Military career
Coburn is a distinguished military graduate of Eastern Michigan University, where he holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in education, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the infantry. He served in various logistics assignments throughout his career, to include Deputy Commanding General, Army Material Command and Commanding General, United States Army Ordnance Center and School. He was also the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany, from 1991 to 1992. Prior to that, he served as the Deputy Commanding General, 22nd Theater Army Support Command in Saudi Arabia from April 1991 to July 1991, and as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Procurement, United States Army Materiel Command from 1989 to 1991.
Other major command assignments include Commander of Materiel Readiness Support Activity, Lexington, Kentucky, from 1987 to 1989; Commander, Division Support Command, 2nd Armored Division, Fort Hood, Texas, from 1984 to 1986; Commander, 124th Maintenance Battalion, 2nd Armored Division, Fort Hood, Texas, from 1980 to 1982; Commander, Defense Contract Administration Services Management Area, Defense Logistics Agency, South Bend, Indiana, from 1978 to 1980; and Plant/Depot Commander, Taiwan Materiel Agency, Army Material Command, Taiwan, from 1972 to 1973.
Coburn's staff assignments include: Assistant Chief of Staff, G-4 (Logistics), 2nd Armored Division, from 1982 to 1983; Executive Officer, Battlefield Systems Directorate, Headquarters, United States Army Materiel Command from 1977 to 1978; Procurement Officer, Procurement and Production Directorate, Headquarters, United States Army Materiel Command; Senior Advisor, Training and Personnel, United States Army Engineer District-Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 1975 to 1977; Executive Officer, Defense Contract Administration Services Region, Defense Supply Agency, New York, New York from 1968 to 1971; Assistant G-3 (Operations), II Field Force, Vietnam, United States Army, Vietnam, from 1967 to 1968; and Special Weapons Platoon Leader, Savanna Army Depot, Illinois, from 1963 to 1964.
After returning from Taiwan, Coburn attended the United States Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and then the University of Kansas, where he earned a Master of Arts degree in political science. He is also a graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C. and has a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Missouri School of Law. He is licensed to practice law before the Supreme Court, State of Michigan; Supreme Court, State of Kentucky; District of Columbia Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of the United States.
Coburn has extensive experience in the areas of logistics and contracting. Further, he has extensive experience in International relations and business, both international and domestic. He is also a noted author.
Coburn also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of International Management & Development Institute (IMDI), a non-profit educational institute that promotes business-government dialogue and cooperation covering international trade, finance, economic and foreign policy issues.
