MAR-NC-162 Iredell Composite Squadron NCO Advisor
Billy Tharpe joined the North Carolina Army National Guard in March of 1989. After completion of 19d Cavalry Scout One Station unit training he was assigned to HHC 2/120th Infantry as a Scout Driver and Tow gunner.
In 1991 he transferred to active duty. Upon completion of Airborne school, he was assigned to A Troop 1/17th Cavalry, 82nd Airborne Division Ft Bragg NC as a Scout, Scout driver and Gunner. In 1994 he attended Infantry school at FT Benning Ga and was later assigned to F Company 51st INF (Long Range Surveillance Company) (Airborne) 525 MI Brigade as a RTO and Senior Scout.
Over two years later he returned to the 82nd Airborne Division and was assigned to A Company 1/325 AIR as a Team leader and Squad Leader. In 1999 he was selected to serve as a Drill SGT and was assigned to A Company 2/19 Infantry, ITB Ft Benning GA for a period of three years.
After completion of Drill Sergeant duty he returned to 82nd Airborne Division to serve as a Squad Leader and deployed to Afghanistan with B Company 3/504 PIR. In 2004 he moved to HHC 82nd Airborne Division to serve as the Division Tasking NCO and later the NCOIC for the G3 Section.
In 2007, three months after completion of Ranger school he joined HHC in Afghanistan and served as the Theater Force Protection NCOIC. While in Afghanistan, he deployed to over 20 Forward operating bases and Combat outposts over a nine month period.
Upon return to the United States in 2008, he was selected to serve as an Army Ranger Instructor with the 6th Ranger Training Battalion at Eglin Air Force base for four years. Upon completion of his tour at RTB he returned to FT Bragg in 2012.
Upon Arrival to FT Bragg he was once again assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division where he served as a Platoon Sergeant and First Sergeant with D Company 2/504 PIR regiment. Following his third and final Afghanistan deployment and almost 25 years active duty service, he submitted his retirement request and retired in Feb 2016.
Since retirement he is making up lost time with his family and currently a member of the Civil Air Patrol since December 2021.
