LTC Horton graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Management, and was commissioned into the Corps of Engineers. He served from 1990 to 1994 in the 588th Engineer Battalion (Corps)(Combat) as a Platoon Leader, Company Executive Officer and Assistant Operations Officer. Places of duty during this time included Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq during Operation Desert Storm in support of the 1st Infantry Division (Mech), as well as Fort Polk, LA and a Base Realignment move to Fort Hood, TX with the 2nd Armored Division.
After completing the Engineer Officer Advanced Course, he was assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division in Korea with the 44th Engineer Battalion (Mech) from 1995 to 1997. He served as the Battalion Maintenance Officer and then as the Alpha Company Commander.
Post-command assignments from 1997 to 2004 included assignments as Observer Controller/Trainer, Assistant Operations Officer, and Deputy Division Inspector General with the 75th Division (Training Support) in Houston, Texas, as well as a Construction Engineer for explosive testing with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) at Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque, NM. While in New Mexico, he completed a Masters of Business Administration in the Anderson Schools of Management Executive MBA program at the University of New Mexico.
From 2004-2008 LTC Horton served with the 10th Mountain Division (Light) as the Deputy Division Engineer, Division Engineer, and OIC of the Fort Drum IED Defeat Center of Excellence. This assignment included a one year deployment to Afghanistan when the 10th Mountain Division (Light) served as the Combined Joint Task Force-76 Headquarters.
LTC Horton moved to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii in 2008 to serve as the 130th Engineer Brigade Executive Officer and then as the Deputy Brigade Commander. This assignment saw the stand-up of the 130th Engineer Brigade in Hawaii (moved from Germany), the deployment of Brigade to Northern Iraq (Mosul) for a year, and the return and reset of the Brigade. LTC Horton currently serves as the Deputy District Commander for the US Army Corps of Engineers Japan District at Camp Zama, Japan.
His military education includes the Engineer Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Inspector General Course, Combined Arms Services Staff School, and Command and General Staff College.
He has been awarded the Bronze Star Medal (w/1 Oak Leaf Cluster), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (w/1 Oak Leaf Cluster), Army Commendation Medal (w/4 Oak Leaf Clusters), Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation, National Defense Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal (w/3 Bronze Stars), Humanitarian Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (3), Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia), and the Parachutist Badge.