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EAST PALESTINE -- U.S. Army Col. Ronald "Ron" J. Sturgeon, a native of East Palestine and a 1997 graduate of East Palestine High School, is transitioning to his next chapter. Sturgeon will officially retire this fall, capping off a highly distinguished 25-year military career dedicated to the service of the nation.
Sturgeon began his military journey in 2001, commissioning as a second lieutenant in the engineer regiment upon graduating from Youngstown State University. Over the course of his quarter-century career, he served with airborne units, heavy construction engineer units, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).
His operational career includes three combat deployments -- one in Iraq and two in Afghanistan. In addition to combat operations, Sturgeon supported critical domestic and international humanitarian efforts, serving in Louisiana with Joint Task Force Katrina and deploying on multiple security assistance missions to build military capacity alongside international partners in Africa.
"Serving our nation has been the honor of a lifetime," said Sturgeon. "The foundation built during my youth in East Palestine and my time at Youngstown State set the stage for everything I was able to accomplish in the army."
Sturgeon's assignments have taken him to duty stations across the United States, including Fort Bragg, North Carolina; St. Paul, Minnesota; Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Fort Carson, Colorado; Fort Knox, Kentucky; Washington, D.C.; Fort Hood, Texas; and Savannah, Georgia.
An advocate for continuous professional education, Sturgeon holds a Bachelor of Science from Youngstown State University, a Master of Science in Construction Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a Master of Science in Campaign Planning and Strategy from the Joint Advanced Warfighting School (JAWS).