Greenwich Resident Becomes NY National Guard Command Chief Warrant Officer in Dec. 19 ceremony

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NY National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 5 Mark Shumway

LATHAM, NY (12/18/2022) (readMedia)-- The New York Army National Guard's new Command Chief Warrant Officer will be recognized in a formal ceremony on Monday morning, December 19, 2022 at the Division of Military and Naval Affairs headquarters.

Chief Warrant Officer 5 Mark Shumway, a Greenwich resident, will replace Chief Warrant Officer 5 Jacqueline O'Keefe, a Berne resident, as the Command Chief Warrant Officer. O'Keefe, who has served as Command Chief Warrant Officer since 2018, is retiring after more than 38 years in the military.

Warrant Officers are technical experts who fall between sergeants and commissioned officers in the Army's command structure. The Command Chief Warrant Officer is responsible to the commander of on issues involving warrant officer recruitment and training.

WHO: New York Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officers Mark Shumway and Jacqueline "Jackie" O'Keefe and Major General Ray Shields, the Adjutant General of New York.

WHAT: Change of responsibility ceremony in which Shumway assumes the responsibility for overseeing the New York Army National Guard's warrant officer program from O'Keefe. O'Keefe will transfer a ceremonial saber to Shields, who will then pass the saber to Shumway, signifying the change in responsibility for the New York Army National Guard warrant officer program.

WHEN: 10 a.m. Monday, December 19, 2022

WHERE: Division of Military and Naval Affairs headquarters, 330 Old Niskayuna Road, Latham.

Coverage Opportunities:

Interviews with the principles and video and still imagery of the traditional passing of an Army saber to indicate the change of responsibility, as well as video of the participants of the ceremony.

For access to this secure military facility members of the media must contact the Division of Military and Naval Affairs Public Affairs Office at 518-786-4581.

BACKGROUND:

Chief Warrant Officer 5 Mark Shumway

Mark Shumway began his military career enlisting in the Army in November 1991. He attended Basic Combat Training, then Warrant Officer Candidate School followed by Flight School.

His first assignment was to the 18th Airborne Corps, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina as a UH-1 Huey and UH-60 Black Hawk pilot. He was then assigned to Katterbach, Germany, where he served as an operations officer and instructor pilot in the 1st Aviation Brigade. During this tour, he deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1995-96 and then to Kosovo in 1999-2000.

Shumway was then assigned to the 2nd Battalion (Assault), 10th Combat Aviation Brigade at Ft. Drum, N.Y., where he served as a company standardization officer. During this tour, he deployed to Kuwait for Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.

In 2004, he joined the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, full-time, at the Eastern Army Aviation Training Site, Ft. Indiantown Gap. He functioned as an instructor for the: UH-60 aviator qualification, instrument flight examiner preparation, and pre-deployment aviator training courses.

Shumway transferred to the New York Army National Guard as a full-time military technician and flight instructor in 2005. He held several positions with the 3rd Battalion (Assault), 142nd Aviation Regiment in Latham and Ronkonkoma, N.Y. His assignments included company safety officer, company standardization officer, and battalion standardization officer. During this time, he deployed to Iraq from 2008-09.

He was assigned to the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade Headquarters in 2013 as the Aviation Master Gunner. He deployed to Kuwait in 2013-14 for Operation Enduring Freedom where he functioned as Airfield Manager for Udairi Army Airfield.

In 2015 he was selected as the first Command Chief Warrant Officer for the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade and in 2021 he became the brigade standardization officer.

He 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. He is a graduate of the Army's Warrant Officer Senior Staff Course, Warrant Officer Staff Course, Aviation Warrant Officer Basic and Advanced Courses. His flight courses include Initial Entry Rotary Wing (UH-1), UH-60A/L/M & UH-72 qualifications, UH-60 & UH-72 Instructor Pilot, Instrument Examiner, Electronic Warfare Officer, Aviation Safety Officer, and Aviation Master Gunner.

Shumway's awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with M Device and Bronze Hourglass Device, Overseas Service Ribbon, Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon, and 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, NY; they have five children: Ryan (Ashley), Melissa (Reed), James, Lynsey, and Leah (Sean). Lynsey and Leah both serve in the New York Army National Guard. Additionally, they have a growing group of grandchildren.

Chief Warrant Officer 5 Jacqueline O'Keefe

Chief Warrant Officer Five Jacqueline A. O'Keefe enlisted in the New York Army National Guard in 1983 as a personnel specialist. She served as an enlisted Soldier, reaching the rank of Sgt. 1st Class, until August 1995 when she was appointed as a Warrant Officer and served as a military personnel technician.

She's served in a number of New York Army National Guard units to include the 27th Rear Area Operations Center, the 53rd Troop Command, the 42nd Infantry Division, and Joint Force Headquarters. She has served as the Command Chief Warrant Officer, Officer Personnel Management Branch Chief, Active Guard and Reserve Branch Chief, and Warrant Officer Strength Manager.

O'Keefe is a graduate of the Warrant Officer Senior Service Education Course, the Warrant Officer Intermediate Level Education Course, and the Adjutant General Warrant Officer Basic and Advanced Courses.

She holds a Master's Degree in Management from Excelsior University.

Her awards include the Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, and National Defense Medal with one Bronze Star, Armed Forced Reserved Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and National Guard Recruiter Badge.

O'Keefe resides in Berne, N.Y. with her husband Brian, a retired Lieutenant Colonel.

She has three sons: retired Sergeant Major Brian O'Keefe Jr., who served in the Army's Special Operations Command; Capt. Bradley O'Keefe, who recently completed his tour in the Army and will be serving in the Reserves and Brenden O'Keefe, who was a former member of the New York Army National Guard. She also has a daughter Brooke, who is completing her senior year at Siena College.