command. According to the USAOTC’s website, Hall of Fame inductees represent a long, proud history of military and civilian test officers who have conducted military test and experimentation going back to 1856 and the U.S. Camel Corps at Camp Verde, Texas. The website calls “independent operational testers” the Soldier’s “trusted agent.” “Our heroes are the active-duty Soldiers,” Horton said, summarizing what motivates test officers. “Testers do what they can to protect and take care of them.” The Hall of Fame is sponsored by the USAOTC and operated under an official set of by-laws. Individual, retired test officers are nominated by their former peers, then elected by a board of directors. In addition to the Hall of Fame inductee ceremony, several USAOTC Soldiers were recognized with military awards for their service and sacrifice as part of Forward Operational Assessment Team XVI, an Army Test and Evaluation Command mission with USAOTC oversight, including Lt. Col. Lisa Anderson, ABNSOTD test division chief, who was awarded the Bronze Star. The USAOTC is a subordinate unit under ATEC, which is headquartered in Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. |
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| Source: Paraglide, September 1, 2011 | |||
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