Final Flight for New York National Guard's Chief Warrant Officer Robert Wold

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Chief Warrant Officer 5 Robert Wold, outgoing command chief warrant officer (left), hands a ceremonial saber to Maj. Gen. Anthony German, the Adjutant General, December 9.

LATHAM, NY (12/20/2016)(readMedia)-- New York Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 5 Robert Wold, an Army aviator with more than 6,000 hours in the air, will cap his 40-year career on Wednesday, December 21, with a traditional military "final flight" in which he will be greeted on return with a salute from airport fire trucks and a line of well wishers congratulating him.

Wold, a Ballston Lake resident and a veteran of the Iraq War, retires in January after 40 years of military service. Wold's final flight is expected to return to the Army Aviation Support Facility for the traditional salute as his C-12 airplane will pass under two streams of water sprayed by Albany Airport crash trucks at about 2 p.m.

Warrant Officers are technical specialists who fall in between the Army's non-commissioned officers, known as sergeants, and the commissioned officer corps.

WHAT: Return of the final aviation flight mission of retiring Chief Warrant Officer 5 Robert Wold. The aircraftwill pass under two streams of water being shot from Albany Airport crash vehicles on his return. Wold will be congratulated by well wishers.

WHO: New York Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 5 Robert Wold, the former Command Chief Warrant Officer of the New York Army National Guard.

WHEN: 2 p.m., Wednesday, December 21

WHERE: New York National Guard State Headquarters and Aviation Support Facility, 330 Old Niskayuna Road, Latham N.Y. 12110

Media Opportunity: Visual imagery of the Army C-12 aircraft passing under the spray of water from Albany Airport crash trucks and the greetings of family friends for Chief Warrant Officer Wold's final military flight.

For media access to this secure military facility, contact Col. Richard Goldenberg at 786-4581 prior to noon to receive updates of the flight itinerary.

Background:

As Command Chief Warrant Officer, Wold was responsible for recruiting warrant officers to fill the 286 positions in the New York Army National Guard and overseeing warrant officer training.

Wold, who was named to the position in 2010, retires after more than 40 years of service.

Chief Warrant Officer 5 is the highest rank in the warrant officer corps.

During his tenure the New York National Guard responded to Tropical Storms Irene and Lee in 2011 and Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

Wold joined the U.S. Army in 1975 as a medium helicopter repairman. In March of 1980 he attended Warrant Officer Candidate School and graduated from flight school in January of 1981. Active duty assignments included the 25th Infantry Division, 1st Cavalry Division, 11th ACR, and the 24th Infantry Division.

He joined the New York Army National Guard in 1989 and assignments include the 101 Cavalry, the 1st Battalion 142 Attack Helicopter Battalion, the 3rd Battalion 142nd Assault Helicopter Battalion, and Joint Forces Headquarters, New York Army National Guard.

He also served as a Maintenance Test Flight Examiner with Joint Forces Headquarters in Latham, NY. Duties included the training and evaluation of Maintenance Test Pilots and advising the State Aviation Officer on logistical issues. He is a qualified rotary wing instructor pilot.

Wold returned from Iraq in May 2009 where he served as the Task Force Jester Aviation Maintenance Officer. He is a Master Army Aviator with over 5,400 flight hours in numerous aircraft. CW5 Wold was born and raised in Somerset, Wisconsin.

Wold's awards and decorations include the Soldiers Medal for heroism outside combat, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, and the NATO Medal.

He and his wife Cheryl presently reside in Ballston Lake, New York.