SSG Eric Timothy Lawson

Staff Sergeant Eric T. Lawson Sr. was born in Birmingham, Alabama and raised in Stockbridge, Georgia. He enlisted in the United States Army on July 27, 2001. SSG Lawson attended Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina and Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Fort Eustis, Virginia where he received his Military Occupational Specialty training to become a Transportation Cargo Specialist (88H).

SSG Lawson’s previous assignments included: 21st Cargo Transfer Company, Fort Lewis, Washington; 1st Inland Cargo Transportation Company, Kaiserlautern, Germany; 611th Seaport Operations Company, 149th Seaport Operations Company and the 359th Inland Cargo Transfer Company, 10th Transportation Battalion, 7th Sustainment Brigade at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia.

SSG Lawson served four combat tours: Operation Enduring Freedom 2002-2003; Operation Enduring Freedom 2006-2007; Operation Iraqi Freedom 2009-2010, and most recently Operation Enduring Freedom 2012-2013 where he served as a Mission Commander for the Night-Riders’ Convoy Escort Team and Assistant Truck Master with the 359th Inland Cargo Transfer Company Operations Team.

During his tenure in the United States Army, SSG Lawson was awarded the following decorations: The Bronze Star Medal, The Purple Heart, the Combat Action Badge, Army Commendation Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Good Conduct Medal with two knots, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon with numeral five, Army Service Ribbon, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the NATO International Security Assistance Force Medal, and the Drivers/Mechanics Badge, Drivers/Wheeled Vehicle Badge.

SSG Lawson is survived by his wife Rashanna Lawson; son Eric T. Lawson Jr (EJ), and stepdaughter Le’Shanna Wortham; his mother Natalee Edge; his father Timothy Rozell, and siblings: Kelvin Lawson, Victoria Freeman and Ashley Hurd.