SCC Veterans Day Celebration - Somerset Campus, November 12

Somerset Community College will honor all active duty and veteran personnel on November 12, 2012. The event, which begins at 10 a.m. in the SCC Meece Auditorium, 808 Monticello Street, Somerset, is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

The 2012 Veterans Day ceremony will include a special singing from the “Bell Tones,” a group of 40 students from Bell Elementary in Monticello, the presentation of the colors representing each branch of the Military from the Southwestern High School JROTC and guest speaker Chief Warrant Officer Five Delynn H. Gibson.

Veterans Day originated as "Armistice Day" on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. Veteran’s Day has been a way to commemorate and offer gratitude to all soldiers both present and for those who have served in time past.

About Delynn H. Gibson
CW5 Delynn H. Gibson was appointed as the third State Command Chief Warrant Officer (CCWO) of the Kentucky National Guard on May 1, 2009 by Major General Edward W. Tonini, Adjutant General for Kentucky.

Born in Greenville, Mississippi CW5 Gibson enlisted in the Army in January 1980 as a combat medic. His assignments included Aschaffenburg, Germany and Ft. Carson, Colorado.

Upon completion of a three year tour, CW5 Gibson enlisted in the Kentucky Army National Guard as a flight medic in the 441 Medical Detachment and attained the rank of SGT/E-5.

In 1987 he was appointed as a warrant officer after completing aviator as a UH-1 (Huey) pilot. In 1989 he attended the Army Fixed Wing Qualification Course and also completed qualification in the OH-58 and the OH-58 Instructor Pilot course. In 1993 he was involved in standing up the newly formed Reconnaissance and Interdiction Detachment (RAID) which conducted drug interdiction and surveillance operations.
CW5 Gibson later became a regional standardization instructor pilot and conducted evaluations to pilots and instructors nationwide for other RAID units.

In 1996 CW5 Gibson completed qualification and assigned as a pilot in the C-23 (Sherpa) in which he conducted passenger transport, movement of cargo and paradrop operations. In 1998 CW5 Gibson transferred to Detachment 11 Operational Support Airlift (OSA) as a pilot in the C-12 (Huron) utility aircraft where he provided Department of Defense transportation. He also completed instructor pilot and instrument examiner qualification courses and served in those positions until he was assigned as the commander of the detachment from 2002 until 2009.

In 2004 CW5 Gibson deployed with Detachment 11 OSA to Afghanistan where the unit received many accolades for their professionalism and outstanding aviation support. Under his command Detachment 11 OSA received the Joint Support Operational Airlift Command (JOSAC) “Small Lift Unit of the Year Award” as well as the very first overall unit “Commendable” on the Aviation Readiness Survey Management Survey (ARMS) inspection.

CW5 Gibson is a graduate of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University with a BS in Professional Aeronautics and minor in Business Management.

CW5 Gibson’s awards includes: Air Medal, 5 Army Commendation Medals, 2 Army Achievement Medals, Army Good Conduct Medal, 4 Army Reserve Components Achievement Medals, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with M device, Overseas Service Ribbon, Kentucky Service Ribbon with 2 Oak Leafs, Kentucky State Active Duty Ribbon with 3 Oak Leafs, Louisiana Emergency Service Ribbon, Combat Action Badge and Master Army Aviator Badge.

For more information, contact Pat McCoy at pat.mccoy@kctcs.edu.