Colonel Dale A. Hawkins was commissioned an Infantry Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School 2 April 1947, Class Number 1. His first duty assignment was as Platoon Leader, B Company, 1st Engineer Battalion, Fort Belvoir, Virginia and Germany. | His subsequent duty assignment include: Post engineer, 7801 SCU, Wetzlar, Germany; Platoon Leader, 522 Armored Engineer Company, Fort Knox Kentucky; Utility Officer and Supply Officer, Post Engineer Organization, Headquarters, Fort Richardson, Alaska; Engineer Advisor, 2308-2 National Guard Advisor Group, Owensboro, Kentucky; Company Commander, H/S Company, 3d Engineer Battalion, Korea; Assistant Post Engineer, Headquarters U.S. Army Garrison (5022), Fort Carson, Colorado; Assistant Operations Officer and Operations Officer, Headquarters, 24th Engineer Battalion (Armored Division), Germany; Assistant Post Engineer, Headquarters, U.S. Army Training Center Engineer, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Senior Engineer Advisor, Detachment R, Korean Military Advisory Group, Korea; Area Engineer, North Atlantic Division, New York, New York, Thule, Greenland; Chief, Installations Program Branch, Office Deputy Chief of Staff, Logistics, Washington, D.C.; Deputy Director, Base Utilization Division and Staff Director, Executive Order 11508 Installation Survey Group, Washington, D.C. | His awards and decorations include: Army Commendation Medal (2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Meritorious Service Medal, Legion of Merit.