Colonel Walter John Sawyer was commissioned an Ordnance Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School Class 4-81, 18 September 1981. His first duty assignment was as a Maintenance Shop Officer, D Company, 782nd Maintenance Company, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

His subsequent duty assignments include: Maintenance Shop Officer, Headquarters and Main Support Company, 782nd Maintenance Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Mechanical Maintenance Officer, 51st Maintenance Battalion, 21st Support Command, Mannheim, Germany; Company Commander, 517th Maintenance Company, 21st Support Command, Karlsruhe, Germany; Small Group Instructor, 61st Ordnance Brigade, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland; Battalion Executive Officer, 143rd Ordnance Battalion, 61st Ordnance Brigade, Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland; Battle Lab Staff Officer, Combined Arms Support Command, Fort Lee, Virginia; Support Operations Officer, 302nd Support Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, Camp Casey, Korea; Ordnance Future Readiness Officer, U.S. Army Personnel Command, Alexandria, Virginia; Ordnance Assignments Officer, U.S. Army Personnel Command, Alexandria, Virginia; Chief Supply and Maintenance Division, 18th Airborne Corps – G4, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Battalion Commander, 307th Forward Support Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Joint Logistics Officer, The Joint Staff – J4, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.; Group Commander, 29th Support Group, 21st Theater Support Command, Kaiserslautern, Germany with further duty as Commander, Joint Logistics Command, Combined Joint Task Force – 76, Bagram, Afghanistan, OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM VI; Chief Logistics Operations – G43, The Army Staff – G4, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C; Director, Initiatives Group, The Army Staff – G4, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

Colonel Sawyer's military awards and decorations include: Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal w/ 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Commendation Medal w/ 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal w/ 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Army Good Conduct Medal, Nation Defense Service Medal w/ Bronze Star, Afghanistan Campaign Medal w/ Campaign Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon w/ Numeral 4, Master Parachutist Badge, Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge, Army Staff Identification Badge, German Parachute Badge in Bronze .