He entered military service as a Regular Army 2LT in 1966. He is a graduate of the following Military Schools:
Infantry Officer Basic Course (IOBC), Airborne and Ranger Schools, United States Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School, Army Aviation Fixed Wing and Rotary Wing Schools, Special Forces Officer Course, Command and General Staff College and the Army War College.
LTC Bridges' military assignments include: 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, KY and Vietnam, as a Rifle Platoon Leader and Weapons Platoon Leader in Company B, Executive Officer in Company A, Recon Platoon Leader in Company E, Executive Officer in Company D, and the Battalion S-1, Headquarters and Headquarters Company. He served as a 2LT, 1LT and Captain in the 1st Battalion 502nd Infantry “FIRST STRIKE”. He commanded the Airborne Company at Fort Richardson, Alaska and the 117th Assault Helicopter Company in Korea. Other assignments included: Instructor at the Psychological Operations School at Fort Bragg, NC, a two year tour with the Navy and Marine Corps and spent 18 months at sea on various ships. He was an Inspector General for the Military District of Washington and an Infantry Assignment Officer, served as the Deputy Commander 17th Aviation Group in Korea. He retired in 1986 at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel with his final duty assignment as Deputy Commander of Troops at Fort Myer, Virginia.
He served at the following places:
Fort Benning, GA, Fort Campbell, KY, Vietnam (Dec 1967-Dec 1968), Fort Stewart, GA., Fort Rucker, AL
Fort Richardson, Alaska, Quantico, VA, Korea (2 tours), Fort Bragg, NC, Fort Leavenworth, KS, Little Creek Amphibious Base, Norfolk, VA and Washington, D.C.
LTC Bridges Military Awards and Decorations include:
Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Soldier’s Medal, Bronze Star w/OLC, Meritorious Service Medal w/2/OLCs, Air Medal w/OLC, Army Commendation Medal w/OLC, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Joint Services Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal and the Navy Sea Service Ribbon.
In addition, he earned the following badges and tabs: Combat Infantry Badge, Senior Army Aviator Badge, Senior Parachute Badge and the Ranger Tab.
Upon retirement from the Army, LTC Bridges went to work as an agent for Nationwide Insurance and owned his own insurance agency in Pensacola, FL., for 18 years. He has been an elementary school guidance counselor and 5th grade teacher. Marilyn, his wife of 51 years, was an elementary and middle school teacher for 30 years. Ted and Marilyn have 3 children and 5 grandchildren.
Their oldest son Ted, is a graduate of the US Merchant Marine Academy and is now a Baptist minister in Walnut Hill, FL. Their other son Marshall, is a graduate of Virginia Military Institute and is currently a Special Forces Lieutenant Colonel in the Army serving with NATO at Norfolk, VA. Their daughter Leah, played soccer at the University of Florida and the University of South Alabama where she was Alabama’s NCAA Woman of the Year her senior year. She is a Worship Leader in Gulf Breeze, FL.
Ted is currently an assistant football coach at Centre Middle School and a substitute teacher for the middle school. He and Marilyn are actively involved with Celebrate Recovery and love living in and being citizens of Cherokee County, Alabama.
