COL Fredrick D. Jones was commissioned as an Infantry Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia, 21 June 1966.  Prior enlisted service with the U.S. Army included a 1-year tour as an Atomic Demolitions Technician, 10th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, Kitzingen, Germany. Following OCS, he reported to his first duty assignment as a Tactical Officer, 90th Co, 9th Student Bn (OCS), TSB, Fort Benning, Georgia.

His subsequent duty assignments include: Co Executive Officer, C Co, 9th Bn, TSB; Recon Co Commander, Assistant S-2, and Assistant S-3, Det B-56, (Project Sigma), 5th Special Forces Group, RVN; Bn Air Operations Officer, Bn S-2, Bn S-4, and Commander, ODA-314, A Co, 3rd Bn, 12th SFG, Novato, California; S-3, B Co, Commander, C Co, and S-3, 1st Bn, 11th SFG, Newburgh, New York;  Assistant G-3, 304th Civil Affairs Bde, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Commander 416th CA Bn, 358th CA Bde, Norristown, Pennsylvania; Assistant Chief of Staff, Office of the High Representative, Sarajevo, BiH; Commander, 304th CA Bde; Director of Joint Operations, Joint Special Operations University, Hurlburt Field, Florida; Deputy J-3, Special Operations Command Europe, Vaihingen, Germany.

His military education and training includes: U.S. Army Basic Training, Advanced Individual Training (12B), Officer Candidate School, Basic Airborne Course, Special Forces Officers Course, MACV Recondo School, U.S. Army Jumpmaster Course, Jungle Operations Training Course, Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Command and General Staff College, Russian Language Course (IFLT), Civil Affairs Advanced Course, Civil Emergency Planning, CIMIC Strategic Planning, Joint Civil Military Operations Course, and the Interagency Approach Toward Complex Contingencies at the National Defense University.

COL Jones’ military awards and decorations include: Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star (w/V Dev), Purple Heart, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Army Reserve Components Medal (w/6 OLCs), National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal (w/4 BS), Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal (w/M Dev), Army Service Ribbon, Armed Forces Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon (w/num 6), Nato Medal, RVN Armed Forces Honor Medal First Class, RVN Campaign Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, and Special Forces Tab.

Following his retirement from his military career in 2007, COL Jones served as the Chief of Staff (GS-15), Special Operations Command Africa, US AFRICOM, Stuttgart, Germany, and then retired from government service in May 2015.