Chief Warrant Officer Five (CW5) Veronica Austin:

CW5 Austin was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. She attended Parkview High School and graduated in May 1985. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration in Computer Information Systems from the University of Little Rock at Little Rock in December 2003.

Her military career started in 1986 when she joined the 25th Rear Area Operations Center, Arkansas Army National Guard as a Private First Class (E3). She completed her Basic Combat Training at Fort Dix, New Jersey and her Advance Individual Training at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana where she acquired the Military Occupational Skill 75B10, Personnel Administration Specialist. She was later promoted to Specialist (E4) in 1988. In 1991, CW5 Austin deployed with the 25th Rear Area Operations Center in support of Operations Desert Storm.

At the beginning of her military career, CW5 Austin worked on active-duty orders from 1988-1989 for the National Guard Bureau Professional Education Center, Camp J.T. Robinson, North Little Rock, Arkansas. In 1990, CW5 Austin was hired in the Federal Military Technician Program as a GS-5 Secretary at the Directorate of Logistics, Arkansas Army National Guard. She worked in the Directorate of Logistics for 9 years.

In 1998 CW5 Austin attended Warrant Officer Candidate School, at Fort Rucker, Alabama, where she was the honor graduate. On September 26, 1999, CW5 Austin received her commission as Warrant Officer One (WO1), 420A, Military Personnel Technician and was promoted to the grade of GS-10. She was assigned as the Human Resources Specialist for the Institute Training Unit, Camp J.T. Robinson. CW5 Austin was later promoted to GS-11 and assigned to the 35th Aviation Brigade, Camp J.T. Robinson, where she served as the S1 Personnel Officer. Additionally, CW5 Austin was assigned to the Deputy Chief of Staff Personnel as the SIDPERS Chief. She served in the Federal Military Technician Program for 20 years.

In 2010, CW5 Austin was hired into the Title 10 Active Guard Reserve (AGR) Program at the Human Resources Training Center, National Guard Professional Education Center, where she served as the Senior Instructor. In 2013, CW5 Austin was hired into the Title 32 Active Guard Reserve (AGR) Program for Arkansas Army National Guard as the Administrative Officer for Joint Force Headquarters, Camp J.T. Robinson. While a member of the Title 32 AGR Program, she has served in a variety of positions to include Officer Personnel Manager at Deputy Chief of Staff Personnel and State Equal Employment Manager (SEEM), Human Resources Office. In May of 2023, CW5 Austin was promoted to Chief Warrant Officer Five (CW5) and was reassigned to the Deputy Chief of Staff Personnel as the Officer Personnel Manager. On August 22, 2023, CW5 Austin was selected as the 8th Command Chief Warrant Officer of Arkansas Army National Guard. She is the First Female in the history of the Arkansas National Guard that has been selected as the Command Chief Warrant Officer.

CW5 Austin’s military education includes the Warrant Officer Candidate School, Warrant Officer Staff Course Phase II, Officer in Charge Course, Composite Risk Management Basic Course, Administrative Officer Workshop, Physical Security Inspectors Course, Homeland Security Liaison Officer Program, Warrant Officer Senior Service Education, and the United States Military Entrance Processing Command (USMEPCOM) Antiterrorism Level 1 Course.

Her awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia), Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Army Reserve Overseas Training Ribbon, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” device, Arkansas Emergency Service Medal, Arkansas Federal Service Ribbon, and the Arkansas Service Ribbon.

CW5 Austin currently resides in Sherwood, Arkansas. She has one son, Malique and a grandson Malique Jr.