Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Austin Pearce | U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Thomas Croymans, assistant adjutant general for the South Dakota...... read more read more
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Brig. Gen. Thomas Croymans, of Aberdeen, retired from the South Dakota Army National Guard after more than 43 years of military service to his community, state and nation.
Croymans retired as the Army assistant adjutant general and held numerous key leadership positions throughout his career.
Croymans served as the assistant adjutant from May 1, 2018 – April 30, 2019, and was responsible for strategic planning, strength management, troop readiness and mobilization support for the state’s nearly 3,200 Army National Guard Soldiers.
He was honored for his service during a retirement ceremony at Joint Force Headquarters on Camp Rapid, May 4.
“To all the members of the South Dakota Army National Guard, I can’t tell you how proud I am for the tremendous work you do; you’ve earned a reputation for excellence not only here in the United States, but around the world, and rightfully so,” said Croymans. “For me personally, I couldn’t ask for anything more than to have the opportunity to be a part of all the good things this organization does.”
His military career began in October 1975, enlisting in the 740th Transportation Company in Milbank; he spent the first 14 years of his career as an enlisted Soldier, attaining the rank of staff sergeant.
He received his commission as a second lieutenant through the South Dakota Military Academy Officer Candidate School program in December 1989, branching as a transportation officer.
“I had some personal conflicts and setbacks in my career that really made me think I was close to the end, so I had to make some difficult decisions about whether I wanted to stay in the military,” said Croymans. “I hung in there, though, worked hard and was able to make it through OCS to receive my commission.”
Croymans held numerous command and staff positions within the 1742nd Transportation Company, 88th Troop Command, 139th Brigade Support Battalion and 109th Regional Support Group. He also served as the land component commander, chief of staff and director of the joint staff for Joint Force Headquarters in Rapid City.
“His dedication to this organization is on a level that’s simply unheard of,” said Maj. Gen. Tim Reisch, adjutant general for the SDNG. “He served for over four decades and leaves us leading the finest Army National Guard state in the nation.”
Croymans holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from South Dakota State University and a Masters in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. In his civilian career, he is the regional roads engineer for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Great Plains Region.
| Date Taken: | 05.06.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 05.09.2019 09:31 |
| Story ID: | 321577 |
| Location: | RAPID CITY, SD, US |
| Web Views: | 101 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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