CW5 Archibald to Retire After 41 Years of Service

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OAK BROOK, IL (07/28/2011)(readMedia)-- After 41 years of service in the Illinois Army National Guard, Chief Warrant Officer (5) Ronald Archibald of Galesburg is retiring.

Archibald is the current regional maintenance manager for northern Illinois and manages 11 Illinois National Guard (ILNG) maintenance shops in the area. He will step down as a full-time federal technician in August before retiring from the ILNG in December.

"After working 40 plus years as a technician, I have seen just about everything," said Archibald. "It is going to be a sad day when I retire."

Archibald enlisted in the National Guard in 1970 and served in artillery, signal, and transportation units before ending his time as an enlisted Soldier in the 133rd Signal Battalion as the first sergeant.

In 1992, he took a position as a maintenance warrant officer for the 1744th Transportation Company then became the supervisor for the armament, automotive, and inspection section in 1996 before rising to regional maintenance manager in 2005.

"He's been an outstanding mentor for a lot of people," said Chief Warrant Officer (2) Eileen Konopacki of Lisle, who has worked with Archibald for 16 and a half years. "I think we're all going to miss him a great deal."

She said her time with him was a great learning experience.

Archibald said his greatest achievement during his service was applying his knowledge during his two deployments and multiple training missions.

Archibald deployed to Iraq twice, first with the 1244th Transportation Company from 2003 to 2004 and again with the 108th Sustainment Brigade from 2007 to 2008.

Some of Archibald's fondest memories are watching his Soldiers board the plane to go home after a deployment and seeing them with their families when they returned, he said.

"It doesn't get better than that!" said Archibald.

During his time in service, he has earned numerous awards including the Bronze Star and a Combat Action Badge, but he said he is looking forward to one final award: spending more time at his home in Galesburg with wife Tonda.

"I would like to thank my family for putting up with all my deployments and all the time that I have put into the Guard," said Archibald. He ensured "that every mission was performed to the best of my abilities."

Archibald said he believes he will be remembered for providing training, guidance, and helping technicians and Soldiers.

Submitted Photo/ Illinois Army National Guard, Chief Warrant Officer (5) Ronald Archibald of Galesburg retires after 41 years of service.

Submitted Photo/ Illinois Army National Guard, Chief Warrant Officer (5) Ronald Archibald of Galesburg, briefs the Iraqi Leadership on the first maintenance meeting in the 3rd IA Infantry Division. He will retire in December after 41 years of service.

For high resolution photos, please contact the Illinois National Guard Public Affairs Office at ngilstaffpao@ng.army.mil