Brigadier General Ernest Brockman, Jr. retired from the service in the United States Army on 30 April 2005. Brigadier General Brockman is a Civil Engineering graduate of The Citadel, has attended numerous military courses and graduated from both the Command and General Staff College and the Army War College. Military assignments have run the gamut from Platoon Leader up through Brigade Commander. His last assignment was the Deputy Adjutant General, NC Army National Guard, Headquarters, State Area Command, Raleigh, North Carolina. As the Deputy Adjutant General, he was second in command of over 10,000 soldiers.

Brigadier General Brockman began active military service on 8 December 1967 as an enlisted soldier at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Upon completion of basic training and advanced individual training, Brigadier General Brockman entered the United States Army Engineer Officer Candidate School at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, graduating 6 December 1968 as an engineer officer. He served in Vietnam as platoon leader with the 577th Engineer Battalion until September 1970 when he was released from active duty to attend school. Brigadier General Brockman was appointed in the North Carolina Army National Guard on 3 August 1973. During his military service, Brigadier General Brockman received many awards including: Legion of Merit – (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal – (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal – (6), National Defense Service Medal (with 1 bronze star), Vietnam Service Medal (with 4 Bronze Stars), and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal. He also received the prestigious State of North Carolina Order of the Long Leaf Pine.

After retirement from Duke Energy as the System Hydro Engineer, Ernie became an Engineering Consultant with Devine Tarbell & Associates, Inc., Charlotte, North Carolina.