Clyde A. Vaughn

Clyde A. Vaughn (born April 27, 1946) is a retired United States Army Lieutenant General who served as Director of the Army National Guard.

Early life
Clyde Allen Vaughn, Jr. was born in Columbia, Missouri on April 27, 1946. He completed a General Educational Development (GED) program, received a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Southeast Missouri State University in 1968 and became a high school history teacher and football coach in Dexter, Missouri. While at college he became a member of the Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity, Alpha Phi chapter.

Start of military career
Vaughn enlisted in the Missouri Army National Guard in 1969. He received his commission as a Second Lieutenant of Engineers after graduating from Officer Candidate School in 1974.

His early assignments included platoon leader and staff assignments, primarily in the 1140th Engineer Battalion, and he commanded the battalion’s Company C from 1980 to 1983.

Vaughn also served temporary active duty assignments in Central and South America, including postings to United States Army South in Panama, and Operations and Training Officer (G3) for Task Force 1169 in Ecuador.

He later carried out assignments at the National Guard Bureau before serving as Senior National Guard Advisor for U.S. Army South from 1994 to 1995.

Later career
From 1997 to 2000 Vaughn was Chief of the Operations Division at National Guard Bureau, and he was assigned as the Army’s Deputy Director for Military Support to Civil Authorities on the from 2000 to 2002. He was on Interstate 395 en route to the Pentagon on the morning of September 11, 2001. He observed the hijacked Flight 77 Boeing 757 in flight, parked his car, ran to the building, and took part in the initial response to the casualties and damage caused when the plane crashed into the west side of the building. In September, 2002 Vaughn was assigned as Deputy Director of the Army National Guard, succeeding Michael J. Squier, and he served until November, 2003.

From November, 2003 to June, 2005 Vaughn was Assistant for National Guard matters to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Vaughn was appointed Director of the Army National Guard in June, 2005, and he served until retiring in 2009. He was succeeded by Raymond W. Carpenter.

Education
In addition to his degree from Southeast Missouri State, Vaughn is a 1989 graduate of the United States Army Command and General Staff College. He graduated from the United States Army War College in 1994, simultaneously receiving a Master of Public Administration degree from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania.

Major awards
Vaughn’s awards include: Distinguished Service Medal (Army); Defense Superior Service Medal; Legion of Merit (5); Meritorious Service Medal (United States) (6); Army Commendation Medal; and Army Achievement Medal (2).

In 2010 he received the Raymond S. McLain Medal from the Association of the United States Army.

Legacy
In 2010 the Army National Guard’s GED Plus program, which enables recruits to complete their high school equivalency before beginning their initial training, is named for him. Vaughn spearheaded the creation of the program in 2006.

Family
Vaughn’s father, Clyde A. Vaughn, Sr., served in the National Guard as a Warrant Officer and retired in 1981. Vaughn is married to Carolyn K. Vaughn. Their son Chad is a fighter pilot in the United States Marine Corps.

Chronological list of assignments

 * 1) August 1974 - January 1976, Platoon Leader, 1221st Transportation Company, Dexter, Missouri
 * 2) January 1976 - May 1976, Platoon Leader, C Company, 1140th Engineer Battalion, Sikeston, Missouri
 * 3) May 1976 - January 1978, Platoon Leader, Detachment 1, A Company, 1140th Engineer Battalion, Charleston, Missouri
 * 4) January 1978 - February 1979, Reconnaissance Officer, Headquarters Company, 1140th Engineer Battalion, Cape Girardeau, Missouri
 * 5) February 1979 - January 1980, Engineering Officer, 1140th Engineer Battalion, Cape Girardeau, Missouri
 * 6) January 1980 - November 1980, Executive Officer, C Company, 1140th Engineer Battalion, Sikeston, Missouri
 * 7) November 1980 - August 1983, Company Commander, C Company, 1140th Engineer Battalion, Sikeston, Missouri
 * 8) August 1983 - August 1984, Utilities Engineer, 135th Engineer Group, Cape Girardeau, Missouri
 * 9) September 1984 - December 1984, Operations Officer, 135th Engineer Group, Cape Girardeau, Missouri
 * 10) December 1984 - June 1985, Operations Officer, 135th Engineer Group, Fort Clayton, Panama
 * 11) July 1985 - November 1985, Exercise Officer, 193rd Infantry Brigade, Fort Clayton, Panama
 * 12) November 1985 - June 1986, G3 Staff Officer, 193rd Infantry Brigade, Fort Clayton, Panama
 * 13) June 1986 - June 1987, Executive Director, C Engineer Division, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, United States Army South, Fort Clayton, Panama
 * 14) June 1987 - November 1987, S3 Officer, Task Force 1169, Ecuador
 * 15) November 1987 - July 1988, Executive Director, C Engineer Division, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, United States Army South, Fort Clayton, Panama
 * 16) August 1988 - June 1989, Student, United States Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
 * 17) June 1989 - July 1990, Staff Action Officer, National Guard Bureau, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia
 * 18) July 1990 - May 1992, Task Force Commander, National Guard Bureau Operations and Training Division, Army National Guard Readiness Center, Arlington, Virginia
 * 19) June 1992 - May 1993, Chief, Operations and Exercises Branch, Army National Guard Operations Division, Army National Guard Readiness Center, Arlington, Virginia
 * 20) June 1993 - June1994, Student, United States Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania
 * 21) July 1994 - August 1995, Senior Army National Guard Advisor for Reserve Affairs, United States Army South, Fort Clayton, Panama
 * 22) September 1995 - November 1997, Commander, Exercise Support Command and Deputy Chief of Staff Reserve Affairs-National Guard, United States Army South, Fort Clayton, Panama
 * 23) December 1997 - February 2000, Chief, Operations Division, Army National Guard Readiness Center, Arlington, Virginia
 * 24) February 2000 - September 2002, Deputy Chief of Staff, G3, United States Army, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia
 * 25) September 2002 - November 2003, Deputy Director, Army National Guard, Army National Guard Readiness Center, Arlington, Virginia
 * 26) November 2003 - June 2005, Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for National Guard Matters, Office of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia
 * 27) June 2005 – Present, Director, Army National Guard, Army National Guard Readiness Center, Arlington, Virginia

External resources
Clyde A. Vaughn at National Guard Bureau General Officer Management Office