Debbie Little

Debbie Little, 67, of Newville, PA left this world on May 22, 2026. She was born on November 14, 1958, in Green Bay, WI to Glenn and Juanita Ness. She is survived by her children, Valenice (William) Condrey and Rodney Jay (Zavia Pickford) Little, II, her brothers Scott (Nancy) Ness, Dale Ness, and her sister Sandra (Daryl) Hanauer, numerous nieces, nephews and fifteen awesome grandchildren. She lived a life marked by faith and service and will be remembered for her strength and tenacity. Debbie was an avid thrift shopper and used her expert “retail hunting” skills to acquire unique treasures for friends and family.

She served as an Academic Executive Officer at the US Army War College since November 2021 and was responsible for departmental administrative functions. Previously, Debbie was developed military advice for senior DoD leaders and advised the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the implementation of the Chemical and Biological Weapons Conventions. She deployed as a DoD Expeditionary Civilian to Afghanistan in support of Resolute Support (RS) October 2018 through June 2021, and served as the HQ RS Base Defense Operations Center Supervisor and Regional Support Group Director of Operations.

Debbie retired from the Army as a Colonel in July 2010 and served in a variety of command and staff positions, from the tactical to the strategic level in joint, combined and interagency environments. She served as a Northeast Asia Foreign Area Officer, a Chemical Corps Officer and an Air Defense Artillery Officer. She also held the distinction of being the first female military officer to graduate from the Japanese Senior Service College.

She served from 2004-2006 as the J-5 Northeast Asia Division Chief for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and developed military advice for senior DoD leaders involving China, Japan, Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula and Mongolia. As Director of Asian Studies at the US Army War College from 2000-2004, she authored and taught core curriculum lessons as well as the Asia-Pacific Regional Strategic Appraisal Course. She taught several electives on national security strategy, and was awarded an Associate Professorship at Dickinson College, in Carlisle, PA.

Debbie held a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from the University of Wisconsin and a Masters of Arts in National Security Affairs and Asian Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School. She owned and operated the Iron Run Lodge & Retreat Center, in Newville, PA.

A funeral mass will be held Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at 11:00 AM in the St. Patrick Shrine Church, 152 East Pomfret Street, Carlisle, PA 17013 and burial will take place at 1:00 PM in the St. Patrick Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider Donating to St. Patrick Catholic church and request a MASS to be said for Debbie Little. Arrangements are being handled by Hollinger Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc., Mt. Holly Springs.