He is best known as a logistics officer par excellence who served in Army, multi-Service and multi-National organizations in Europe, Asia and the United States.
MELBOURNE, FL, August 03, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to name Joseph Samuel Laposata a Lifetime Achiever. An accomplished listee, Mr. Laposata celebrates many years' experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
General Laposata is a career Army officer who rose to the rank of lieutenant general. He is best known as a logistics officer par excellence who served in Army, multi-Service and multi-National organizations in Europe, Asia and the United States.
Born to Joseph and Mary Laposata in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, General Laposata began working in the family barber shop at age 10 as a janitor. Promoted at age 12 to shoe shine boy and at age 14 to apprentice barber, he was a licensed barber at age 16 and worked in the barber shop at every opportunity to expand his "college savings fund." He also played an accordian in a polka band. Notably, he paid every penny of his four year college tuition from his savings. General Laposata attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania studying Biology, Chemistry and Physics. He matriculated in 1960 earning a bachelor's degree and was designated a Distinguished Military Graduate in ROTC. Commissioned in the Regular Army, he was an infantry officer and a parachutist. After two years in the 2nd Infantry Brigade (Separate), General Laposata was transferred to the Quartermaster Corps with a specialty as a parachute rigger and airborne supply. His first quartermaster job was in the parachute rigger company supporting the Airborne Brigade of the 8th Infantry Division in Europe.
General Laposata matriculated from Cornell University in 1968 with a Master of Science degree in agricultural economics. He then served as a logistics battalion executive officer with the 25th Infantry Division in Vietnam. He graduated from the Command and General Staff College in Leavenworth, Kansas, with honors in 1971 and from the Defense System Management College at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, in 1974 with a Department of Defense sponsored "Excellence in Writing" award.
General Laposata commanded the 5th Infantry's Division's Supply and Transport Battalion in 1976 and in 1978 he served as the Division's assistant chief of staff for logistics. He attended the War College at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in Washington, DC. Upon graduation in 1980 he was assigned to the office of the Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics in the Pentagon. In 1981 he was reassigned as Commander of the 8th Support Group in Livorno, Italy, and later served as Chief of Staff and Deputy Commander of the Southern European Task Force in Vicenza, Italy.
General Laposata was then assigned as the Executive to the Army's chief logistician in the Pentagon and was promoted to brigadier general in 1985. Staying on the Army Staff, he served as the Director of Logistic Plans and Operations for the US Army. He was reassigned as the Commanding General of the Army Materiel Command, Europe and promoted to major general in 1988 to serve as Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics for the Army in Europe and concurrently as the assistant chief of staff for logistics of Seventh Army. Promoted to lieutenant general in 1991, his final assignment was as the Chief of Staff of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Allied Forces Southern Europe Command located in Naples, Italy. He retired from the Army in 1993 after 33 years of service.
Following his retirement from the Army, General Laposata became a presidential appointee as Secretary, American Battle Monuments Commission in Washington, DC from 1994 to 1995. Concurrently he held a position with the accrediting commission of the Distance Education and Training Council until 1996. General Laposata then served in a North Atlantic Treaty Organization diplomatic post while occupying the position of Deputy General Manager and Director, Programs and Plans of NATO's Maintenance and Supply Agency for three years in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Returning to the United States he lectured at the Florida Institute of Technology ROTC program for five years. He also served as a trustee at Excelsior College in Albany, New York, for three years.
General Laposata has an affiliation with Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and Tau Kappa Epsilon social fraternity. He was President of the Association of the United States Army in Europe as well as served as an AUSA Trustee in Arlington, Virginia. General and Mrs. Laposata are Distinguished Sponsors of the Quartermaster Foundation, which manages the highly acclaimed Army Quartermaster Museum at Fort Lee, Virginia. They also have established scholarships at Excelsior College in Albany, New York for "Spouses of Enlisted Military Personnel" and at Indiana University of Pennsylvania for Foreign Language Studies. He is also a published author. His book is titled It's All About Choices and it is a compendium of 22 short stories focused on insights into the gift of talent and the development of an ethical and moral character.
General Laposata has been highly decorated for his service. His awards include The Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal, two Army Distinguished Service Medals, three Legions of Merit, two Bronze Stars, four Meritorious Service Medals, the Air Medal, three Army Commendation Medals and one award of the Navy Commendation Medal. He has also received the NAMSA Medal for Distinguished Service and the American Battle Monuments Commission Medal for Meritorious Service. He has served three years as the Honorary Colonel of the Quartermaster Regiment, has been inducted into the Quartermaster Hall of Fame and was chosen to be a member of the prestigious Ancient Order of Saint Martin, the Patron Saint of the Quartermaster Corps.
The Senate of the State of Pennsylvania has awarded General Laposata entry into the Cambria County Military Hall of Fame in 2012. The city of Johnstown, Pennsylvania honored him as Man of the Year in 1990. General Laposata has been designated a Distinguished Alumnus of Indiana University of Pennsylvania and he has also been inducted into the Indiana University of Pennsylvania ROTC Hall of Fame. Notably, the President of the Republic of Italy decorated General Laposata as a Knight Commander (Commendatore) of the Republic of Italy.
He was selected for inclusion in numerous volumes of Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the South and Southwest and Who's Who in the World. General Laposata married Anita Louise Sabo in 1961 and they have three sons: Joseph, David and Matthew as well as seven grandchildren. They have had the gift of a wire haired fox terrier and a Welsh terrier accompanying their family for a total of 25 years. General Laposata is a practicing Roman Catholic, enjoys golf and is an avid reader of history.
In recognition of outstanding contributions to his profession and the Marquis Who's Who community, Mr. Laposata has been featured on the Marquis Who's Who Lifetime Achievers website. Please visit www.ltachievers.com for more information about this honor.
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