LT. COLONEL JOHN J. SULLIVAN
Lieutenant Colonel John Sullivan was born in Boston, Massachusetts, 17 December 1956. He was commissioned a distinguished military graduate and second lieutenant in field artillery through the ROTC program at Hofstra University June 1979.After graduation, Sullivan attended the U.S. Army's Rotary Wing Aviators Course and graduated as an attack helicopter pilot. His assignments included: section and platoon leader positions in the B Troop, First Squadron, Seventeenth Cavalry, Eighty-second Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, in 1980; commander, A Troop, Fifth Squadron, Seventeenth Cavalry at Ft. Hood, Texas, in 1985; assistant S3 and S1 in the First Battalion, Third Regiment, Second Armored Division in Ft. Hood, Texas in 1987; headquarters commander, S1, current operations officer, and S3 in the Flight Concepts Division at Ft. Eustis, Virginia, in 1988; chief of special operations for the Aviation Branch, Special Management Division, U.S. Army Personnel Command in Alexandria, Virginia, in 1993; professor of military science at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, in 1995; and Apache Longbow systems integrator for the Aviation Division, Force Development, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans at the Pentagon in 1998.
In 1993, Sullivan received an M.A. in national security and strategic studies from the Naval College of Command and Staff. Sullivan has also completed training at the following professional military schools: U.S. Army Force Development Course in 1998; Naval Command and Staff College in 1993; AH-64 Pilot Qualification Course in 1990; Armor Advance Course in 1983; U.S. Army Rotor Wing Qualification and Attack Helicopter Course in 1980; Field Artillery Officer Basic Course and Cannon Battery Qualification Course in 1979.
Sullivan participated in Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada in 1982.
Awards received include: Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (two OLC), Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Valorous Unit Award, Senior Aviator Wings, and Parachutist Badge.
Sullivan retired from active duty 1 September 2000 and is working for Northrop Grumman.
He is married to Lisa Marie Richan and they have three children: John Earle, James Owen, and Peter Joseph. He and his wife are converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Sullivan's church service includes serving as a second counselor in the stake presidency, bishop, member of the stake high counsel, High Priest group leader, Elder's quorum president, temple worker, Young Men's president, scout master and in various teaching assignments in Sunday School and Primary programs.
