CRESTVIEW — Sgt. 1st Class Quinton E. Courson Jr. is retiring March 1 after 25 years of service with the United States Army. He is currently stationed with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group at Eglin Air Force Base.
A retirement ceremony with awards is being planned for March.
Courson, a Crestview resident, is a Florida native who was born and raised in Bartow, and is a 1990 Bartow Sr. High School graduate.
He launched his career with four weeks of basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri in 1991, followed by 12 weeks of advance individual training at Fort Lee, Virginia.
At the age of 20, his first duty station was Seoul, Korea, where he served out a one-year tour. In 1992, after his Korea assignment, Courson completed five weeks of Airborne and Ranger Training at Fort Benning, Georgia. He was then assigned to Fort Lewis, Washington with the 2nd Battalion Ranger Regiment and remained there until 1995.
His work led to posts in Seoul, Korea; Sinai, Egypt; Fort Lewis, Washington; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and four campaigns in Iraq, the last being in 2011 “Operation New Dawn, where Courson was with last combat unit to leave Iraq and return home.
During his second Iraq deployment, Courson was awarded a Bronze Star that was recognized by Florida Congressman Adam Putnam in 2008.
Courson also went to Haiti as part of a five-month humanitarian effort after the catastrophic earthquake in 2010.
For his many selfless and heroic acts during his 25-year tenure, Courson's awards include two Meritorious Service Medals, five Army Commendation Medals, one Joint Service Achievement Medal, six Army Achievement Medals, eight Good Conduct Medals, one Humanitarian Medal, two Iraq Campaign Medals, one set of Global War on Terrorism Expedition and Service Medals, one Combat Action Badge, and one Parachute Qualification Badge. His career includes a record for over 90 static parachute jumps from fixed and rotary wing aircraft.
Family celebrating with Courson include his wife, Melody, three daughters, Whitney, Kortney, and Kyndal, and his parents, Larry and Debbie Parrish.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview resident, military hero sets retirement date