COL Richard P. Taylor was commissioned as an infantry officer in December 2000 and was a distinguished military graduate from Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville. After commissioning, COL Taylor successfully completed the Infantry Officer Basic Course and the U.S. Army Ranger School. COL Taylor was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), 82nd Airborne Division as a rifle platoon leader and subsequently the battalion support and transportation platoon leader. COL Taylor next served as a rifle platoon leader in B Co, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment and then the Executive Officer for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. After service in the Ranger Regiment, COL Taylor successfully completed the Infantry Captain's Career Course and was then assigned as the Assistant Operations Officer to 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division and later as Commander, Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry. COL Taylor was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment as the assistant liaison officer and later as Commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Company. COL Taylor was assigned to the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, KS, where he earned his M.S. in Global Leadership from Central Michigan University. COL Taylor was next assigned to 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division as the Battalion Operations Officer and later Battalion Executive Officer. COL Taylor then served as the Operations Officer for the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division.

COL Taylor was selected to serve as the Aide-de-Camp and later Executive Officer for the 1st Army Commanding General. COL Taylor served as the Executive Officer to the Commanding General of Special Operations Joint Task Force - Afghanistan. COL Taylor was selected to serve as the commander of 1st Battalion, 504th PIR, 82nd Airborne Division from January of 2017 – January of 2019. In May of 2019, COL Taylor assumed command of 1st Battalion, 1st SFAB. After command in 1st BN, 1st SFAB, COL Taylor was selected to serve as the 1st SFAB DCO. In June of 2022, COL Taylor earned a master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. COL Taylor took command of the 3rd BCT, 82nd Airborne Division in Poland in May of 2022 and successfully completed command in March of 2024. After BCT command, COL Taylor deployed to Jordan and served as the JSOC, forward J3. COL Taylor currently serves as the Commander, Operations Group at the Joint Readiness Training Center in Fort Johnson, LA.

COL Taylor’s awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star (with 4 OLC), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (with 5 OLC), the Joint Service
Commendation Medal w/ C Device (2 OLC), the Army Commendation Medal (with 3 OLC), the Army Achievement Medal (with 1 OLC), the Joint Meritorious Unit Award (with 1 OLC), the Valorous Unit Award, the Meritorious Unit Citation, the Expert Infantryman’s Badge, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Ranger Tab, the and the Master Parachutist Badge. COL Taylor has a total of 72 months of deployed time. COL Taylor has deployed to Afghanistan nine times, Iraq twice, Poland, Tunisia, Jordan, and has numerous other worldwide deployments. COL Taylor is a native of Aurora, IL and is married to MAJ Nelly Taylor. The dual military couple have four children, Jordan (16), Alexa (12), Jack (7), and RJ (2).