Colonel Howard M. Thompson was commissioned an Infantry Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School 15 July 1942, class number 34. His first duty assignment was as Weapons Platoon Leader, Company I, 7th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. | His subsequent duty assignments include: Company Executive Officer and Company Commander, Company L, 168th Inf, 34th Inf Div; Assistant S-3, 168th Inf Regiment, 34th Inf Div; Instructor, NCO Academy, IRTC, Camp Gordon, Georgia; Assistant S1, Army Fld Forces Overseas Repl Depot, AFFORD, Fort Riley, Kansas; Asst S3 and S3, 3d Tng Regiment, USAORC, Camp Stoneman, California; Company Commander, 26th Inf Regiment, 1st Inf Div; S1/Adjutant, 26th Inf Regiment, 1st Inf Div; Personnel Officer, Asst S1, 26th Inf Regiment, 1st Inf Div; Staff Officer, D.CSPER, Dept of Army, Washington, D.C.; Chief, R&A Br, Compt Sec, Headquarters, USCONARC, Fort Monroe, Virginia; Deputy Chief, MFDT, Headquarters, PACOM w/duty station Rangoon, Burma; Deputy Commander, 1st BG, 22d Inf, 1st BG, 22d Inf, 4th Inf Div, Fort Lewis, Washington; Commander, 4th Brigade, USATC, Fort Ord, California; Chief, Office Data Systems, Headquarters, USAIS, Fort Benning, Georgia. | Colonel Thompson's awards and decorations include:  CIB; Bronze Star Medal; ACM; PH w/2 Oak Leaf Cluster.