AUSAR Board member

Richard Conner entered the Army on 30 August 2001 out of Woodstown, NJ and received One Station Unit Training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO as a 12B Combat Engineer.

His assignments include the 299th Engineer BN Ft Hood, TX, with whom he deployed to Iraq in 2003, and the 1st Special Troops BN Fort Hood, TX. The United States Army Recruiting Battalion San Antonio as a Recruiter, On-Production Station Commander in the Austin Recruiting Company, and Limited-Production Station Commander in the San Marcos Recruiting Company. He served as an Instructor for the Army Recruiter Course, the Station Commander Course, and the Pre-Command Course at the Recruiting and Retention School at Fort Jackson, SC. He later served as the First Sergeant for the Fort Lauderdale Army Recruiting Company, Miami Recruiting Battalion and the First Sergeant of the Fayetteville Recruiting Company, Raleigh Recruiting Battalion. He was then assigned to the Non-Commissioned Officer Leadership Center of Excellence, where he attended the Sergeants Major Course. After completing the Sergeants Majors Course, he was assigned as the Operations Sergeant Major for the Nashville Recruiting Battalion. His last assignment was as the Command Sergeant Major for the Salt Lake City Recruiting Battalion. He retired from active duty on November 30th, 2024.

His military and civilian education includes the Sergeants Major Course-class 70 (commandants list), the Recruiting Company Commander and First Sergeant Course, Senior Leader Course, Advanced Leader Course, Warrior Leader Course (commandants list), Station Commander Course, Army Recruiter Course, Army Basic Instructor Course, the Combat Engineer course, the Master Resiliency Trainers Course, and the Combat Lifesaver Course. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Post University and a Master of Arts in Leadership Studies from the University of Texas-El Paso.

His awards and decorations include; Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal (four oak leaf clusters), Army Commendation Medal (seven oak leaf clusters), Army Achievement Medal (three oak leaf clusters), Army Good Conduct Award (seventh award), Military Outstanding Volunteerism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon denoting three, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Valorous Unit Award, Army Superior Unit Award (one oak leaf cluster), Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Master Recruiter Badge, Gold Recruiter Badge, Recruiter Ring, Glen E. Morrell Medallion, the Recruiting Medallion of Excellence, and the 4th Infantry Division shoulder sleeve insignia-foreign wartime service.

He and his wife, Bonnie, 16 years, have two sons, Caleb, 14, and Rowan, 3 and one daughter, Aubrey, 12.