Colonel Gregory A. Ritch was commissioned an Infantry Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School Reserve Component Class 1-78. His first duty assignment was as a Rifle Platoon Leader, Detachment 1, Company A, 1st Battalion, 110'11 Infantry, Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania. | His subsequent duty assignments include: Commander, Detachment 1, Company A, 1st  Battalion, 110 Infantry, Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania; Training Officer, 530th Transportation Company, Washington, Pennsylvania; Personnel Officer, 429th  Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Heavy), Uniontown, Pennsylvania; Construction Officer, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 429th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Heavy), Uniontown, Pennsylvania; Executive Officer, Company D, 429th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Heavy), Greensburg, Pennsylvania; Commander, Company D, 429th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Heavy), Readiness Officer, Deputy Chief of Staff of Operations, 99th Army Reserve Command. Oakdale, Pennsylvania; Operations Officer, 336th Military Police Battalion, Oakdale, Pennsylvania; Engineer Team Chief, 2nd Regiment, 312th Augmentation Battalion, Field Exercise, Washington, Pennsylvania; Operations Officer, 3rd Regiment, 312th LANES Battalion, 6th Brigade, 78th  Division, Uniontown, Pennsylvania; Commander, 458th Engineer Combat Battalion (Corps) (Wheeled), Johnstown, Pennsylvania; Operations Officer, 464th Chemical Brigade, Johnstown, Pennsylvania; Deputy Commander, 464th  Chemical Brigade, Johnstown, Pennsylvania; Deputy Commander, 455th Chemical Brigade, Fort Dix, New Jersey; Deputy Commander, 455th Chemical Brigade, Iraq Survey Group, Baghdad, Iraq; and Acting Brigade Commander, 464th  Chemical Brigade, Johnstown, Pennsylvania. | His military awards include: Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with one silver oak leaf Cluster, Army Achievement Medal with two bronze oak leaf Clusters, National Defense Service Medal with two bronze stars, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Gold Hourglass device and M device, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, and the Bronze DeFlurey from the Army Engineer Association. | Colonel Ritch is a retired teacher from the Connellsville Area School District, Connellsville, Pennsylvania with 31 years of service, and he served as the Deputy Commander, 464111 Chemical Brigade, Johnstown, Pennsylvania; Department of the Army Military Technician, Supervisory Staff Administrator. 464th Chemical Brigade, Johnstown, Pennsylvania; and the 99th Regional Readiness Command, U.S. Army Reserves. Coraopolis, Pennsylvania.