New York Army Guard welcomes new top warrant officer during Dec. 19 ceremony.
Brooklyn resident William Solmo, an Iraqi war veteran assumes role as Command Chief Warrant Officer
Latham, NY (12/19/2024) — Command Chief Warrant Officer 5 William Solmo, a Brooklyn resident and Iraq war veteran, became the top ranking warrant officer in the New York Army National Guard during a Thursday, Dec. 19 ceremony at New York National Guard headquarters in Latham.
Warrant officers are technical specialists who fall between non-commissioned officers, i.e. sergeants, and commissioned officers in the Army rank structure.
In his new role, Solmo will be responsible for recruiting new warrant officers and advancing the careers of the 253 warrant officers currently in the force.
He replaced Chief Warrant Officer 5 Mark Shumay, a Greenwich resident, who held the job for two years.
Shumay, an Army aviator, will return to full-time piloting duties.
The change of responsibility between the two men was symbolized by a ceremony in which a saber, representing the duties and responsibilities of the job, was passed from Shumway, to Shields, and then on to Solmo.
Prior to that, Solmo was promoted from chief warrant officer 4 to chief warrant officer 5.
Major General Ray Shields, the adjutant general of New York, praised Solmo as a first-rate leader with a great deal of experience.
Shields told Solmo his priority would be recruiting new warrant officers to fill the 314 positions the New York Army National Guard is authorized.
He also pointed out that out of the 11,369 Soldiers in the New York Army National Guard, there are only 16 positions for this highest warrant officer rank.
Shields thanked Shumway for his service and commended him for his work ethic and even temperament, despite the stresses of the job.
In his remarks, Solmo thanked Shields for placing him into the position. He vowed to work to recruit more warrant officers and help develop the force.
He also thanked his wife Colleen, for her support during the 26 years of their marriage.
Solmo enlisted in the New York Army National Guard in 1986 as light wheeled vehicle mechanic and served in infantry and armored units in that position. He first deployed in 1996 in support of the NATO peacekeeping mission in Bosnia as a member of the 133rd Maintenance Company.
He was appointed as a warrant officer in 2001, serving in the 69th Infantry Regiment. He responded to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and deployed to Iraq with the 69th Infantry in 2004-2005.
He served in a number of vehicle maintenance positions in the 53rd Troop Command and deployed to Djibouti with the 69th Infantry in 2022 and 2023.
Solmo is a graduate of a number of military schools and holds an associate's degree business administration from the Dominican College of Blauvelt.
His military awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Combat Action Badge, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the New York State Counterdrug Service Ribbon, and the NYS Defense of Liberty Medal with World Trade Center device.
Solmo is also the recipient of the Order of Saint Maurice, and the Ordnance Order of Samuel-Sharp awards. These awards recognize distinguished service in infantry units and ordnance units, respectively.
Solmo and his wife have two adult children.
Shumway began his military career as a warrant officer pilot flying the UH-1 "Huey" helicopter and the UH-60 Black Hawk with the 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He later served in Germany and deployed on peacekeeping missions to Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo.
In 2003, while serving in the 10th Mountain division, he deployed to Kuwait and Iraq.
Shumway joined the Pennsylvania Army National Guard in 2004 and transferred to the New York Army National Guard in 2005. He has held a variety of positions with the 3rd Battalion, 142nd Assault Aviation Battalion, and deployed with the battalion to Iraq in 2008-2009.
In 2013, he was assigned to the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade headquarters and deployed to Kuwait as the airfield manager at Udairi Army Airfield.
Shumay is a 1990 graduate of Virginia Tech and a 2017 graduate of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Professional Aeronautics.
Shumway's awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon, and the NATO Medal.
He holds the Master Army Aviator Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, and several state awards.
Shumway and his wife Suzanne reside in Greenwich, N.Y., and they have five children: Ryan, Melissa, James, Lynsey, and Leah. Lynsey and Leah both serve in the New York Army National Guard. Additionally, they have a growing group of grandchildren.
Media Attachments
Chief Warrant Officer 5 William Solmo, command chief warrant officer of the New York National Guard, receives a sabre from Brig. Gen. Raymond Shields, the adjutant general of New York, during a ceremony at New York National Guard Headquarters in Latham, N.Y. on Dec. 19, 2024. Solmo is replacing Command Chief Warrant Officer, CW5 Mark Shumway who is returning to full time duties as an Army pilot. The sabre represents Solmo's assuming the responsibility of the position (U.S. Army photo by Stephanie Butler)
New York National Guard
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