Colonel (Ret) Carmen A. Venticinque
Biography
Colonel Venticinque is a Board Member and Trustee for New Jersey Friends of the Guard and Reserve (NJFOGR), a non-profit organization that supports members of the Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces and the New Jersey National Guard and their families and works in close co-operation with the New Jersey Committee for the Support of the Guard and Reserve (NJESGR), a sub-committee of the National Committee for the Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). ESGR is an Agency within the Department of Defense.
Colonel Venticinque was born in Brooklyn, NY on Aug 6, 1937. He graduated from Bloomfield Technical and Vocational School, Bloomfield, NJ in 1955. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Liberal Studies from the University of the State of New York in 1989. His military education includes the Air Defense Officer Basic Course, Armor Officer Basic Course, Armor Officer Advance Course, US Army Command & General Staff College, National Security Management Course and the US Army War College.
Colonel Venticinque began his military career on September 12, 1955 by enlisting in the New Jersey Army National Guard. In 1962, he graduated from the New Jersey Army National Guard State Officer Candidate School, and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant, Air Defense Artillery. After receiving his commission, Colonel Venticinque served in a variety of positions at the Company, Battalion, Brigade and Division levels. His assignments included Assistant Chief of Staff G3 and Chief of Staff of the 50th Armored Division, Plans Operations and Training Officer and Chief of Staff of the HQ State Area Command (STARC), NJARNG. His last military assignment prior to his retirement from the National Guard in June 1992, was that of Assistant Division Commander of the 50th Armored Division.
Colonel Venticinque was employed as a full-time Army Technician for the New Jersey National Guard for over thirty years. The positions he has held included Platoon Leader, Nike Hercules Battery; Administrative and Training Officer at Battalion, Brigade and Division level. In his last assignment as the Command Administrative Officer (Chief of Staff) he was considered to be the senior Army National Guard Federal Technician in the New Jersey Army National Guard. He retired from Federal Service in November 1991.
After his retirement from federal service Colonel Venticinque was employed by the State of New Jersey serving in various management functions within the Department of the Treasury. He returned to the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs on July 5, 1997, where he served as Principal Staff Officer whose duties included special projects specified by the Adjutant General. He retired from state service on 1 September 2002.
In February, 2005, he was named as the Executive Director of the New Jersey Tooling & Manufacturing Association, and served in that capacity until June of 2010.
Colonel Venticinque also has served as a volunteer member of the New Jersey Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve NJESGR) since 1977 when he was appointed as the Executive Director. On October 1, 2007, he was appointed as the State Chair where he served until September 30, 2011. In recognition of his service to NJESGR, he was awarded The Office of The Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service and a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition.
From May, 2012 until December 2014, he served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Friends of the Guard and Reserve, a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to support the over 19,000 members of New Jersey's National Guard and Reserve units, their families and their employers by providing financial support and recognition to organizations which promote cooperation and understanding between Reserve between Reserve Component Service members and their civilian employers.
His military awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Army Service Ribbon, the Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon, and the New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal.
He is a member of the National Guard Association of New Jersey, the 5/117th Cavalry Association, the United States Armor Association and the Military Officers Association of the United States.
He is married to the former Merilee Fritz of Valparaiso, Indiana. The Venticinques reside in Barnegat, New Jersey and have three children and five grandchildren.