NY Army National Guard gets new top warrant officer during Thursday morning, Dec. 19 ceremony

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Chief Warrant Officer 4 William Solmo

LATHAM, NY (12/18/2024) (readMedia)-- The New York Army National Guard will welcome its new top warrant officer during a Thursday morning, Dec. 19 ceremony at New York Army National Guard headquarters in Latham.

Chief Warrant Officer 4 William J. Solmo, a Brooklyn resident, will be promoted to Chief Warrant Officer 5 and then replace Chief Warrant Officer 5 Mark Shumay, A Greenwich resident, as the New York Army National Guard Command Chief Warrant Officer.

Members of the press are invited to cover this ceremony.

Warrant Officers are technical specialists who fall between non-commissioned officers, i.e. sergeants, and commissioned officers in the Army rank structure.

The Command Chief Warrant Officer is responsible for recruiting and development warrant officers.

Shumay will be returning to full time flight status as a New York Army National Guard aviator after serving in the role for two years.

WHO: Chief Warrant Officer 4, William, J. Solmo; Chief Warrant Officer 5 Mark Shumway; Major General Ray Shields, the adjutant general of New York and members of the New York National Guard.

WHAT: A promotion ceremony and change of responsibility ceremony. Major General Shields will promote Solmo into the highest warrant officer rank, Chief Warrant Officer 5. Solmo will then officially replace Shumway in the Command Chief Warrant Officer role in a ceremony in which a saber will be passed between the two Soldiers, indicating the acceptance of the responsibility to the command by Solmo.

WHEN: 11 a.m., Thursday. Dec. 19. 2024

WHERE: New York National Guard headquarters, 330 Old Niskayuna Road, Latham, NY

Coverage Opportunities

Members of the press can obtain still and video images of the ceremony and Soldiers in formation. Both the incoming and outgoing command chief warrant officers will be available for interviews.

Reporters seeking to cover this event must call the Division of Military and Naval Affairs Public Affairs Office at 518-786-4581 for admission to this secure military facility.

BACKGROUND:

CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 4 WILLIAM SOLMO

Chief Warrant Officer 4 Willliam Solmo enlisted in the New York Army National Guard in 1986 as light wheeled vehicle mechanic and served in the 107th Infantry Regiment, the 101st Cavalry Regiment, and the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry. He deployed to Germany in 1996 as a member of the 133rd Maintenance Company in support of the NATO peacekeeping mission in Bosnia.

In 2001 he was appointed as a warrant officer serving in the 69th Infantry Regiment. He responded to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He deployed to Iraq with the 69th Infantry in 2004-2005.

He served in a number of vehicle maintenance positions in the 53rd Troop Command and deployed to Djibouti with the 69th Infantry in 2022 and 2023.

Solmo is a graduate of the Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, Small Group Leader's Course, Warrant Officer Candidate School, Unit Maintenance Warrant Officer Basic Course, Senior Automotive Maintenance Officer Course, and the Warrant Officer Intermediate Leader's Education Course.

He holds an associate's degree business administration from the Dominican College of Blauvelt.

His military awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Combat Action Badge, the Iraq Campaign Medal, New York State Medal for Conspicuous Service, New York State Aid to Civil Authorities Medal, the New York State Counterdrug Service Ribbon, and the NYS Defense of Liberty Medal with World Trade Center device.

Solmo is also the recipient of the Order of Saint Maurice, and the Ordnance Order of Samuel-Sharp awards. These awards recognize distinguished service in infantry units and ordnance units, respectively.

Solmo and his wife have two adult children.

CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 5 MARK SHUMWAY

Chief Warrant Officer 5 Mark Shumay began his military career as a warrant officer pilot flying the UH-1 "Huey" helicopter and the UH-60 Black Hawk with the 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

He was later assigned to the 1st Armored Division in Katterbach, Germany as an operations officer and instructor pilot. While in Germany he deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1995-1996 and to Kosovo in 1999-2000.

He served with the 10th Mountain Division from 2001 to 2003 with the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade and deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.

Shumway joined the Pennsylvania Army National Guard in 2004 and served as an instructor at the Eastern Army Training Site at Fort Indiantown Gap, near Harrisburg.

He transferred to the New York Army National Guard in 2005 and held a variety of positions with the 3rd Battalion, 142nd Assault Aviation Battalion. He deployed with the battalion to Iraq in 2008-2009.

In 2013 he was assigned to the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade and deployed to Kuwait as the airfield manager at Udairi Army Airfield.

He has served as the Command Chief Warrant Officer for the 42nd Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade.

Shumay 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.

Shumway's awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon, and the 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.