The Counterdrug Coordinator
LIEUTENANT COLONEL ROBERT F. HEPNER JR.
COUNTERDRUG COORDINATOR
HEADQUARTERS, STATE AREA COMMAND
Lt. Col. Robert F. Hepner Jr. is the Counterdrug Coordinator for the Pennsylvania National Guard and is assigned to Headquarters, State Area Command.
Lieutenant Colonel Robert F. Hepner Jr. was commissioned in 1988 into the Field Artillery at
Mansfield
University
. Upon completion of the Officer Basic Course and Ranger School Lt. Col. Hepner was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Field Artillery in
Neu Ulm
,
Germany
where he served as a Company Fire Support Officer, Fire Direction Officer and Platoon Leader in a self propelled howitzer battery.
During his assignment in Germany Lt. Col. Hepner was deployed to
Saudi Arabia
and participated in Desert Storm/Desert Shield with the 1st Infantry Division (FWD). After returning from Saudi Arabia Lt. Col. Hepner was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 31st Field Artillery at
Fort Sill
,
Oklahoma
. There, Lt. Col. Hepner served as a Battery Executive Officer and Battery Commander of a BasicTraining/
AIT
battery. Upon completion of this assignment Lt. Col. Hepner attended the Field Artillery Officer Advanced Course. Lt. Col. Hepner’s next assignment was with the 2nd Battalion 11th Field Artillery, 25TH Infantry Division (Light) at Schofield Barracks Hawaii. There his assignments included Battalion Intelligence Officer, Battalion Fire Support officer for the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry and Battery Commander of Headquarters, Headquarters Service Battery, 2nd Battalion 11th Field Artillery. After battery command Lt. Col Hepner attended the Combined Arms Services Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and then went on to teach Army ROTC for three years at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Upon leaving this assignment Lt. Col. Hepner left the active army and joined the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. While serving in the National Guard, Lt. Col. Hepner has served as the 28th DIVARTY Fire Direction Officer and Assistant Operations Officer. He then was selected to command the 109th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment where he was deployed for nine months to
Afghanistan
in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Currently Lt. Col. Hepner serves as the Counterdrug Coordinator for the PA National Guard Counterdrug Program.
Lt. Col. Hepner’s civilian education includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from
Mansfield
University
and a Masters of Education from the
Pennsylvania
State
University
.
Lt. Col. Hepner’s awards and decorations include the parachutist badge, air assault badge, ranger tab, 2 Army Achievement medals, 5 Army Commendation Medals, 3 Meritorious Service Medals and The Bronze Star Medal.
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Northeast Counterdrug Training Center
