LTC Jonathan Blanding
DSTB Commander
Lt. Col. Jonathan Blanding is a native of Fayetteville, North Carolina. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve as a paralegal specialist in 1998, with an assignment to the 12th Legal Support Organization at Fort Bragg, (known as Fort Liberty since 2023), North Carolina. Blanding received his commission from Fayetteville State University as a branch-detailed Field Artillery Officer, with a primary branch of Adjutant General.
Blanding’s previous assignments include: battery executive officer, Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 40th Field Artillery, Fort Sill, Oklahoma; assistant brigade S1, 214th Fires Brigade, Fort Sill; Military Transition Team information operations and G1 advisor, Multi-National Corps-Iraq, 1st Infantry Division, Ninawa Province, Iraq; battalion S3, Tampa Recruiting Battalion, 2nd Brigade, Tampa, Florida; squadron S1, 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky; brigade S1, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Abn. Div.; brigade S1, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Abn. Div.; brigade S1, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Liberty, North Carolina; Adjutant General Captain’s Career Course instructor, Adjutant General School; deputy chief of the Proponent and Leader Development Division in the Adjutant General School.
Blanding is a graduate of the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course, Advanced Military Transition Team Course, Adjutant General Captain’s Career Course, the Sabalauski Air Assault School, Command General Staff Officers Course, Brigade S1 Course, Airborne School, and the Foundational Instructor/Facilitator Course. Blanding holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Fayetteville State University and a Master of Science in Administration in Human Resources Administration from Central Michigan University.
Blanding’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Meritorious Unit Commendation, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one Campaign Star, Iraqi Campaign Medal with two Campaign Stars, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon with numeral 2 device , NATO ISAF Medal, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, and the Combat Action Badge.
CSM Malachi L. Thornton
DSTB Command Sergeant Major
Command Sgt. Maj. Malachi L. Thornton was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He entered the U.S. Army in August 1998 after earning his high school diploma from Arsenal Technical High School. Thornton attended Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Lee (known as Fort Gregg-Adams since 2023), Virginia, earning the Military Occupational Specialty Unit Supply Specialist.
Thornton’s assignments include: battalion supply clerk, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 82nd Aviation (Attack), Fort Bragg (known as Fort Liberty since 2023), North Carolina; supply sergeant for B. and E, Company, 1st Battalion, 46th Infantry Regiment, Fort Knox, Kentucky; property book office Noncommissioned Officer, Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Military Intelligence Battalion (Aerial Exploitation), Camp Humphreys, Korea; supply sergeant, 59th Mobility Augmentation Company Route Clearance, battalion S4 Noncommissioned Officer-in-charge, 20th Engineer Battalion, Fort Hood (known as Fort Cavazos since 2023), Texas; battalion S4 NCOIC, 787th Military Police Battalion, brigade S4 NCOIC, 14th Military Police Brigade, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, brigade S4 NCOIC, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, battalion S4 NCOIC, 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, first sergeant, F. Forward Support Company, 1st Battalion 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, Fort Bragg; operations sergeant, 1st Group Support Battalion, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. Thornton’s served most recently as the G4 sergeant major of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg.
Thornton’s military and civilian education include the combat lifesaver course, field sanitation course, contracting officer representative course, property book unit supply enhanced course, combatives level one, airborne school, primary leadership development course (Commandant’s List & Leadership Award winner), basic noncommissioned officer course (Commandant’s List & Lead Motivator), advanced noncommissioned officer course (Distinguished Honor Graduate), commander’s and first sergeant’s course, jumpmaster course, master resiliency course and the U.S. Army sergeant’s major academy. He has also earned a bachelor’s degree from Columbia College.
Thornton’s awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with “C” Device, the Army Commendation Medal with six Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Good Conduct Medal with three Silver Loops, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Defense Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Development Ribbon with numeral 5 device, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Master Parachutist Badge, and the Combat Action Badge. He is also a member of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club, a distinguished member of the Order of Saint Martin, and an honorable member of the Order of Saint Barbra.