32nd AAMDC welcomes new command chief warrant officer, honors retiring El Paso native

Official Statements

• 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command, November 10: “FORT BLISS, Texas — The 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command hosted a change of charter ceremony Nov. 6, where Chief Warrant Officer 5 Noel Del Real relinquished responsibility to Chief Warrant Officer 4 Bradley Blevins as the command’s newest command chief warrant officer.

  Brig. Gen. John L. Dawber, commanding general of the 32nd AAMDC, presided over the ceremony and underscored the vital role the command chief warrant officer plays as the senior technical advisor and key leader within the formation.

  “The charter represents my explicit trust,” Dawber said. “It charges the warrant officer with the technical and tactical expertise of our profession, the talent management of our warrant officers, and the modernization of our vast formation, and appoints him as the command’s chief innovation officer.”

  For four years, Del Real, an El Paso native, served as the 32nd AAMDC command chief warrant officer. During his tenure, he drove innovation through Task Force 32, a command-driven initiative designed to rapidly solve warfighting challenges, built relationships of trust across the strategic landscape, and mentored the warrant officer cohort across the command headquarters and its four air defense artillery brigades.

  In his farewell remarks, Del Real reflected on his responsibilities and mission set as the command chief warrant officer.

  “Air and missile defense is not a discipline where ‘good enough’ exists,” Del Real said. “At this level, it demands more than just technical expertise. It requires the ability to think decisively and clearly under pressure. It requires the courage to calculate and assume risk.”

  Del Real charged the command’s warrant officers to continue demanding technical mastery, telling the ground truth to commanders, and setting the standard for the force.

  Upon assuming the charter, Blevins thanked Del Real for the high precedent he set and recognized the humility and honor of stepping into the position.

  “Our mission is critical, and I will work tirelessly to ensure our team remains ready, adaptive, and forward-thinking,” Blevins said.

  Dawber expressed absolute confidence in Blevins as he took the helm of the command’s warrant officer cohort to lead in modernization, warfighting, and mentorship.

  “Brad, you come to this position tested, proven, and fully ready,” Dawber said. “Over 22 years of honorable service, including combat operations, have prepared you for this moment.”

  Following the change of charter, the command transitioned into a retirement ceremony honoring Del Real’s legacy of leadership and more than 24 years of service to the air defense artillery community and the U.S. Army.

  “You’ve shaped a generation of air defenders who will forever be your professional legacy,” Dawber said. “You fought the fight, you kept the faith, and you have set a bar of leadership and selfless service that all should strive to achieve.”

  Retiring in El Paso held special significance for Del Real, bringing his service back to his hometown where his military career began.

  “To begin the journey here, deploy across the world several times, and return home to close this chapter at the apex of my military career,” Del Real said, “in this very community that forged my character, is a full-circle victory.”