Brian Adel of Summerset was promoted to the rank of chief warrant officer five (CW5) in the South Dakota Army National Guard’s Joint Force Headquarters on Camp Rapid during a ceremony held on June 14, 2024.
Adel was recently assigned as the new SDNG Command Chief Warrant Officer (CCWO), replacing Chief Warrant Officer 5 Wayne Walker who is transitioning into retirement. The Command Chief Warrant Officer is responsible for advising the Adjutant General on topics that impact the Warrant Officer Corps, providing leadership and mentoring to warrant officers, and recruiting Soldiers to become warrant officers for various career fields.
“I’d like to thank Maj. Gen. Morrell and Brig. Gen. Dailey for this opportunity. I am humbled by this selection and will do my best to meet their expectations,” stated Adel. “My biggest goal as CCWO is to fill our warrant officer vacancies and I am looking forward to gathering new ideas from the warrant officer across the state and working to implement those ideas.”
Col. Corey Norris, Director of Human Resources, was the emcee for the promotion ceremony. Norris stated, “Brian is a man who is deeply connected with his family. He is a humble, servant leader that does not seek the spotlight.”
Adel started his military career in March 1986 with the 137th Engineer Battalion in Wagner, SD. He began his full-time career with the SDNG in 1991 was pinned as a warrant officer in April 2007. Adel has held several key technical positions during his warrant officer career and is currently assigned as the full-time Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) Manager in the Human Resources Office.
Adel has deployed to Iraq with the 200th Engineer Company in 2003-2004 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Adel lives in Summerset with his wife, Theresa, and daughters, Brooke and Jennifer.
