John Barlett

Hometown: State College, PA

PSU Connection: Graduate & Employee

PSU Graduation Year: 1992

Degree Type: Bachelors

Major of Study: Secondary Education, Social Studies

Memorable moment in your Penn State career: Being a proud member of Sigma Phi Epsilon and then, after graduation, meeting my wife at Penn State.

Active Duty or Veteran: Veteran

Branch: Air Force

Rank: Lieutenant Colonel

Rate/MOS: Force Support

Where/when did you serve: Langley AFB, RAF Lakenheath (U.K.), Pentagon, Penn State ROTC, Maxwell AFB, Hill AFB, JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, Riyadh KSA, and Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph. Included two Joint Task Force Exercises out to sea with the Navy, so one of the very few AF officers with a month of sea duty; 20+ Years

Awards: Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, AF Commendation Medal, AF Achievement Medal

What was your favorite military assignment/duty station and why? There were favorites on each assignment. Marrying my wife at my first duty station, my incentive flight while in England, exploring foreign countries, the births of my two children, teaching Penn State AFROTC cadets (many of whom are now Majors or Lt Cols), traveling around the country with a 3-star supporting his Road Show, and making incredible life-long friendships, My most challenging and rewarding assignment was taking command of the 87th Force Support Squadron and then, two months later, standing up the nation’s only Tri-Service Joint Base (even though we had Marines and Coasties there too, but we said Tri- since it was the joining of former Navy, AF, and Army posts). Those were some incredibly challenging and immensely rewarding years that certainly didn’t seem like they would be when I was living through them.

John Barlett, Air Force, Lieutenant Colonel (ret), served over 20 years in the military.  John is a born Penn Stater being from State College, graduating from Penn State, and returning to Penn State as an Air Force ROTC instructor, and now working in the College of Earth and Mineral Science.  John has many memorable moments from service from working with ROTC cadets to working with a 3-star general officer and most importantly marrying his wife.  John talks about his military service saying “[t]hose were some incredibly challenging and immensely rewarding years that certainly didn’t seem like they would be when I was living through them”.