OIA PRESS RELEASECNMI's Castro is a "First" is being promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
Washington D.C., February 1, 2008 - U.S. Army Major Edwin A. Castro of the Northern Mariana Islands was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel on Friday, February 1, 2008. His promotion ceremony was presided over by Brigadier General Randy E. Manner in the Douglas MacArthur Corridor of the Pentagon. In Manner's welcoming remarks, he described Castro as the first person from the Northern Mariana Islands to achieve the rank of colonel while in active duty. Lt. Colonel Castro is the son of Daniel Pangelinan Castro and Ruth Albert Castro of San Antonio, Texas. He was born and raised on Saipan and enlisted in the U.S. Army shortly after graduating from Marianas High School in 1981. He later received a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Columbia College in Missouri and a master's degree in Human Resources from Webster University. He and his wife Pili have three children, Edwin Jr., Miguel and Pauline. Castro was commissioned into the Signal Corps in 1991 through the Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, GA. His first assignment was as Signal Officer for the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment at Hofenfels, Germany. In 2004, he deployed with the 72nd Signal Battalion in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II. He is currently an action officer in the Army Asymetric Warfare Office, Electronic Warfare Division. CNMI Resident Representative Pete A. Tenorio who attended Castro’s promotion ceremony made this remark: “This is truly a great day for the Northern Marianas. It is quite an honor to witness our bright, young men and women ascend through the military chain of command and get recognized for all their determination, hard work, untiring commitment and patriotism.” |
