Brigadier General Dawn M. Johnson serves as the Commanding General of the 143d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) headquartered in Orlando, Florida. BG Johnson is responsible for sustainment operations and the oversight of manning, equipping, and training four subordinate O6-level Army Reserve commands covering 10 states and consisting of over 8,000 Soldiers and Civilians.
A graduate of Wichita State University with a Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership, her military and civilian education includes the National Security Management Course at Syracuse University, a Master’s degree in National Security Resource Strategy from the National Defense University Eisenhower School, Washington D.C., a Master’s degree from Wichita State University in Educational Administration, and a Bachelor’s degree in English.
Prior to her role as the Commanding General of the 143d ESC, BG Johnson served as the Chief of Staff for the 451st Sustainment Command (Exp) in Wichita, Kansas. She previously served as the Commander of the 300th Sustainment Brigade in Grand Prairie, Texas, where she was responsible for manning, equipping, and training logistic and human resource formations. Prior to brigade command, BG Johnson served as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Training (G37) in the 377th Theater Sustainment Command (TSC) in New Orleans, Louisiana. She also served as the Commander of the 336 Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (CSSB) in Buckey, Arizona.
BG Johnson’s foreign service is highlighted by deployments to Iraq and Kuwait for Operation New Dawn/Iraqi Freedom, while assigned to the 77th Sustainment Brigade and 310th Sustainment Command (Exp). She has also served in Guantanamo Bay Cuba for Operation Enduring Freedom as a military police officer, and she served in Germany for Operation Enduring Freedom as a non-commissioned officer.
BG Johnson has spent thirty years as a public educator in Kansas serving as an English teacher, principal, assistant superintendent for curriculum and human resources, and superintendent. Since July 2022, BG Johnson has been serving as the Superintendent of Schools for Hutchinson Public Schools, Hutchinson, Kansas, serving over 4,000 students.
BG Johnson’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with one Silver Oak Leaf Cluster and two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Commendation Medal one Silver Oak Leaf Cluster and one Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Good Conduct Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal with Silver Oak Leaf Cluster and 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, Nation Defense Service Medal with one Bronze Service Star, Iraq Campaign Medal with one Bronze Service Star, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal with one Bronze Service Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Service, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Gold Hourglass and “M” Device and Numeral 2, Army Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon with Numeral 3, Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon, NATO Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Army Superior Unit Award with two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters.