John G. Coburn

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John G. Coburn
Born 1941
General John G. Coburn
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1963-2001
Rank	General
Commands held	U.S. Army Materiel Command Chief of Ordnance
Battles/wars	Vietnam War
Awards	Legion of Merit (2) Silver Star (2)
Other work	Chairman and CEO, Vision Technologies Systems

General John Gordon Coburn assumed the duties of Commanding General, U.S. Army Materiel Command on May 14, 1999. A native of Kentucky and a distinguished military graduate of Eastern Michigan University with a Bachelor's in education, he was commissioned a second lieutenant of Infantry after graduation. General Coburn has served in various logistics assignments throughout his career.

He attended the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and then the University of Kansas, where he earned a Master of Arts degree in Political Science. He also has a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Missouri and is licensed to practice law before the Supreme Court, State of Michigan; Supreme Court, State of Kentucky; District of Columbia Court of Appeals; the United States Court of Military Appeals and the Supreme Court of the United States.

His staff assignments include Special Weapons Platoon Leader, Savanna Army Depot, Illinois, 1963 to 1964; Assistant G-3 (Operations), II Field Force, Vietnam, U.S. Army, Vietnam, from 1967 to 1968; Executive Officer, Defense Contract Administration Services Region, Defense Supply Agency, New York, New York, from 1968 to 1971; Senior Advisor, Training and Personnel, U.S. Army Engineer District-Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 1975 to 1977; Procurement Officer, Procurement and Production Directorate, Headquarters, U.S. Army Materiel Command; Executive Officer, Battlefield Systems Directorate, Headquarters U.S. Army Materiel Command from 1977 to 1978; Assistant Chief of Staff, G-4 (Logistics), 2nd Armored Division, from 1982 to 1983.

General Coburn's command assignments include Plant/Depot Commander, Taiwan Materiel Agency, AMC, Taiwan from 1971 to 1973; Commander, Defense Contract Administration Services Management Area, Defense Logistics Agency, South Bend, Indiana, from 1978 to 1980; Commander, 124th Maintenance Battalion, 2nd Armored Division, Fort Hood, Texas, from 1980 to 1982; Commander, Division Support Command, 2nd Armored Division, Fort Hood, from 1984 to 1986; Commander of Materiel Readiness Support Activity, Lexington, Kentucky, from 1987 to 1989; Deputy Chief of Staff for Procurement, U.S. Army Materiel Command, from 1989 to 1991; Deputy Commanding General, 22nd Theater Army Support Command, Saudi Arabia from April 1991 to July 1991; Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany, from 1991 to 1992; Chief of Ordnance, 1992-1994; Deputy Commanding General, Headquarters, AMC, from 1994 to 1996; and Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, U.S. Army, Pentagon, from 1996 to 1999.

General Coburn's military decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal, and the Kuwait Liberation Medal.

After retirement, Coburn became Chairman and CEO of Vision Technologies Systems.^[1]