US Army Ret. Colonel Kenneth A. Deutsch

Ret. Kenneth A. Deutsch ObituaryObituary published on Legacy.com by Adcock Funeral Home - Spring Lake on Mar. 9, 2026.Colonel (Ret.) Kenneth A. Deutsch of Fayetteville passed away on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at his home.He was born on October 10, 1948, in Nashua, N.H., to Lillian Cloutier. He was predeceased by his sister, Linda, brother, Gregory, and son, Kenneth. Col. (Ret.) Deutsch retired from the Army after nearly 30 years on active duty, starting out as a private, then earning his Corporal stripes before going to Officer Candidate School. During his career, he served as a rifle platoon leader in the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam, followed by service in positions of increasing responsibility in the 82nd Airborne Division, the 25th Infantry Division, and other units, culminating in battalion command. During his last five years in the Army, Deutsch served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, where he was the Director of a unit that developed strategies that spearheaded force management and budgetary initiatives and policies for three Secretaries of Defense.In addition to his military service, Deutsch was also an accomplished writer who wrote numerous speeches, testimony, issue papers, and reports for the White House and Congress. After his Army retirement, Deutsch served in high-profile positions at the American Red Cross, where he drafted speeches and white papers that helped to revitalize the organization, particularly its disaster services. Col. (Ret.) Deutsch was an honor graduate of the Command & General Staff College and the Army War College. His civilian education included a Bachelor's Degree, summa cum laude, from Campbell University. He also had a Master's degree in business from Webster University and graduated from an executive program at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. His military decorations included the Defense Distinguished Service Medal (the military's highest peacetime award), the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, five Meritorious Service Medals, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, and the Senior Parachutist Badge. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Kidney Association in his memory.To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.