Adjutant General for the Virgin Islands National Guard (VING) Brigadier General (VI) Deborah Y. Howell will host a retirement ceremony for her State Command Sgt. Maj. Delores English-Edwards after 40 years of military service. The event will take place at 11 a.m., Friday, Jan. 13, at the Joint Force Headquarters Drill Hall, Estate Bethlehem, St. Croix.
Command Sgt. Maj. Edwards is a 1975 graduate of St. Croix Central High School. She joined VING on July 14, 1976. She attended basic combat training at Fort Jackson, S.C., completed training as a personnel administrative specialist at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Ind., and returned to VING to serve as administrative clerk for the Military Police Company on St. Croix.
In her 40 years of military service, English-Edwards has served in positions in various units and departments. She served as assistant operations sergeant, personnel information system management supervisor, personnel staff NCO, operations sergeant major, and she served as the Army VING guidance counselor at the San Juan Military Processing Station (aka MEPS).
In April 2013, she was appointed as the state command sergeant major for VING, the highest level of enlisted leadership. English-Edwards has an associate’s degree in business administration and is enrolled in the bachelor’s degree program at Ashford University, majoring in organizational management. Throughout her career, she attended seven military education schools including the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy at Fort Bliss, Texas.
During her 40 years of honorable military service, she has aspired to and elevated up the ranks of the non-commissioned officer corps. Her awards and decorations are numerous and include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal and National Defense Service Medal.