The decision to join the military after graduating from high school is a difficult choice for any young man or woman. Discipline, leadership, camaraderie, esprit de corps, and initiative are a few examples of benefits young people will gain while serving the nation. For Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Tyrone Edwards, the U.S. Army was the branch of service that caught his attention and his decision to join turned out to be one of the best decisions he ever made.
The benefits associated with joining the armed forces are limitless, but the days of using Uncle Sam as a backup plan are over. Entrance requirements aren’t expected to be lowered anytime soon and only the best and brightest can make it through basic training. Those fortunate enough to make it through boot camp soon learn that wearing the uniform daily is one of the toughest and most unappreciated jobs in the world.
The outstanding accomplishments of servicemen and women are often not reported, but bad news is guaranteed to make the front page. The nightly news does not have time to cover the good deeds taking place around the world because they spend too much time discussing crooked preachers, corrupt politicians, murderers, thieves, and sexual predators.
Here is some good news. CSM Tyrone Edwards, a Folkston native and 1989 graduate of Charlton County High School is a real life American hero. Edwards has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration from Troy State University and is a few semester hours away from earning his Master’s Degree in Human Resources Management from Columbia Southern University. He owns three homes in three different states and has amassed a net worth of three quarters of a million dollars in assets. He and his wife Thalassa also own a telecommunications/energy plug business (www.5LYNX.net/tntedwards).
He has been in the Army for nearly 22 years and managed to assemble quite an impressive record. CSM Edwards has spent time in Baumholder, Germany; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Yongsan, Korea; Atlanta, Georgia; Balad, Iraq; Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; and Fort Knox Kentucky. His primary duty as a personnel administration specialist has provided him the opportunity to serve in Special Forces Group, Medical Command, Psychological Operations Battalion, Atlanta Recruiting Battalion, Airborne Soldier Support Group, Military Mail Terminal Command, Airborne Sustainment Brigade, Fitness Training Company, and his current position as the Command Sergeant Major of one of five Reception Battalions in the Army Armor Brigade, Fort Knox, Kentucky.
CSM Edwards’ personal awards include four Meritorious Service Medals, six Army Accommodation Medals, seven Army Achievement Medals, two National Defense Service Medals, one Korean Defense Service Medal, one Iraq Campaign Medal with combat star, two Global War on Terrorism Medals, three Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbons, one Army Service Ribbon, three Over Seas Service Ribbons, the Recruiter Gold Badge with three Sapphires, the Gold Recruiter Ring, the prestigious Glen E. Morrell Medallion, a Parachutist badge the Senior Parachutist Badge and the Master Parachutist Badge, Venezuelan Foreign Jump Wings and the Centurion Jump wings for completing more than 100 jumps.
Edwards can be described as a Soldier, who is dedicated and committed to excellence. His fast rise through the ranks is a direct result of his sharp demeanor, professional attitude, and aggressive leadership style. Edwards was named the 2002 New Recruiter of the Year as well as the 2003 and 2004 Recruiter of the Year. All of the awards and citations Edwards has received during his career is a testament to his drive and determination to succeed.
“There was a time in my younger life when I could have chosen the easy road of selling drugs or hustling for money, but I think God for giving me the wisdom to look past the glamour of making quick money. I had to observe my surroundings and what I saw was not one successful retired drug dealer,” Edwards told me during an interview.
When asked if he had any advice for the young people back home, Edwards said, “The one bit of advice that I could give to the youth of Folkston is always plan and then set those plans into motion, because a plan is not a plan unless you execute it. Don’t let the surrounding decide who you become, but become someone who can make decisions about your own destiny.”
Originally published by the Charlton County Herald on June 14, 2011 http://www.charltoncountyherald.com/articles/2011/06/19/opinion/editorials/doc4df789e980e7f518758093.txt
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