Colonel Norman K. Southerland was commissioned a Signal Corps Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School 8 October 1970. His first duty assignment was as Supply Officer, Directorate of Communications-Electronics, Fort Monroe, Virginia. | His subsequent assignments include: Communications Center Officer, Directorate of Communications-Electronics, Fort Monroe, Virginia; Commander, Company B, Long Lines Battalion-South, U.S. Army Strategic Communications Command, Taegu, Korea; Assistant S-3, 121st Signal Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas; Adjutant, 121st Signal Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas; Commander, Company C, 121st Signal Battalion, Fort Riley, Kansas; Assistant Division Signal Officer, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas; Commander, 261st Signal Company, 102nd Signal Battalion, Hanau, Germany; S-4, 102nd Signal Battalion, 2nd Signal Brigade, Frankfurt, Germany; Inspector General, U.S. Army Information Systems Command, Fort Huachuca, Arizona; S-3, 86th Signal Battalion, 11th Signal Brigade, Fort Huachuca, Arizona; Executive Officer, 86th Signal Battalion, 11th Signal Brigade, Fort Huachuca, Arizona; Commander, Company B, 11th Signal Brigade, Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras; Secretary of the General Staff, U.S. Army Information Systems Command, Fort Huachuca, Arizona; Commander, 86th Signal Battalion, 11th Signal Brigade, Fort Huachuca, Arizona; Director for Readiness, U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command and Director, Command Control Communications Computers and Intelligence Logistics and Readiness Center, U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. | Colonel Southerland was serving as Senior Advisor, Arkansas Army National Guard, Little Rock, Arkansas, at the time of his induction.