COL John A. Cox was commissioned a Signal Corps Officer upon graduation from the United States Army Infantry School Officer Candidate Course 3-84, 1 June 1984, at Fort Benning, Georgia. His first duty assignment was Wire and Cable Platoon Leader, Delta Company, 304th Signal Battalion, Camp Carroll, Korea.

His subsequent duty assignments include: Platoon Leader and Company Executive Officer, Alpha Company, 142d Signal Battalion, 2nd Armored Division; Division G6 Teleprocessing Operations Staff Officer, 2nd Armored Division; Battalion S4, 142nd Signal Battalion, Fort Hood, Texas; Radio and Data Systems Officer, VII Corps G6, Stuttgart, Germany; Company Commander, Bravo Company, 26th Signal Battalion, Heilbronn Germany / Saudi Arabia / Iraq; Communications Program Manager, National Security Agency, Fort Meade, Maryland; Foreign Area Officer, Defense Attaché Office, U.S. Embassy, Caracas, Venezuela; Operations Officer and Communications Division Chief, III Corps G6, Fort Hood, Texas; Battalion S3, 57th Signal Battalion, Fort Hood; Brigade S3, 3rd Signal Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas; G6, 32d Army Air and Missile Defense Command, Fort Bliss, Texas; Battalion Commander, 1112th Signal Battalion, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Chief, Global Network Operations Center / Deputy Chief of Staff, Joint Task Force Global Network Operations, Arlington, Virginia; Brigade Commander, United States Army Information Systems Engineering Command, Fort Huachuca, Arizona; Deputy Commander/ Acting Commander, 5th Signal Command, Wiesbaden, Germany; G6 / Chief Information Officer, United States Army North (5th Army), Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

His military education and training include: Signal Officer Basic and Advanced Courses; Combined Arms and Services Staff School (CAS3); Defense Language Institute (Spanish); U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (non-resident), Venezuelan Armed Forces of Cooperation Command and General Staff Officer College (resident), and the United States Army War College (resident).

His highest military awards include: Legion of Merit (2nd award); Bronze Star Medal; Defense Meritorious Service Medal (2nd award); Meritorious Service Medal (6th award); Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal (3rd award); National Defense Service Medal (2nd award); Southwest Asia Service Medal (three campaign stars); the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia); the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait); the Parachutist Badge, and The German Parachutist Badge (bronze).