Biography

12/10/1970 -

Brigadier General John R. Pippy (R37) Allegheny County (parts) and Washington County (parts) 2003-2012

Early Life: 

John R. Pippy, born December 10, 1970, Ubon, Ubon Ratchathani Province, Thailand; son of Jack and Pensri Pippy; graduated, Malden Catholic High School, Malden, Massachusetts, 1988; West Point Military Academy, B.S., environmental engineering, 1992; United States Army War College, M.A., strategic studies, 2017; Irish American University, Dublin, M.A., International Relations; married Katherine; daughter, Katelyn; elected, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Republican 1996-2003; elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 2003-2012; military career, Lieutenant Colonel, 2012, Colonel, 2018, Brigadier General approved, Pennsylvania State Senate June 15, 2021; Brigadier General approved, United States Government, May 1, 2022, Brigadier General, promotional ceremony, Fort Indiantown Gap, Annville, Pennsylvania May 14, 2022.

Professional titles; business ownership; board memberships; local government; club memberships:

Member, West Point Alumni Association.; Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem (Investiture 2004); Parkway West Rotary; Knights of Equity, Pittsburgh Airport Area, Peters Township, South Hills, SW Communities & Sewickley Chamber of Commerce; board member, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, GPC/BSA, University of Pittsburgh. Cancer Institute Council, Senator Heinz Historical Center, Penn State-Beaver Advancement Board.

Awards:

United States Decorations and Badges Bronze Star Medal; Defense Meritorious Service Medal (with C Device) Meritorious Service Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster); Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters); Army Meritorious Unit Commendation; Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters); National Defense Service Medal (with 1 Bronze Star); Humanitarian Service Medal; Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal; Armed Forces Reserve Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon; Combat Action Badge; Parachutist Badge

Pennsylvania Politics: 

Elected, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Republican 1996; re-elected, 1998; unopposed, 2000, 2002; resigned, March 24, 2003.

Elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, March 11, 2003-June 30, 2012; first Asian born Pennsylvania State Senator; elected, delegate, Republican National Convention, 2004; Chairman: Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee; Chairman Legislative Budget and Finance Committee; Vice Chairman: Law and Justice Committee; member: Appropriations, Banking and Insurance, Transportation and Game and Fisheries committees. Resigned state senate seat at 11:59 PM EDT on June 30, 2012, leaving the seat vacant until the election that November.

Names of any service after Senate –year(s):

United States Army (active duty, 1992-1995) ; Second Lieutenant May 30, 1992, November 1992- October 1993 Mechanized Combat Engineer Platoon Leader, B Company 20th Engineer Battalion (MECH), Fort Hood, Texas; November 1993 - September 1994 Assault and Obstacle Platoon Leader, C Company 20th Engineer Battalion (MECH), Fort Hood, Texas; First Lieutenant May 30, 1994, October 1994 - April 1995 Executive Officer, Headquarters and Headquarters Company 20th Engineer Battalion (MECH), Fort Hood, Texas; United States Army Reserves (1995-2004) May 1995 - March 1998 Detachment Commander, 316th (Prime Power) Detachment, Kittanning, Pennsylvania; Captain April 1, 1999, April 1998 - October 2001 Environmental Coordination Officer, Headquarters 99th Regional Support Command, Moon Township, Pennsylvania; November 2001 - December 2003 Commander, 332nd Engineer Company, 463rd Engineer Battalion, Kittanning, Pennsylvania and Camp Arifjan, Kuwait; January 2004 - May 2004 Engineer Officer, USAR Troop Program Unit, Kittanning, Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania Army National Guard (2004-present); June 2004 - October 2005 Facility Management Officer, Pennsylvania Joint Force Headquarters, Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania; Major March 8, 2006, November 2005 - September 2006 Plans Officer, Pennsylvania Joint Force Headquarters, Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania; October2006 - September 2009 Engineer, Facilities and Engineering, Pennsylvania Joint Force Headquarters, Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania; October 2009 - February 2011 Design Branch Chief, Facilities and Engineering, Pennsylvania Joint Force Headquarters, Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania; March 2011 - December 2011 Operations Officer, Headquarters 28th Infantry Division, Harrisburg Military Post, Pennsylvania; Lieutenant Colonel February 9, 2012, January 2012 - June 2012 Division Engineer, Headquarters 28th Infantry Division, Harrisburg Military Post, Pennsylvania; July 2012 - January 2013 Division G7/Chief of Protection, Headquarters 28th Infantry Division, Harrisburg Military Post, Pennsylvania; February 2013 - August 2014 Brigade Operations Officer, 2nd Infantry Brigade, 28th Infantry Division, Washington, Pennsylvania; September 2014 - July 2016 Commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Company Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade, Johnstown, Pennsylvania; August 2016 - June 2017 Senior Engineer Officer, Special Operations Joint Task Force – OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE (Syria), Arifjan, Kuwait; July 2017 - August 2018 Commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Company 876th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade, Johnstown, Pennsylvania; Colonel September 1, 2018, September 2018 - February 19 Construction Facilities Maintenance Officer, Pennsylvania Joint Force Headquarters, Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania; March 2019 - January 31, 2022; Commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Company 55th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Scranton, Pennsylvania; Brigadier General approved, Pennsylvania State Senate June 15, 2021; Congress: June 15, 2021 - Issue: Vol. 167, No. 104 — Daily Edition 117th Congress, 2021-2022, 1st Session page 54550; approved, United States Government, May 1, 2022, Brigadier General Dual-Hat, Pennsylavania Nation Guard Land Componet Commander Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania; Deputy Chief of Engineers for National Guard Affairs, Washington, D.C, May 1, 2022.

Pennsylvania House of Representatives Biography:

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/BiosHistory/MemBio.cfm?ID=59&body=H

Legacy:

Daughter, Katelyn had a recurring role on the television drama Army Wives; played, Cornell University Big Red women's ice hockey program.

Brigadier Generals who severed Pennsylvania State Senate, Brigadier General William Marks, 1819-1825; Brigadier General Henry Lloyd “Harry” White, 1862-1874; Brigadier General Joseph Washington Fisher, 1867-1868; Brigadier General John Kincaid Robison, 1869-1870; Brigadier General Harrison Allen, 1870-1872; Brigadier General Robert Porter Dechert, 1871-1872; Brigadier General Samuel McCartney Jackson 1875-1876; Brigadier General David B. McCreary 1889-1896; Brigadier General Horace Leander Haldeman 1917-1920.  

Cited:

Trostle, S. (Ed.). (2007). The Pennsylvania manual, 118. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, p. 3-21.