The Honorable William F. X. Knowlton was commissioned an Infantry Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School Class 5-63 on 9 October 1963. His first duty assignment was as Infantry Platoon Leader, Company B, 1st Battalion, 10th Infantry, 5th Division (Mechanized), Fort Carson, Colorado. | His subsequent duty assignments include: Executive Officer, Company C, 1st Battalion, 10th Infantry, Fort Carson, Colorado; Commander, Detachment A-17, Company B, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Bad Toelz, Germany; Commander, Detachment A-423, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Republic of Vietnam; Commander, Company E, 8th Battalion, 3rd Infantry Brigade, Fort Gordon, Georgia; Commander, Company B, 3rd Battalion, 506th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, Republic of Vietnam; Deputy Inspector General, Sixth U.S. Army, Presidio, California; Infantry Branch Advisor, Region 1 Readiness Group, Fort Devens, Massachusetts; Executive Officer, 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Bad Toelz, Germany; Deputy G4, Headquarters, Central Army Group, Sechenheim, Germany; Executive Officer, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Battalion Commander, 1st Bn, 5th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Deputy Commander, Project SPORT, 1st Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Director, Evaluation and Standardization, United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and Deputy Director of Planning and Policy, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Senior Army Advisor, Army National Guard of the United States, Raleigh, North Carolina. | Colonel Knowlton is a graduate of the Infantry Officer's Advanced Course, Inspector General Orientation Course, Command and General Staff College, Army Installation Management Course, Senior Officers Preventive Logistics Course, and the United States Army War College. | His military awards include: Silver Star w/ 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Bronze Star w/ V device and 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Defense Meritorious Service Medal w/ Oak Leaf Cluster, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal w/ 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal, Purple Heart, Presidential Unit Citation w/ Oak Leaf Cluster, Joint Unit Meritorious Award, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, and Master Parachutist Badge.