Lieutenant Colonel Alvin W. Cartwright was commissioned an Infantry Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School Class 9-56, 14 September 1956. His first duty assignment was as Commanding Officer, A Company, 11th Infantry Regiment (Basic Training Company), Fort Ord, California. | His subsequent assignments include: Infantry Platoon Leader, K Company, 86th Infantry Regiment, redesignated C Company, 2nd Battle Goup, 10th Infantry Division, Schwinefurt, Germany; Platoon Leader, C Company, 2nd Battle Group, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Georgia; Student Aviator, Fixed Wing Primary, Tactical anf Instruments Schools, Camp Gary, Texas and Fort Rucker, Alabama; Fixed Wing Aviator and Battle Group Flight Support Commander, 82nd Aviation Company, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Student Aviator, Rotary Wing Transition, Camp Wolters, Texas; Battalion Air Officer, Eighth Army Signal Long Line Battalion, Taejon, Korea; Student Officer, Infantry Officer Advance Course, Fort Benning, Georgia; Flight Instructor and Assistant Flight Commander, Department of Fixed Wing, U.S. Army Aviation School, Fort Rucker, Alabama; General Support Flight Commander, B Company, 8th Aviation Battalion, 8th Infantry Division, Bad Kreuznach, Germany; Operations Officer, B Company, 8th Aviation Battalion, 8th Infantry Division, Bad Kreuznach, Germany; Executive Officer, B Company, 8th Aviation Battalion, 8th Infantry Division, Bad Kreuznach, Germany; Assistant Division Aviation Officer, 8th Aviation Battalion, 8th Infantry Division, Bad Kreuznach, Germany; Helicopter Gunship Platoon Commander, 281st Assault Helicopter Company, Project Delta, 5th Special Forces Group, Republic of Vietnam; Operations Officer and Assistant S-3, 17th Aviation Group, Republic of Vietnam; Chief, Methods of Instruction Branch, Operations and Training Officer, Tactical Training Division, Department of Tactics, U.S. Army Aviation School, Fort Rucker, Alabama, Student (Degree Completion Program), University of Tampa, Tampa, Florida; Commanding Officer, U.S. Army Returnee and Reassignment Station, U.S. Army Personnel Center, Fort Lewis, Washington; Chief, Administrative/Management DPCA, 9th Infantry Division and Fort Lewis, Fort Lewis, Washington; Commanding Officer, U.S. Army Personnel Control Facility (For Northwest Region of U.S.), Fort Lewis, Washington.