Colonel Roderick G. Turner III was commissioned an Infantry Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School Class 2-80, 2 May 1980.  His first assignment was as a Platoon Leader, Bravo Company (Airborne/Ranger), 1st Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, Fort Benning, Georgia. | His subsequent duty assignments include: Airborne Instructor, Jump Training Branch, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Airborne Training Battalion, The School Brigade, United States Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia; Chief, Ground Training Branch, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Airborne Training Battalion, The School Brigade, United States Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia; Detachment Commander, SFODA-753, Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Deputy Plans Division J3, Joint Task Force - Bravo, Palmerola Air Force Base, Honduras; Battalion Plans Officer, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Senior SFODA Observer Controller, Special Operations Division, Operations Group, Joint Readiness Training Center, Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas; Special Operations Forces Plans Officer, Special Operations Division, Joint Readiness Training Center - Forward, Fort Chaffee, Arkansas; Company Commander, Charlie Company (SFODB-390), 3rd Battalion, 3rd  Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Group S3, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Chief, Exercise Division, Special Operations Command, South Albrook Air Force Base, Republic of Panama; Garrison Commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Quartermaster Aerial Delivery Detachment, 20th Area Support Group, Camp Hialeah, Republic of Korea; Chief, XVIII Airborne Corps Special Operations Coordination Element, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Chief, Special Operations Directorate, Combined Joint Task Force 180, Baghram, Afghanistan; Commander, Joint Special Operations Task Force – Horn of Africa, Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command, Camp Lemonier, Djibouti; Special Assistant to the Commanding General, United States Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; J-3, Director of Operations, Special Operations Command Central/Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command, Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar; Director, United States Army Information Operations Proponent, Combined Arms Center, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. | Colonel Turner's military awards and decorations include: Defense Superior Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal w/1 oak leaf Cluster, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal w/4 oak leaf Clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal w/2 oak leaf Clusters, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal w/1 oak leaf Cluster, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal w/1 bronze star, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon with the 4 numerical device, Expert Infantryman Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Military Freefall Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Ranger Tab, Special Forces Tab, Canadian Parachutist Badge, Honduran Parachutist Badge, Republic of Korea Parachutist Badge, and German Parachutist Badge.