Glenville State University, Gilmer County High School and Gilmer County Elementary School are working in collaboration to hold a county Veterans Assembly on Friday, November 7, 2025 at 9:30-11:00 a.m. at the GSU Waco Center. We would like to invite all Gilmer County Veterans to join us in honoring your service to our Country. A charcuterie brunch board created by Foodie Momma (compliments of United Bank of Glenville and Calhoun Banks) will be provided to Veterans in the Waco Center Vantage Box from 8:00-9:30 a.m. prior to the Assembly. Any Veteran wishing to attend can RSVP by calling GCHS at 304-462-7960 or emailing pknicely@k12.wv.us. We want to open the Assembly to the Gilmer County community to join in honoring our Veterans.
This year’s Guest Speaker will be Colonel Jonathan M. Townsend, United States Air Force. Colonel Townsend is the Director, Department of the Air Force Continuity of Operations, Secretary of the Air Force Office of Administrative and Management, Pentagon, Washington D.C. He is responsible for contingency planning, continuity training and crisis relocation for the Secretary of the Air Force, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Chief of Space Operations, and key Headquarters of the Department of the Air Force personnel. He also oversees the daily operations, maintenance, and readiness of critical relocation sites and equipment in support of the Headquarters Department of the Air Force Continuity of Operations mission.
Colonel Townsend enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1998 and served as an Air Traffic Controller before earning his commission from Officer Training School in 2002. As a senior Airfield Operations Officer, he has served in various leadership and staff positions across five major commands as well as four deployments, in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM, and INHERENT RESOLVE. He commanded the 78th Operations Support Squadron at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, and the 441st Air Expeditionary Squadron at Kobani Landing Zone, Syria. Prior to his current assignment, Colonel Townsend studied at the Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, before serving as the Operational Training Infrastructure Plans and Policy Branch Chief, Directorate of Training and Readiness, Headquarters Air Force, Pentagon.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Bronze Star with one oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Achievement Medal
Meritorious Unit Award with one oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with four oak leaf clusters
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Airman First Class – September 1998
Senior Airman – January 2001
Staff Sergeant – August 2002
Second Lieutenant – December 2002
First Lieutenant – December 2004
Captain – December 2006
Major – November 2012
Lieutenant Colonel – September 2017
Colonel – August 2023
Colonel Townsend is originally from Glenville, WV, and is a 1994 graduate of Gilmer County High School as well as a 1997 graduate of Glenville State College. He and his wife, Tara, who is also from Gilmer County, currently reside in Fairfax Station, VA, and are the parents of three daughters: Brenley, Madison and Brooke.