COL (Ret.) John R. Knight, ’67

COL (Ret.) John R. Knight is President and Secretary, JB&A , INC. a service-disabled, veteran­-owned business established in 1988 to provide in-depth consultation and facilitation services concentrating on Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution (PPBE) system and National Intelligence Program (NIP) support to Department of Defense and United States Intelligence Community activities. COL(R) Knight is the senior operations manager who directs and manages the daily operations of the company’s four business sectors, and provides leadership of company personnel, logistics, administrative and contracts administration functions . He also directs centralized marketing activities oriented to prospective clients. COL(R) Knight was elected to his present position in January 2003 , after having served as the company’s Executive Vice President from October 200 through December 2002 .

COL (Ret.) Knight is a native of Lancaster Ohio, where he attended St. Mary Elementary School  and graduated from Bishop Fenwick H.S. (now William V. Fisher Catholic H.S.) in 1963.  He also studied at Ohio University – Lancaster Branch for three semesters before transferring to The Ohio State University in March 1965 to complete his undergraduate degree. Col(R) Knight graduated from The Ohio State University in December 1967 with a Bachelor of Science, Business Administration degree.

COL(R) Knight completed twenty-six and a half years of active duty service in Military Intelligence assignments in the continental united States (CONUS). Europe, and Southeast Asia . COL (Rry) Knight was commissioned a Second Lieutenant, Military Intelligence, in December 1967 as a graduate of Ohio State and upon completion of the Army ROTC two-year program. He completed the Army ROTC Basic Camp at Ft. Knox, KY in the Summer of 1966 and the Army ROTC Advanced Camp at Ft. Indiantown Gap, PA in the Summer of 1967. Then Second Lieutenant Knight entered active duty at Ft. Benning, GA in January 1968. Following completion of the Infantry Officers’ Basic Course at Ft. Benning, and the Intelligence Research Officer’s I Technicians’ (Counterintelligence) Course at Ft. Holabird, MD, he assumed duties as Operations Officer, and later, Commander , Newark Field Office, Region II, 108th Military Intelligence (Ml) Group, Newark, NJ. In December 1968, then second Lieutenant Knight deployed to the Republic of South Vietnam where he was assigned to the Assistant Chief of Staff, G2, Headquarters, XXIV Corps, Phu Bai, RVN, as an order of battle officer and all-source analysis officer; he was promoted to First Lieutenant in January 1969.  Returning to CONUS, he was promoted to Captain in January 1970 and assumed duties as the Assistant Operations Officer, and later, Operations Officer, Region V, 112th Ml Group, New Orleans, LA from January 1970 until he completed his initial obligated tour of active duty in January 1971. Following 15 month in inactive status with the US Army Reserve, then Captain Knight accepted voluntary recall to Headquarters, US Army, Europe and Seventh Army, Heidelberg, Germany for successive assignments as Chief, Field Support Branch, Assistant Training Officer, and Intelligence Staff Officer (Defensive and Offensive Counterintelligence Operations) . In March 1976, then Captain Knight activated and assumed command of the US Army Special Security Detachment, 5th Infantry Division (Mech). Ft. Polk, La.  Upon inactivation of the detachment he served consecutively as Assistant G2 (Air), S2, 151 Brigade, and Intelligence Operations Platoon Leader, 15th Ml company/Assistant Operations Officer, Assistant Chief of Staff, G2.

In February 1980 he was promoted to Major and in June 1980, then Major Knight returned to Europe for assignment as Executive Officer and strategic/operational intelligence analyst, Assistant Chief of Staff, G2, Headquarter, Central Army Group (NATO) , Heidelberg, Germany. In June 1983, he returned to CONUS and reported to the US Army Instructor Battalion, The Ohio State University , for duties as Executive Officer and senior Assistant Professor of Military Science.  In February 1986 he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and, in November 1986, then Lieutenant Colonel Knight again returned to Europe where he was assigned as Chief, Operations, Assistant Chief of Staff, G2, Headquarters, VII (US) Corps, Stuttgart-Moehringen, Germany. In May 1988, then Lieutenant Colonel Knight assumed duties as Assistant Chief of Staff, G2, 3rd Infantry Division (Mech), Wuerzburg, Germany. Following three years as the Marne Division’s senior intelligence officer, then Lieutenant Colonel Knight returned to CONUS in June 1991 for assignment to the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G2, Headquarters, Department of the Army, Washington, DC, and in August 1992, he was promoted to Colonel. During four years on the Army departmental staff, Colonel Knight served as an Intelligence Staff Officer, the Chief, Plans Division, the Chief, Plans and Modernization Support Division, and Director, Army Intelligence Master Plan. Colonel Knight was placed on the US Army regular retired rolls effective 1 September 1995.

In addition to his undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University, COL (Ret.) Knight earned a Master of Science, Business Administration degree from Boston University. He also completed the US Army Infantry Officers’ Basic Course (Commandant’s List), the US Army Intelligence Research Officers’!Technicians ‘ (Counterintelligence) Course, the US Army Military Intelligence Officers’ Advanced Course (Commandant’s List), the US Army Command and General Staff College, the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) Basic German Language Course (with Honors), the NATO Staff Officers’ Orientation Course, and the Amphibious Warfare Course, UK Royal Defense College.

COL (Ret.) Knight’s personal awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (3 OLC), the Army Commendation Medal (1 OLC), the National Defense Service Medal (2nd Award) , the Vietnam Service Medal (4 Campaign Stars), Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (41h Award) , the Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Meritorious Unit Commendation , Army Superior Unit Award , the Vietnamese Cross of_Gallantrywt Bronze Palm (unit award), and the Army Staff Identification Badge.