During his tour of duty in Vietnam, John Corder flew 250 combat hours including 100 missions over North Vietnam. Earning the Air Force cross for actions on February 8, 1968, Major Larry Armstrong, Captain Tracey Dorsett and First Lieutenant James Hall also received the Air Force Cross for the same mission. Following his Vietnam War service John Corder earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska (1970) and a master’s degree in business administration from Auburn University (1971). During the Persian Gulf War in 1991, as Deputy Commander for Operations for the Central Command Air Forces in the Persian Gulf, he was responsible for the planning and execution of 2,500 to 3,000 sorties per day during Operation DESERT STORM. He retired as an Air Force Major General with more than 4,500 flying hours, on September 1, 1992.