Colonel Abraham L. Richards was commissioned an Infantry Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School Class 30, 15 June 1951. His first duty assignment was as a Student, Associate Infantry Company Officer Course # 25, The Infantry School, Fort Benning Georgia. | His subsequent duty assignments include: Platoon Leader, Company D, 87th Infantry; Platoon Leader, Company F, 38th Infantry, Liaison Officer/Air Observer, Headquarters, 38th Infantry, Headquarters, 38th Infantry; Infantry Weapons Instructor, Field Artillery Training Center, Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Instructor Combat Skills, Field Artillery Training Center; Instructor Battalion Non-Commissioned Officer School, 522nd Infantry Battalion; Executive Officer, Company A, 522nd Infantry Battalion (Separate); Accountable Property Officer, Bamberg Post, Bamberg, Germany; Adjutant, 94th Quartermaster Battalion, Fort Lee, Virginia; Supply Officer, Assistant, 7th Logistical Command, Taegu, South; Chief of Staff Logistics, Korea; Executive Officer/ Operations, 63rd Quartermaster Battalion, Fort Lee, Virginia; Intelligence Officer, (Direct Support); Battalion Commander, 63rd Quartermaster Battalion, Fort Hood, Texas; (Direct Support) Station S-4, l3th U.S. Army Security, Harrogate, Agency Field Station, England; Director of Administration 58th Field Depot, Sharpe Army, Depot, California & QuiNhon, South Vietnam; Battalion Commander, 98th Supply & Service Battalion, QuiNhon, South Vietnam; Director of Administration, 58th Field Depot, QuiNhon, South Vietnam; Chief, Career Planning and Assignment Section, Quartermaster Branch, Officer of Personnel Directorate, Office of Personnel Operations, Department of the Army, Washington, D.C.; Chief, Quartermaster Branch, Officer of Personnel Directorate, Office of Personnel Operations, Department of the Army, Washington, D.C.; Chief, Quartermaster Branch, Officer Personnel Directorate, Office of Personnel Operations, Department of the Army, Washington, D.C.; Joint Staff Officer, Europe, Atlantic, Middle East, Washington, D.C.; Africa, South Asia Division, J-4 Directorate, OJCS; Chief, Human Resources Division, Office of Support Management, Office of Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Headquarters, Department of The Army, Washington, D.C.; Director, Office of Support Management, Office of Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Headquarters, Department of The Army, Washington, D.C; Director J-4/J-6, ARMISH/ MAAG, ARMISH/MAAG (U.S. Army Mission in Iran/Military Assistance Advisory Group/ Joint Headquarters), Tehran, Iran; Chief of Staff, ARMISH/MAAG (Joint Headquarters), Tehran, Iran; Deputy Commander, U.S. Army Troop Support Agency, Fort Lee, Virginia. | Colonel Richards is a graduate of the Adjutant General School Leader's Course, Fort Knox, Kentucky; Army Officer Candidate School Class 30, Fort Riley, Kansas, Infantry Associate Company Officer Course #25, The Infantry School Quartermaster Officer Commodity Course; the Quartermaster School Associate Company Officer Course; the Quartermaster School Station Property Accounting, U.S. Army Europe; Quartermaster Officer Advance Course; The Quartermaster School Armed Forces Staff College/Joint Operations, Norfolk, Virginia. He is also a graduate of the University of Maryland, BS (Military Science) and George Washington University, MS (Administration). | His military awards and decoration include: The Combat Infantryman Badge, General Staff Identification Badge, Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal (1 Oak Leaf Cluster) Bronze Star Medal (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), Air Medal (4 Oak Leaf Clusters), Meritorious Service Medal (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), Army Commendation Medal (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), United Nations Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), Presidential Unit Citation Korea, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with 60 device, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with Palm Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Bars (3).