Colonel Billy W. Thomas was commissioned an Armor Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School, Class 1-72 RC, 1 May 1972. His first duty assignment was as Troop Executive Officer, 108th Armored Cavalry Squadron, Mississippi Army National Guard, New Albany, Mississippi. | His subsequent duty assignments include: Platoon Leader and Executive Officer, 108th Armored Cavalry Squadron, New Albany, Mississippi; Administrative Support Officer, Senior Instructor, Assistant Military Occupation Specialty (MOS) Director, and MOS Director, 3291 U.S. Army Reserve Force School, Memphis, Tennessee; Operations Officer, Enlisted Combat Arms Division, Chief, Armor Branch, Officer Management Directorate, Commander, Headquarters Army Reserve Personnel Center, and Chief, Administrative Support Division, Full Time Support Management Center, St. Louis, Missouri; Deputy G-3 for Reserve Affairs, Fort Knox, Kentucky; Deputy Director, Full Time Support Management Center, St. Louis, Missouri; Assistant Director, Military Personnel, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs (Manpower and Personnel), The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.; Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, U.S. Army Reserve Command (USARC), Atlanta, Georgia.