Regional Training.National Standard.

Colonel Derek E. Johnson served twenty-seven years in the United States Army, and began them as an enlisted combat medic. He joined in December 1995 and served as a platoon medic and senior line medic with 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. After promotion to sergeant he earned a Green-to-Gold ROTC scholarship, graduated from Eastern Michigan University, and was commissioned an Infantry officer in April 2000.

As a rifle platoon leader with 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, he deployed to Afghanistan in October 2001 for Operation Anaconda. He went on to command Headquarters Company and Charlie Company in 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, leading paratroopers through two Iraq deployments in 2006 and 2008.

Much of his career was spent building other people's readiness. He was a TAC officer at the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Battalion Commander of the 5th Ranger Training Battalion at Dahlonega, and Deputy Brigade Commander of the Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade at Fort Moore. At the Joint Readiness Training Center he served as Deputy Commander of the Operations Group, running large-scale combat rotations for American forces and allied partners.

He commanded 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment in the 101st Airborne Division, and finished his career as Brigade Commander of 3rd Light Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. He is a graduate of the Command and General Staff College and holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Georgia.