FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska - After 28 years of dedicated service to the military as a civilian employee, Mrs. Terri Crowson was showered with gifts and well wishes at a retirement ceremony Oct. 4, 2012 at the Fairbanks Princess Resort.

Crowson, a Fairbanks native, started her civil service career in 1966 as a typist and central files clerk at the post headquarters on Fort Greely, just south of Delta Junction.

She met her husband, Wayne, an instructor for the Northern Warfare Training Center, a short time later and briefly left Alaska.

“[Wayne] was the first instructor I ever loved and he tenderized my heart towards the NWTC,” Crowson said.

Even though Mrs. Crowson left Alaska in 1967, she found her way back a few years later and in 1984 she became attached to the NWTC once more when she reentered civil service as the school’s administrative assistant.

Mrs. Crowson said she had seen many changes in the school since she began her career some 28 years ago, but one thing she said hasn’t changed is the quality of Soldiers the NWTC keeps in its ranks.

“They are always the cream of the crop,” Mrs. Crowson said. “I loved being a part of NWTC.”

At the end of the ceremony, after much praise for Mrs. Crowson, NWTC members, both past and present, gathered in front of the room and one at a time hugged Crowson as she fought back tears of joy and sadness.

She gave a short speech and thanked everyone for all that they had done to make her feel as part of the NWTC family and said she would miss them all.

Mrs. Crowson and her husband plan to remain in Delta.

Although she will not see the men and women she has come to love at the school on a daily basis, she will always be close by.

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