Napoliello distinguished himself in a 28-year Army career, serving around the globe and retiring as a colonel. After commissioning, he served in Vietnam as a field artilleryman, participating in over a dozen operations and flying 152 combat missions. His career took him to 35 assignments in the U.S., Germany, Syria, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt. As a United Nations observer in Sinai and the Golan Heights, he shared in the 1988 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to UN Peace-Keeping Forces. Besides command and staff assignments, he was program manager for the $12 billion Advanced Field Artillery System, with responsibilities in both research and development. He received over 30 decorations and awards, including the Army’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service Medal. In retirement, he worked in the defense industry, served with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, and was active in Native American veterans affairs.