Senior Warrant Officer Advisor
CW5 Tommy J. Austin
United States Army
Special Operations Command South
Chief Warrant Officer Five Tommy J. Austin joined the Army in September of 1983. Upon completion of Basic and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Benning, Ga. as an Infantryman, CW5 Austin served in various infantry assignments to include 1st Bn, 52nd INF (M), 1st AD, Germany, 1/327th INF, and 101st Pathfinders, 101st ABN DIV, Ft. Camp-bell, KY, LRSD (ABN), 7th ID (L), Ft. Ord, CA and the LRSD (ABN), 5th ID (M), Ft Polk, LA.
CW5 Austin attended the Special Forces Qualification Course and graduated in December 1991. Between 1991 and 1996 he served as a Non-Commissioned Officer on SFODA 754, 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) as a Special Forces Weapons Sergeant and Intelligence Sergeant. In June 1996, he attended Warrant Officer Candidate School and the Special Forces Warrant Officer Basic Course. As a Warrant Officer, CW5 Austin served as the Assistant Detachment Commander for SFODA 715, Detachment Commander and Assistant Detachment Commander SFODA 714, Assistant Detachment Commander, SFODA 795, Detachment Commander SFODA 797, Company Operations Warrant Officer SFODB 780, Senior Instructor, SF Warrant Officer Technical and Tactical Certification Course, 1st SWTG(A), the 1st Commandant of the SF Warrant Officer Institute, S3X Special Plans Officer and the S35 OCONUS Manager for the 7th SFG(A), the Command Chief Warrant Officer for the 7th SFG(A), and most recent assignment as the 4th Commandant of the Special Forces Warrant Officer Institute. CW5 Austin has numerous deployments to the SOUTHCOM, NORTHCOM and CENTCOM AORs.
CW5 Austin is a graduate of the Primary, Basic and Advanced Non-Commissioned Officer courses, the Special Forces Qualification Course, Ranger School, Pathfinder School, Air Assault School, the Special Forces Warrant Officer Basic, Advanced, Staff and Senior Staff Courses, the Basic and Advanced Military parachutist Courses, Military Free Fall Basic and Military Free Fall Jumpmaster Courses, SERE level C, SERE SV91 and 93, PSYOPS and Civil Affairs Officers Courses, Special Forces Advanced Recon and Exploitation Techniques Course, Advanced Special Operations Techniques Course.
CW5 Austin’s awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (4th Award), the Army Commendation Medal (4th Award), the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Army Achievement Medal (4th Award), the Good Conduct Medal (4th Award), the National Defense Service Medal (1 bronze star), the Afghanistan Campaign Medal (3 service stars), the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the NCO Professional Development Ribbon (numeral 3), the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Ribbon (numeral 2), the NATO Medal, the Inter-American Defense Board Service Medal, the Navy Commendation Unit Award, the Army Superior Unit Award (2nd Award), the Master Parachutist Badge, the Military Freefall Jump Master Badge, the Pathfinder Badge, the Air Assault Badge, the Expert Infantrymen Badge, the Ranger tab, the Special Forces tab and foreign parachutist badges from Colombia, Guatemala, Chile and Ireland.