A. Jason Fleming
U.S. Army / TANG 1989 – 2021
Born in 1963 in Covington, Tenn., Jason is a 1981 graduate of Covington High School. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resources Management from the University of Tennessee at Martin. After college graduation, he began his career with the United Stated Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a Soil Conservationist assigned to the USDA office in Dyersburg, Tenn.
In April 1988, he married the love of his life, Sheila Renee Harvell, and just over a year later, he joined the Tennessee Army National Guard; and in August of 1989, he joined the Army as an infantryman. He left two months later for Fort Benning, Ga., for One Station Unit Training (OSUT) where he earned the Distinguished Honor Graduate title. In February 1990, he was accepted into Officer Candidate School Class 34 at the Tennessee Military Academy. He graduated in June 1991 as a Second Lieutenant and earned the Adjutant General’s Trophy for the highest academic average.
Jason has served as the Executive Officer (XO) with D/4-117th Infantry; Detachment Commander of A/2-115th Field Artillery (FA) in Savannah, Tenn., and he assumed command of Bravo Battery of the 2nd Battalion, 115th FA in October 1998.
In 2001, he served as the battalion fire direction officer in Henderson, Tenn., and in June 2003, he assume command of Headquarters Battery of the 196th FA Brigade in Chattanooga. Upon receipt of mobilization orders in the spring of 2005, he was deployed to Afghanistan as part of an Embedded Training Team, serving as XO of an eleven-person team tasked with training a battalion of the Afghan Army.
Upon returning stateside, his assignments included serving as Logistics Operations Officer for HQ 230th Sustainment Brigade, XO of the 176th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion in Johnson City, Tenn., and command of the 1-181st FA Battalion where he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.
In November 2015, he transferred to Joint Forces HQ as the Surface Maintenance Manager for Tennessee and promoted to Colonel in 2017 and became head logistician for the Tennessee Army National Guard. In 2018, he and his wife, Sheila, moved to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, so that he could attend the Army War College. After graduating in June 2019, he returned to Tennessee to command the 117th Infantry Regiment in Smyrna. Colonel Jason Fleming retired from the Army on 30 June 2021.
For his service to our great country, he received: Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal w/3 Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Combat Action Badge, Field Artillery Honorable Order of Saint Barbara, Tennessee National Guard (TNG) Distinguished Service Medal, TNG Commendation Ribbon w/Oak Leaf Cluster, TNG War Service Ribbon, TNG Service Ribbon w/Bronze Service Star and Silver Oak Leaf Cluster, and TNG Volunteer Ribbon.
He retired from the USDA on 31 December 2022, six months shy of forty years of civilian government service. On 2 January 2023 he began his new career with the City of Covington where he currently serves as Chief of Staff to the mayor. Jason was nominated for Veteran of the Month by Robin Wallace, the May 2021 Veteran of the Month.