Major General Richard O. Wightman, Jr. was commissioned an Engineer Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School Class 24-E, 29 August 1969. His first duty assignment was as a Platoon Leader with Alpha Company, 18th Engineer Battalion (Combat), Fort Devens, Massachusetts. | His subsequent duty assignments include: Assistant S-3, 18th Engineer Battalion, Fort Devens, MA; Assistant S-1/Trial Counsel, 46TH General Support Group, Fort Devens, Massachusetts; Commander, C Company, 18th Engineer Battalion, Camp Drum, NY; 570th Commander, Can Tho, Vietnam; Deputy Installation Commander, Binh Thuy, Vietnam; S-4, 91st Composite Service Battalion, Can Tho, Vietnam; S-2/Assistant S-3/Liaison Officer, 101st Engineer Battalion (Combat) Reading, Massachusetts; Congressional Liaison/Legislative Researcher, Reserve Compensation System Study Group, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.; Deputy Facilities Engineer, Fort Devens, Massachusetts; Action Officer, Training Management and Soldier Qualification Training Evaluation Officer, Fort Belvoir, Virginia; Executive Officer, 1st and 2nd Battalions Engineer OCS Brigade, Fort Belvoir, Virginia; 1st Infantry Division Detachment Commander/Public Safety Officer, 418th Civil Affairs Battalion; Commander, 418th Civil Affairs Battalion, Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, Missouri; Logistics Operations Officer, 917th Corps Support Group, Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, Missouri; Commander 917th Corps Support Group, Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, Missouri; Security, Plans, and Operations Officer, 19th Theater Army Area Command, Des Moines, IA/Taegu, Korea: Assistant Chief of Staff – Personnel, 310th Theater Army Area Command, Fort Belvoir, Virginia; Deputy Commanding General, Headquarters, Military Traffic Management Command, Washington, D.C.; Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff – Logistics, Washington, D.C.; Commanding General, 143rd Transportation Command, Orlando, Florida; Military Advisor to the Chairman/Military Executive, Reserve Forces Policy Board, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C.; Deputy Commander, Joint Warfighting Center, US Joint Forces Command, Suffolk, Virginia; Commanding General/Senior Military Representative, NATO Headquarters – Sarajevo, Camp Butmir, Bosnia-Herzegovina; Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense – Material and Facilities, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C.; Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense/Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense – Reserve Affairs, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C. | His military education includes: Engineer Office Advance Course, Civil Affairs Officers Advanced Course, Resident Command and General Staff College, Resident U.S. Army War College, Army Management Staff College, CAPSTONE, National Security Decision Making Seminar, Joint Flag Officer Warfighting Course.