CAPTAIN ALAN D. JOHNSTON
UNITED STATES ARMY
Field Artillery - Enlisted - 1978-1981
Field Artillery – Officer - 1981-1982
Combat Engineer - Officer 1982-1989
Commissioning Source – ROTC: Vermont Army National Guard
Simultaneous Membership Program Cadet - 1981
Norwich University ROTC Program 1981
Tour of Duty:
December 7TH, 1978 - July 1989
Captain
Johnston was born in Greenville, Maine.
He was a 1978 graduate of Greenville High School, where he lettered in
three sports; Soccer, Basketball and Baseball.
He
attended Norwich University, in Vermont from 1978 to 1982; graduating with a BS
in Environmental Engineering. During
that time, he was an enlisted member of the 1/86th Field Artillery, Vermont
Army National Guard where he received an officer’s commission in his junior
year; branched Field Artillery. Upon graduation he was brought on Active Duty
in the Engineer Branch (Combat Engineers)
He
served at Fort Polk, Louisiana in the 5TH Mechanized Infantry
Division, 7TH Engineers; while there, he served as a Platoon Leader
and worked in the Post’s Environmental Office, overseeing environmental
compliance. Then at Fort Belvior, Virginia, he served as school cadre training
Second Lieutenants. In Germany he served
as both a Battalion S4, and as an HHC Company Commander.
AWARDS
AND DECORATIONS: Medal of Valor, Silver
Medal for Valor, Defense Freedom Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army
Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, the Global War on Terror Medal and
the Iraq Medal on Terror.
CIVILIAN
DUTIES: Held positions in the
Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Fields.
He was the EHS manager for General Electric, Pioneer Plastics (PIONITE
LAMINATE) and a consultant to many of the paper mills throughout the New
England area.
In
March of 2003 he was deployed to Iraq, and held various positions for major
restoration projects and the protection of high value targets. He was site manager for the overall safety of
100 to 150 Bearing Point Staff who resided in the Al Hayat Hotel on Karada Avenue in downtown Bagdad, Iraq; comprised of various
personnel with expertise in financial and economic recovery.
His
staff was comprised of approximately 300 Kurds, 12 Gurkhas, 40-50 expatriates,
and 20-25 local Iraqi drivers with GMC Suburbans. He was responsible to transport the Bearing
Point personnel to and from the hotel to perform duties at the various
ministries throughout the vicinity of Baghdad and ensuring their safety after
working hours. During his time as site
manager, no clients were injured.
Was
the Site manager in Fallujah responsible for the site laydown facility and
living area for the contraction of a high-tension power line from the Haditha
Power Generation Dam down thru Al-Assad Airbase, through Fallujah to Baghdad.
Responsible for the overall safety of US Army Corps of Engineers
personnel, Civilian Contractors and 150-200 Turkish workers. The staff was comprised of 250-300 Kurds,
half-dozen Gurkhas and 4-6 Expatriates.
At the beginning of the project there were problems with the security
with the power line in the evenings; local security personnel were hired and
the issue was resolved.
Al
Kisik Iraq Army Training Base Site Manager for the
safety and project management for the construction of two, 1,100 square meter,
medical clinics. The workers were
comprised of Iraqi nationals with two Americans as well. This project was complex due to the vastness
of the area and difficulties in getting materials, equipment and workers to the
worksite. In addition, the project was
delayed for almost two months due to a major insurgent attack that lasted for
approximately 90 minutes. He was
seriously injured in that attack, but remained on site for four months, before
returning home.
Captain
Johnston is willing to present to any organization pertaining to his
projects. He only asks to be able to
talk about the MOWW and its mission of developing Youth Leaders. You can email him though the “Ask the
Commander” page here to arrange a presentation.
Addition Information about
Captain Johnston
NORWICH UNIVERSITY PLAQUE OF VALOR
Captain Johnston, United States Army, was inducted into
the Norwich University Plaque of Valor for graduates who have received the
Distinguished Service Cross or Medal of Honor for actions in combat. In addition, Captain Johnston had received
the OSD Medal for valor, the highest medal for valor awarded to a civilian (see
below)
AWARD OF THE MEDAL OF VALOR
by General David Petraeus
The
Secretary of Defense takes great pleasure in awarding the Medal of Valor to Mr.
Alan Johnston for performing an act of heroism with voluntary risk of his
personal safety in the face of danger on August, 7, 2004.
On that afternoon insurgents launched a coordinated
complex attack on the Al Kasik Military Training
Base, Northwest of Mosul, Iraq. During
the most intense period of incoming fire which lasted over ninety minutes,
insurgent forces employed rockets, mortars and two Vehicle Borne Improvised
Explosive Devices in an unsuccessful effort the destroy the Iraqi Army Forces
training there.
During the attack, Mr. Johnson acted
without hesitation to sound the alarm and direct others to take cover. Within seconds of his actions, an explosion
resulted in significant damage to the headquarters building. With total disregard for his own safety, and
despite suffering from his own injuries, Mr. Johnston began to triage victims
and administer treatment to other who were injured
during the attack. He then proceeded
through the rubble, again exposing himself to enemy fire, to assess victims of
the Base Command Center. Utilizing
materials on hand, Mr. Johnston assisted in the quickly fabricating several
stretchers from broken doors, desks and chairs.
Mr. Johnson provided necessary care and remained with the injured troops
until they were loaded on MEDIVAC helicopters.
Mr. Johnston’s courageous actions under
fire, selfless dedication to duty, and willingness to answer the call of duty
reflect great credit upon himself, his family and the United State Department
of Defense, and the United States of America.
Signed, Robert Mr. Gates Secretary of Defense, United
States of America.
HEROICS
OF ALAN JOHNSTON -- (Senate - November 14, 2006)
Ms.
SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise today to honor and recognize with the highest
esteem Mr. Alan Johnston of Windsor, ME, for the tremendous courage and
enormous valor he demonstrated in Iraq in 2004 that helped save many lives.
CPT
Aaron P. Hill of the U.S. Marine Corps recounted in a witness statement that
Alan Johnston's heroic actions on August 7, 2004, had he been in military
uniform, would have earned him a medal. Mr. Johnston, a civilian contractor who
was overseeing construction of two medical clinics in Iraq, acted swiftly and
selflessly to rescue others during a suicide attack on the headquarters
facility at the Al Kasik Military Base located
approximately 35 miles northwest of Mosul, Iraq.
Captain
Hill was part of a unit advising Iraqi soldiers in Northern Iraq. He credits
Mr. Johnston with saving a number of lives after insurgents drove two water
trucks packed with as many as 8,000 pounds of explosives to the headquarters
building. The blasts from this insurgent attack lasted over 90 minutes and
destroyed the 2-level headquarters building, resulting in 14 deaths and an
estimated 40 severely to critically injured people.
Acting
without hesitation, Mr. Johnston sounded the alarm, throwing those around him
to the floor, saving many lives. In the devastation that followed, acting with
total disregard to his own safety, Mr. Johnston emerged from the wreckage and
began to assist in evacuating and treating the survivors. Despite the
continuing barrage of mortars and rockets, Mr. Johnston continued to offer help
with his medical expertise, calm demeanor, and steadfast devotion to helping
his fellow man.
Mr.
Johnston not only reduced casualties and treated the wounded but restored
critical support systems, including power and water. He also helped to find ways
to feed the thousands of Iraqi soldiers dependent on the American military for
support.
Alan
Johnston, a 6-year veteran of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and an emergency
medical technician for nearly 18 years, suffered injuries to his head and leg
but treated himself and remained at the base in Iraq for 3 months after the
attack. He left Iraq in December of 2004 and underwent another series of leg
surgeries once he returned to the United States.
As
a result of Captain Hill's eyewitness account of Alan Johnston's actions, last
month I had the solemn privilege of pinning the Defense of Freedom Medal on Mr.
Johnston's lapel at a medal ceremony held at my Augusta, ME, office with Mr.
Johnston's family present, officially acknowledging these courageous actions.
This award is a rare and unique commendation issued only to civilians and is
equivalent to the Purple Heart awarded to military service men and women.
But
what is most remarkable is that this occasion marked the first time a civilian,
private contractor was awarded this particular medal. Mr. Johnston's lifesaving
response to serve and sacrifice on behalf of others was something he chose to
do. It was not his duty. It was not his responsibility it was his goodwill and
American patriotism that drove him to put his life at risk in order to assist
and save others. There is only one word that sufficiently describes this
exemplary Mainer, and that word is hero. I was extremely proud to present him
with the Defense of Freedom Medal.
Mr.
Johnston's awe-inspiring willingness to think of others ahead of himself will
forever be remembered by those whose lives he touched and saved that day. The
courageous commitment and valiant care demonstrated by Alan Johnston of
Windsor, ME, exemplifies the very best of what it means to be a Mainer and an
American
Alan
Johnston shows special everyday courage
Published
June 26, 2019 in Community, Windsor /by Website Editor
It
is always inspiring to see how our combat-injured veterans may rise above the
limitations of their permanent injuries and restore themselves to full and
active lives. Alan D. Johnston, of Windsor, a former U.S. Army captain active
in veterans affairs, and who is now the commander of
the Maine Chapter of the Military Order of the World Wars, exemplifies the
indomitable spirit we so admire in our injured service personnel. These
veterans truly show the rest of us a special kind of everyday courage.
Although
legally blind, Alan recently competed in the National Veterans Golden Age
Games, for those 55 and older, divided into various categories including male
and female divisions, wheelchair bound, visually-handicapped and ambulatory. As
with other senior athletic competitions, entrants compete against
contemporaries in five-year age blocs, and in categories matching those with
similar abilities and handicaps. Any veteran over 55,
handicapped or not, may compete. This year, about 750 veterans from 48 states
competed in the 33rd National Veterans Golden Age Games, in Anchorage, Alaska.
Alan
won in his age category of visually-impaired veterans in five events, receiving
gold medals in bowling, horseshoes, and shuffle board, and bronze medals in
blind disc golf and bocci. He is also a recipient of
the Department of Defense Valor Award, a civilian award equivalent to the
Distinguished Service Cross.
Alan
is very proud of his service dog Gypsy, a five-year-old Malinois.
They have been together for four years having gone through a 40-week training
course. The Military Order of the World Wars was established 100 years ago
under the leadership of the legendary General John J. Pershing, and is open to
all active and former military officers. Those interested in possibly joining
the order may get more information from the website at mainemoww.org.