Winchester native earns rank of Deputy Commanding General in U.S. Army

By Gary Scott on July 7, 2017 at 12:44pm

A Scott County native is being decorated as a prestigious rank within the US Army today.

Tim Lawson, a native of Winchester, is being recognized at a ceremony today for being named the Deputy Commanding General for Operations for Army Space and Missile Defense Command.

Currently stationed at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Lawson’s military career started in Springfield, where he joined the Illinois Army National Guard. From there he went on to attend college at Western Illinois University, participating in the school’s ROTC program.

Lawson then spent around nine years on active duty, during which he served as a tank platoon leader in Desert Storm. He then transitioned to military intelligence. Lawson talks about his path to get to where he is today.

“I decided to get off of active duty and I joined the Wisconsin National Guard. I had the opportunity to command two battalions up there, then I went to Afghanistan for a year, I served as a Regional Police Advisor and Commander over there. I came back and went to the U.S. Army War College out in Carlisle, Pennsylvania for a year and then spent another couple years in Wisconsin commanding an infantry brigade. I was fortunate enough to be selected for another brigade out here in Colorado Springs, the 100th Missile Defense Brigade, and that took me into Army Space and Missile Defense Command and that provided the opportunity today to get promoted,” says Lawson.

Lawson explains what initially attracted him to the military.

“I think growing up in a nice rural area there in central Illinois, I just always felt like I needed to serve my country in some capacity or another, and the military provided the opportunity to do that. With the Illinois National Guard and going through college, I got a taste of the military at that point, so I had the opportunity to take it to a new level with going to ROTC and getting commissioned as an officer. That’s kind of what it is, it’s about service,” Lawson says.

With the ceremony scheduled for this afternoon, Lawson’s new rank will become official. He explains what today’s ceremony means to him.

“It’s a lot of emotions, I’ve got a lot of family and friends in town, so it’s a big day for myself and my family. To get to this rank and do the things I’ve done throughout my career, seeing it come to fruition is pretty exciting. I’m a truly fortunate and blessed guy to get to this point,” says Lawson.

Lawson attended Winchester High School and comes from a family of four brothers, one of which also served in the U.S. Armed Forces.