A native of Las Animas, Colorado, Col. Jacob A. Peterson currently serves as the commander of the Area Support Group-Afghanistan and as the deputy commander at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.
He enlisted in the Army in 1991 as an artilleryman with his local Colorado National Guard unit. A year later, he received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Infantry in 1996.
Immediately following his commission, Col. Peterson served as a platoon leader and company executive officer at Fort Carson, Colorado, in the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, with which he deployed to Kuwait in support of Intrinsic Action. He then commanded two infantry companies in Korea with 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment at Camp Hovey, and 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment at Camp Casey.
His next assignment was at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana, where he served as observer controller and rotational planner. Col. Peterson then deployed to Iraq as chief of a battalion military transition team partnered with the Iraqi Army. As a major, he served as Battalion S3 and executive officer with 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment at Fort Drum, New York, where he once again deployed to combat in Iraq.
Col. Peterson's next assignment was in Hawaii as the Southeast Asia counterterrorism officer for U.S. Pacific Command, and later as the garrison commander for Pohakuloa Training Area, before he was assigned to Army North as the Joint Operations Center Chief in San Antonio, Texas.
Col. Peterson is a graduate of the Army War College, Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Command and General Staff College, Joint Firepower Controllers Course, Infantry Officer's Basic and Advanced courses, Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle Course, Airborne Course, Air Assault Course, and the Ranger Course. He holds a bachelor's degree from West Point, and master's degrees from Central Michigan University and the Army War College.
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal (one oak leaf cluster), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (4 oak leaf clusters), Combat Infantryman's Badge, Ranger Tab, Parachutists and Air Assault badges.
He is married and has one son.
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