Bernard Fontaine

Last updated
Brigadier General

Bernard Fontaine
NASAR - Bernie Fontaine Jan 2014 BOD Mtg.jpg
Bernard Fontaine at the NASAR Board of Directors Mtg.
Birth nameBernard Arthur Fontaine
Nickname(s)"Bernie"
Born (1940-03-02) March 2, 1940 (age 82)
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branchFlag of the United States Army.svg  United States Army, Army National Guard
Years of service1960–1990
Rank US-O7 insignia.svg Brigadier General (Retired)
Battles/wars Vietnam War
Alma mater Branau University of Georgia
Spouse(s)Silvia Fontaine
Other work NASAR (National Association for Search and Rescue), Board of Directors

Bernard Fontaine (born March 2, 1940) has served in the United States Army and as a volunteer firefighter, Search and Rescue,[ clarification needed ] and deacon. He spent 30 years of his life in the military, working on many large engineering projects with the staff at the Pentagon level. This includes the Army Mountain Warfare School Training Facility at the Camp Ethan Allen Training Site in Jericho, Vermont, [1] and Army Tank and Armored Vehicle Centralized Wash Facility at Fort Stewart, Savannah Georgia. [2] In early 2014 he qualified [3] for the U.S. House of Representatives in the State of Georgia's 9th Congressional District election. [4] He is challenging the incumbent for the Republican Party primary. [5]

Contents

He is serving with the Georgia State Defense Force as the Senior Advisor to the Commanding General for Search and Rescue Operations. He also served as a Union County (Georgia) Firefighter ‒ NPQ 2.

He is on the board of directors for the National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR), and is an instructor, lead evaluator SARTECH I, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) instructor, and CPR instructor.

Biography

Early life

Fontaine grew up in a rural farming community during World War II. He spent his early years working on local farms, saving his money to buy a junk car, and taught himself mechanics to work on them. He attended and received a degree at the local College of Agriculture. Soon joining the US Army and working his way through the ranks.

Military service

Fontaine entered the US Army as a Private in 1960 at the age of 20. He then ascended the ranks to Sergeant, while serving in West Germany during the Cold War. After returning to the US he attended further training in the US Army at Fort Dix, New Jersey, for radio and Officer Candidate School, graduating as a Second Lieutenant. He continued his Army training with Airborne School at Fort Benning (Columbus, Georgia) and U.S. Army Ranger School (Dahlonega, Georgia) in 1966. He remained in the US at Fort Huachuca (southeast Arizona), until he was ordered to serve in the Vietnam War in 1967. During a time of turmoil in the U.S., he served his tour of duty. During the 1970s and 1980s he ascended through the ranks as Captain, Major, Lt. Colonel, and Colonel as an Engineer Officer and Management. After 30 years military service he retired as a brigadier general in 1990.[ citation needed ]

Small business/farm owner

After finishing his tour of duty in Vietnam in 1968 at the age of 28, he took a break from active service and joined the National Guard. While in the National Guard he used his life savings and started his own construction/grading business, buying equipment and trucks to maintain roads and excavate/grade land for new homes. Also during the early 1970s, using his own money, he bought land and built a housing development/subdivision. In the mid-1970s, he was offered and accepted an engineering position to maintain the buildings and training facilities for the Army National Guard as Captain. In 1979, he was promoted to director of all State of Georgia Army National Guard facilities as the State of Georgia Facilities Management Officer. Retiring in 1990, he now farms his land in Suches, which lie in the mountains of North Georgia – located between the cities of Dahlonega and Blairsville.[ citation needed ]

Retirement

After retiring from the Georgia National Guard in 1990, he started teaching at the local college. He became an instructor of political science and Night Dean at DeKalb College and also at the Georgia Military College in Milledgeville, Georgia. In 2005 he took a position as the County Manager for Jasper County, Georgia, one of the larger counties in the State of Georgia with over 370sq miles. [6] While County Manager he was also a volunteer firefighter. He serves on the board of the National Association for Search and Rescue, and teaches search and rescue techniques.[ citation needed ]

Service to community:

  • Union County Firefighter ‒ NPQ 2
  • National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR), National Board of Directors,
  • Jasper County Firefighter [7]

Personal data

He has been married to Silvia for 56 years. Soon after they were married, he was shipped to Vietnam. As a military wife she remained stateside and cared for their two children. Silvia is a retired Registered Nurse, Certified Family Nurse Practitioner who writes professionally. Her latest book was published in 2013 and is titled Mountain Tribulations. [8] They have four grown children, and 12 grandchildren. He is a Christian, and a Deacon at his local church.[ citation needed ]

He ran for Congress, and on the Republican ticket launched his campaign for U.S. House of Representatives with the US economy, and leadership as the focus of his run for office in the State of Georgia's 9th District. [5]

Timeline

Related Research Articles

The military defense of Puerto Rico is the responsibility of the United States as part of the Treaty of Paris. Locally, Puerto Rico has its own National Guard, the Puerto Rico National Guard, and its own state defense force, the Puerto Rico State Guard, which, by local law, is under the authority of the Puerto Rico National Guard. The commander-in-chief of both forces is the governor of Puerto Rico, currently Pedro Pierluisi, who delegates his authority to the Puerto Rico Adjutant General, currently Major General José J. Reyes. The Adjutant General, in turn, delegates the authority over the State Guard to another officer but retains the authority over the Puerto Rico National Guard as a whole. At the national level, the commander-in-chief is the President of the United States, currently Joe Biden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Stewart</span> US Army post in southeast Georgia

Fort Stewart is a United States Army post in the U.S. state of Georgia. It lies primarily in Liberty and Bryan counties, but also extends into smaller portions of Evans, Long and Tattnall counties. The population was 11,205 at the 2000 census. The nearby city of Hinesville, along with Ft. Stewart and the rest of Liberty and Long Counties, comprise the Hinesville metropolitan area. Many of Fort Stewart's residents are members of the 3rd Infantry Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Search and rescue</span> Search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger

Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search is conducted over. These include mountain rescue; ground search and rescue, including the use of search and rescue dogs; urban search and rescue in cities; combat search and rescue on the battlefield and air-sea rescue over water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State defense force</span> Military units under control of U.S. State governments

In the United States, state defense forces are military units that operate under the sole authority of a state government. State defense forces are authorized by state and federal law and are under the command of the governor of each state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John William Vessey Jr.</span> Career officer in the United States Army (1922–2016)

John William "Jack" Vessey Jr. was a career officer in the United States Army. He attained the rank of general, and was most notable for his service as the tenth chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Gordon</span> US Army post near Grovetown, GA, USA

Fort Gordon, formerly known as Camp Gordon, is a United States Army installation established in October 1941. It is the current home of the United States Army Signal Corps, United States Army Cyber Command, and the Cyber Center of Excellence. It was once the home of The Provost Marshal General School and Civil Affairs School. The fort is located southwest of Augusta, Georgia. One of the major components of the installation is Advanced Individual Training for Signal Corps military occupational specialties. Signals Intelligence has become more visible and comprises more and more of the fort's duties. The installation was recommended for renaming to Fort Eisenhower by The Naming Commission. On 5 January 2023 William A. LaPlante, US under-secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment directed the full implementation of the recommendations of the Naming Commission, DoD-wide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel V. Wilson</span> United States Army general

Lieutenant General Samuel Vaughan Wilson, aka "General Sam", completed his active military career in the fall of 1977, having divided his service almost equally between special operations and intelligence assignments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Air Force Pararescue</span> US Air Force personnel specializing in combat search and rescue

Pararescuemen are United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) and Air Combat Command (ACC) operators tasked with recovery and medical treatment of personnel in humanitarian and combat environments. These special operations units are also used to support NASA missions and have been used to recover astronauts after water landings. They are attached to other special operations units from all branches to conduct other operations as appropriate. Of the roughly 200 Air Force Cross recipients, only 24 are enlisted rank, of which 12 are Pararescuemen. Part of the Air Force Special Operations community and long an enlisted preserve, the Pararescue service expanded to include Combat Rescue Officers early in the 21st century.

The Arkansas Fire Training Academy is the official fire training institution for the state of Arkansas. The main campus is located on the grounds of Southern Arkansas University Tech in Camden, Arkansas, alongside the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia Military Institute</span>

The Georgia Military Institute (GMI) was established on 110 acres (0.45 km2) in Marietta, Georgia, United States, on July 1, 1851. It was burned by the Union Army during the Civil War and was never rebuilt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlisle Barracks</span> Census-designated place in Pennsylvania, United States

Carlisle Barracks is a United States Army facility located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The site of the U.S. Army War College, it is the nation's second-oldest active military base. The first structures were built in 1757, during the French and Indian War between Great Britain and France in the colonies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenn K. Rieth</span>

Major General Glenn K. Rieth served as Adjutant General of New Jersey and the commander of the New Jersey Army and Air National Guard, which compose the New Jersey Department of Military Affairs. His service began in March 2002 and ended with his resignation in December 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John W. O'Daniel</span> United States Army general

Lieutenant General John Wilson O'Daniel, nicknamed "Iron Mike", was a senior United States Army officer who served in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. He is perhaps best known for serving with the 3rd Infantry Division in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and Southern France during World War II. He was the commanding general (CG) of Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier in the U.S. Army during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles C. Campbell (general)</span> United States Army general

Charles Christopher "Hondo" Campbell was a United States Army officer who served as the 17th Commanding General, United States Army Forces Command (FORSCOM). He previously served as FORSCOM's Deputy Commanding General and Chief of Staff from April 26, 2006 to January 8, 2007. He assumed the commanding general assignment January 9, 2007, and completed it on June 3, 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur D. Simons</span>

Arthur D. "Bull" Simons was a United States Army Special Forces colonel best known for leading the Sơn Tây raid, an attempted rescue of U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War from a North Vietnamese prison at Sơn Tây. He also led the successful 1979 rescue of two employees of Electronic Data Systems from prison in Iran.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John W. Foss</span> United States Army general (1933–2020)

John William Foss was a United States Army general, and commander of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick M. Hughes</span> United States Army general

Patrick M. Hughes is a retired United States Army officer who served as the 12th Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). Previously, he was Director of Intelligence for the US Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1994 to 1996 and the Director of Intelligence at United States Central Command from 1992–1994. He was the Commanding General, United States Army Intelligence Agency, and the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, U.S. Army from 1990 until 1992. He joined the United States Department of Homeland Security in 2003 as the Assistant Secretary for Information Analysis (Intelligence), and departed from DHS and Government service in March 2005.

Brigadier General (Ret.) Ronald Paul Welch was an American Military officer and the former Director of the Joint Staff of the Connecticut National Guard. He began his military service in 1978 when he enlisted in United States Army and served as an NCO in 2nd Bn (Ranger) 75th Infantry. He was later commissioned, through Connecticut Military Academy in August 1984 through the Officer Candidate School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenn D. Walker</span> United States Army general

Glenn D. Walker was a lieutenant general in the United States Army. He was notable as commander of the 4th Infantry Division, First United States Army, I Corps, and adjutant general of the Mississippi National Guard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellis W. Williamson</span> United States Army general

Ellis W. Williamson was a United States Army Major General who served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He led the 173rd Airborne Brigade, the first US Army unit to deploy to South Vietnam and later commanded the 25th Infantry Division there.

References

  1. "History of the Army Mountain Warfare School" (PDF). US Army Infantry Historical Society. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  2. "GGTC Standing Operating Procedure 1 pg42" (PDF). Georgia Guard. Georgia Garrison Training Center (GGTC). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  3. gainesvilletimes.com
  4. Kemp, Brian (7 March 2014). "Georgia Secretary of State, Candidate List". Georgia Secretary of State. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  5. 1 2 Silavent, Joshua (10 March 2014). "Suches Republican Launches Campaign for U.S. House". The Gainesville Times. Archived from the original on March 14, 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  6. Editor, Monticello News (Apr 14, 2005). "County Hires Bernie Fontaine as Manager". The Monticello News. Retrieved 13 March 2014.{{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  7. Editor, Monticello News (Aug 7, 2003). "Firefighters to Be Honored". The Monticello News. Retrieved 13 March 2014.{{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  8. Fontaine, Silvia B. (2013). Mountain Tribulations Latrelle, a Woman of Integrity. Iuniverse Inc. ISBN   978-1491703632.

Publications