Jean Downs served in Desert Storm, Desert Shield
MADISON – Jean Downs first entered military service while still in high school. “I joined the Army in December 1982 in Milwaukee, Wis. I retired in Huntsville at the rank of Major,” she said.
Downs attended Basic Training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C. A ROTC cadet at the University of Wisconsin, she was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant and graduated in 1986 as Distinguished Military. Downs then completed Signal Officers Basic Course at Fort Gordon, Ga.
Downs’ first Active Duty assignment was to 13th Signal Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. She worked as Platoon Leader, Company Executive Officer, Battalion Maintenance Officer and Battalion S-4 (Logistics Officer).
“I deployed to Saudi Arabia with 1st Cavalry Division in support of Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield,” Down said. “After eight years at Fort Hood, I branch transferred to Quartermaster and attended Advanced Officers Course at Fort Lee, Va., moved to Fort Monroe, Hampton, Va. with 329th Corps Support Group and served with S-1 (Personnel Officer) and S-3 (Training Officer).”
In numerous rotations, Downs served at National Training Center, Fort Erwin, Calif. and several sites in Central America. She attended Combined Arms Services Staff School and Command and General Staff College.
“After I started a family, I transferred to the U.S. Army Reserve to finish my service with Corps of Engineers,” Downs said.
Downs received Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (Oak Leaf Cluster), Presidential Unit Citation, multiple Army Commendation and Achievement Medals and Parachutist’s Badge.
Her last duty station ran four years on Redstone Arsenal. She started working on Ground Based Midcourse Defense and moved to Madison in 2000.
Downs grew up Nekoosa, Wis., population 2,000. She earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Wisconsin. She is a certified Project Management Professional or PMP.
At Teledyne Brown Engineering, she works as Program Manager for a Navy Unmanned Underwater Vehicle program and as Director of Proposal Management Center.
Her husband Jeff is Vice President of Operations at Nex-Tek Inc. in Madison. Their son Brent Downs graduated from the University of Mississippi and is a mechanical engineer in Memphis. Son Brian Dinnell is studying geological engineering at Ole Miss. An Auburn graduate, Haley Downs is pursuing a master’s degree in occupational therapy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
D.J. Lorbecke Jr., nephew and family member, is studying mechanical engineering at Ole Miss. At Liberty Middle School, Mary Downs is an eighth-grader. and Olivia Downs is a seventh-grader.
Jean Downs belongs to American Legion Post 229 in Madison, leads Girl Scout Troop 926 and frequently helps with community projects. She supports James Clemens JROTC and Downtown Rescue Mission.
She is caretaker of a Girl Scout camp on Lake Guntersville, teaches outdoor skills to Girl Scouts and leaders, boats on the Tennessee River and attends Ole Miss football games.
