Photo By Staff Sgt. Brian Calhoun | Maj. Gen. Robert E. Livingston Jr. (far left), the adjutant general of South Carolina...... read more read more
EASTOVER, S.C. — Warrant officers are known as the “quiet professionals,” as they often go about their work without a lot of fanfare but are frequently looked upon by officers and enlisted soldiers alike as the subject matter experts in their career fields. Perfectly illustrating that quiet professionalism and dedication to duty were the four soldiers of the 2014 induction class into the South Carolina National Guard Warrant Officer Hall of Fame, as they were honored March 2, 2014, at McCrady Training Center.
Chief Warrant Officer 5 (Ret.) Charles R. Collins (posthumous), Chief Warrant Officer 5 (Ret.) Ralph I. Prickett, Chief Warrant Officer 5 (Ret.) Gerald G. Smith and Chief Warrant Officer 5 (Ret.) Louis B. Wilson Jr. were inducted for their outstanding achievements and service to the South Carolina National Guard. They join an elite class of 24 warrant officers currently in the Hall of Fame.
A native of Central, S.C., Collins enlisted in the Guard in 1954 and was appointed as a warrant officer in 1979. During his tenure as a Food Service warrant officer, Collins served on the State Installation menu board for 21 years and served as chairman for seven years.
He also served on the S.C.N.G. Philip A. Connelly state awards evaluation team for 21 years. Collins retired in 1999, following more than 45 years of service and outstanding accomplishments in food service for the S.C.N.G. He passed away in January 2011.
“Speaking on behalf of my father, our family is incredibly humbled by this honor,” said Collins’ son, Lt. Col. Marion Collins, current commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd Battalion, 263rd Air Defense Artillery in Anderson, S.C.
Prickett enlisted in the Army in 1981 and was appointed as a warrant officer in 1985. Throughout his career, Prickett distinguished himself by providing guidance and technical support to not only his unit, but other units as well, deploying many times to ensure that quality communication systems were available for units.
He was regarded as the “go to” person in tactical communications for the S.C.N.G, National Guard Bureau and Third Army with his honesty, integrity and outstanding technical competence.
Like his fellow inductees, Wilson had a long and fulfilling career as a warrant officer after joining the Army in 1966. He spent much of his career in the aviation community after joining the S.C.N.G. in 1980 and was assigned to Troop D 1 Squadron 101 Cavalry as a rotary wing pilot. Approaching the culmination of his military career in 2004, Wilson served as the command chief warrant officer (CCWO) for the South Carolina National Guard.
He reported directly to the adjutant general as the TAG’s primary advisor for Warrant Officers. During his tenure, he was highly instrumental in the development of the Warrant Officer Candidate Course (WOC) at MTC.
“My father was a medic in World War II and that influenced my military career,” said Wilson. “Thank you for this honor. I am very proud.”
Smith is a native of Sumter, S.C., and joined the Guard in 1970. Smith served over 33 years and during his tenure; he held numerous positions which were vital to the success of the S.C.N.G. He served at every level, culminating at the Office of the Adjutant General.
He served as the Enlisted Personnel Manager for many years. In this position, he was responsible for all actions which governed the careers of the enlisted soldiers of the S.C.N.G., to include promotions, military education and reductions. He retired in 2003 with over 21 years in the warrant officer corps.
“Today is a dedication to these fine people for their careers. They are the cream of the crop,” said Maj. Gen. Robert E. Livingston Jr., the adjutant general of South Carolina. “It is an honor to be in the presence of these outstanding soldiers and their families.”
| Date Taken: | 03.02.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 03.04.2014 15:48 |
| Story ID: | 121494 |
| Location: | EASTOVER, SC, US |
| Web Views: | 272 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, SC Guard inducts four into Warrant Officer Hall of Fame, by SFC Joe Cashion, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT