First African American Female Chief Warrant Officer Five

Chief Warrant Officer Five (CW5) Pamela Huff:

CW5 Huff was born in Little Rock, and graduated from Hall High School in 1975, received a Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Management from John Brown University, and a Master of Arts degree in Human Resources Development.

She enlisted in the Arkansas Army National Guard (AR ARNG) in 1975 as a private (PV1). Throughout her career, she served in a variety of assignments. Her first duty assignment was with the 204th Dental Detachment, where she received the Humanitarian Service Medal for the Fort Chaffee Cuban Relocation Operation. She continued her assignments as a Personnel Clerk in the 39th Infantry Brigade, State Area Command (STARC) Arkansas Military Academy as an Admin Supply Clerk and Training Technician. She was the first African American female NCO Instructor at the Arkansas Military Academy. Her next assignment was with the 119th Personnel Service Company where she made a major decision to become a Warrant Officer. In 1990, she became a Warrant Officer and in 1991 was Mobilized with the 119th Personnel Service Company to replace Alpha Battery, Headquarters as the Personnel Records Chief and the OIC of the Mobilization Out-processing Center at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, mobilizing over 4,000 soldiers both active and reserve component. While there she received the Army Commendation Medal.

Chief Huff continued her military career and was promoted to Chief Warrant Officer Five in 2010, becoming the first African American Female CW5 for the Arkansas Army National Guard. CW5 Huff’s military awards include the MSM, ACM, AAM, ARCAM (11), NDSM (2), HSM, AFRM (4), AFRM with “M” Device, NCOPD (3), and the ASR. Chief Huff’s State awards include the Arkansas Commendation Medal, Arkansas Federal Service Ribbon, and Arkansas Service Ribbon (7). Chief Huff retired from the Arkansas Army National Guard in 2017.

During Chief Huff’s military career, she also became a full-time Federal Technician working for the AR ARNG in 1983. CW5 Huff moved up the ladder during her Federal Technician tenure from a GS-4 to a GS-13 where she retired in as the ARNG’s Supervisor/Director over the Internal Review’s Audit Division.

After retiring, Chief Huff returned in 2018 to work for the Arkansas Army National Guard as a Civilian Contractor as the Suicide Prevention Program Manager and Alcohol/Drug Coordinator.