[1] Upon assignment to the Field Artillery branch, Bigelow spent several years as battery officer at Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont, and at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

Following his recovery from tuberculosis at Fitzsimmons Army Hospital in Denver, he attended the Field Artillery School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and graduated from it in 1937.

Next, he became the Officer-in-Charge of the West Point Preparatory School at III Corps Headquarters, Fort McPherson, Georgia.

Following an assignment with the XVIth Corps at Fort Riley, Kansas in December 1943, he served as the Assistant Ordnance officer at headquarters, Second Army in Memphis, Tennessee from June until August 1944.

He culminated his service overseas in April 1947, when he was named Chief Ordnance Officer, Headquarters, Mediterranean Theater.

Following graduation from the Army War College in 1951, Bigelow was assigned to the Field Service Division at Aberdeen Proving Ground.

However, Bigelow's tenure lasted only two months due to the reorganization of the army logistical functions as directed by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and the recommendations of Project 80, also known as the Hoelscher Committee Report.