Thomas E. Drew

Thomas E. Drew

Major General Thomas E. Drew
Born (1950-08-08) August 8, 1950
Proctor, Vermont
Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service 1973–2001, 2006–2013
Rank Major General
Unit Vermont National Guard
Commands held Company A, 2nd Battalion 172nd Armor (1983 to 1985)
1st Battalion 172nd Armor (1992 to 1995)
86th Armored Brigade (1997 to 2000)
Vermont National Guard (August, 2012 to March, 2013)
Battles/wars Operation Enduring Freedom
Awards Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal
Army Commendation Medal
Army Achievement Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Other work Executive Director, Addison County branch, Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)
Website http://www.vtguard.com

Major General (Vermont) Thomas E. Drew (born August 8, 1950) was the Adjutant General of the State of Vermont. In this post he served as the senior uniformed military officer in the state, and was responsible for the organization, training and equipping of the 4,000 members of the Vermont Army and Air National Guard. As Adjutant General, he also served as inspector general, quartermaster general and head of the State Military Department, including Veterans Affairs.

Biography

Thomas Edwin Drew was born in Proctor, Vermont on August 8, 1950.[1] He was raised in Florence, attended school in Florence, Pittsford and Brandon and graduated from the University of Vermont in 1972.[2]

Military career

Drew received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army through UVM's Reserve Officer Training Corps. After serving on active duty with the 9th Infantry Division until 1977, he joined the Vermont National Guard and became a member of the Active Guard and Reserve Program. He retired as a Colonel in 2001. Drew's service included command of: Company A, 2nd Battalion, 172nd Armor (1983 to 1985); 1st Battalion, 172nd Armor (1992 to 1995); and the 86th Armored Brigade (1997 to 2000).[3]

Civilian career

Upon retirement, General Drew served as the Executive Director of the Addison County branch of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), a non-profit community service provider in Castleton.[4][5]

Subsequent military career

In 2006, Drew returned to military service as Deputy Adjutant General with a state commission as a Brigadier General.[6]

Drew served as Deputy Adjutant General until 2009, when he was voluntarily recalled to active duty as a Colonel.[7][8] He deployed to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom as Deputy Commander of the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain).[9][10] During the deployment Drew reached age 60, the mandatory age for retirement from the military, but remained in Afghanistan and continued to serve.[11]

Upon redeploying from Afghanistan Drew returned to the military's Retired Reserve and resumed his state duties as Deputy Adjutant General.[12]

In 2012 Michael Dubie was appointed as Deputy Commander of United States Northern Command.[13] Upon Dubie's August 3, 2012 resignation as Vermont's Adjutant General to assume his new duties, Drew succeeded him as Adjutant General.[14] Drew was subsequently promoted to Major General (Vermont), and served out the remainder of Dubie's term.

On February 21, 2013 the Vermont General Assembly Elected Steven A. Cray to serve as Adjutant General.[15] (In Vermont, the Adjutant General is elected for a two-year term in secret balloting by a combined meeting of the Vermont House of Representatives and Vermont State Senate in February of each odd-numbered year.)[16]

Cray took over from Drew in a ceremony on March 1, 2013, and Drew retired.[17]

Education

Awards and decorations

Width-44 crimson ribbon with a pair of width-2 white stripes on the edges Legion of Merit
Width-44 scarlet ribbon with width-4 ultramarine blue stripe at center, surrounded by width-1 white stripes. Width-1 white stripes are at the edges. Bronze Star Medal

Width-44 crimson ribbon with two width-8 white stripes at distance 4 from the edges.

 Meritorious Service Medal (5)

Width-44 myrtle green ribbon with width-3 white stripes at the edges and five width-1 stripes down the center; the central white stripes are width-2 apart

 Army Commendation Medal (2)
Army Achievement Medal

 Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal (5)
Bronze star
Bronze star

Width=44 scarlet ribbon with a central width-4 golden yellow stripe, flanked by pairs of width-1 scarlet, white, Old Glory blue, and white stripes

 National Defense Service Medal (3)
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal (2) with M device for Mobilization
Width-44 ribbon with width-6 central ultramarine blue stripe, flanked by pairs of stripes that are respectively width-4 emerald, width-3 golden yellow, width-5 orange, and width-7 scarlet Army Service Ribbon
Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon (2)
Army Overseas Service Ribbon
NATO Medal
Vermont Medal of Merit
Vermont Commendation Medal
Vermont Outstanding Unit Award
Vermont Service Ribbon
Vermont Duty Ribbon
Vermont State Special Duty Ribbon[19]

Effective Dates of Promotions

Promotions
Insignia Rank Date
Major General (Vermont)August 13, 2012
Brigadier General (Vermont)April 2, 2006
ColonelSeptember 14, 1998
Lieutenant ColonelAugust 18, 1992
MajorOctober 23, 1985
CaptainMay 28, 1977
First LieutenantMay 28, 1975
Second LieutenantJanuary 26, 1973[20]

Other achievements

Michael Dubie, Peter Shumlin, Drew, Command Sergeant Major Forest Glodgett prepare for Transfer of Authority where Drew succeeded Dubie as Adjutant General. Photo by James Greene, Vermont National Guard.
Drew salutes Scott Doyon of Clinton, Maine after presenting Bronze Star Medal, Oct. 21, 2010.

References

  1. ↑ Vermont Birth Records, 1909-2008, entry for Thomas Edwin Drew, accessed August 3, 2012
  2. ↑ Vermont Secretary of State, Vermont Legislative Directory, 2009, page 364
  3. ↑ Vermont National Guard, Biographical sketch, Thomas E. Drew, accessed August 3, 2012
  4. ↑ Vermont Secretary of State, Legislative Directory, 2011, page 338
  5. ↑ John Flowers, Local Man Named No. 2 at VTANG, Addison Independent, April 3, 2006
  6. ↑ Vermont National Guard Public Affairs, From the Deputy Adjutant General, Green Mountain Guard magazine, August, 2006, page 2
  7. ↑ Vermont National Guard Public Affairs, From the Deputy Adjutant General, Green Mountain Guard magazine, October, 2009, page 2
  8. ↑ Keith McGilvery, Meet the New Man in Charge of the Vt National Guard, WCAX-TV, August 3, 2012
  9. ↑ Joanna Fox, Daily Afghan-Iraq Update/11-27, Troop Scoop blog, November 27, 2010
  10. ↑ C. MacGibbon, New Zealand Defence Force, Tribute to Lieutenant Tim O’Donnell, DSD, The Bugle deployment newsletter, October, 2010, page 10
  11. ↑ Vermont National Guard, Biographical sketch
  12. ↑ Vermont National Guard, Biographical sketch
  13. ↑ Matt Sutkoski, A Day of Change at the Vermont Guard, Burlington Free Press, August 3, 2012
  14. ↑ Chittenden Community Television, New Vermont Adjutant General, Thomas E. Drew, August 3, 2012
  15. ↑ Kirk Carapezza, Vermont Public Radio, Longtime General Elected to Lead Vermont National Guard, February 21, 2013
  16. ↑ Vermont Emergency Management Agency, Annex O, Vermont Emergency Management Plan, 2011, page 1
  17. ↑ Sam Hemingway, Burlington Free Press, Cray takes helm of Vermont Guard in ceremony at Camp Johnson, March 1, 2013
  18. ↑ Vermont National Guard, Biographical sketch
  19. ↑ Author's review of Drew's uniform in photos and video of Transfer of Authority ceremony, August 3, 2012
  20. ↑ Vermont National Guard, Biographical sketch
  21. ↑ Vermont National Guard, Biographical sketch
Military offices
Preceded by
Michael Dubie		 Vermont Adjutant General
2012–2013 		Succeeded by
Steven A. Cray
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