Colonel Samuel Ernest Williams was commissioned as a Signal Corps Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School Class 1-91, 18 January 1991. His first duty assignment was as a Platoon Leader in the 112th Special Operations Signal Battalion, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. | His subsequent duty assignments include: Battalion S-1, 112th Special Operations Signal Battalion, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Company Commander, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Assistant S-3, 307th Signal Battalion, Camp Carrol, Korea; Company Commander, 229th Tactical Satellite Company, Camp Carrol, Korea; JCS Intern, Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), Pentagon, Washington D.C.; DA Staff Officer, The Army Staff, Pentagon, Washington D.C.; Deputy G-6, U.S. Army Southern European Task Force (Airborne), Vicenza, Italy; Battalion S-3, 509th Signal battalion, Vicenza, Italy; Operations Officer, U.S. Army Southern European Task Force (Airborne), Vicenza, Italy; Operations Officer, Combined Joint Task Force-76, Bagram, Afghanistan; Deputy Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Southern European Task Force (Airborne), Camp Ederle, Italy; Battalion Commander, Nashville Recruiting Battalion, Nashville, Tennessee; G-3, 7th Signal Command, Fort Shafter, Hawaii. At the time of his induction into the Hall of Fame, Colonel Williams was serving as the Brigade Commander, 8th Brigade, U.S. Army Cadet Command, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. | His military education consists of the Officer Candidate School, Signal Officer's Basic Course, Airborne School, Battalion/Brigade Signal Officer's Course, Jumpmaster School, Marine Corps Communications School, Combined Arms Staff and Service School, Command and General Staff College, and the United States Army War College. | His military awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (4 Oak Leaf Clusters), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal (4 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Achievement Medal (5 oak Leaf Clusters), Army Good Conduct Medal (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), National Defense Service Medal (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal Campaign Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Army Superior Unit Award, Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge, Army Staff Identification Badge and the Master Parachutist Badge.