Tracy Graves, of Castlewood, was promoted to the rank of colonel in the South Dakota Army National Guard in a ceremony held, on Oct. 3 at Camp Rapid.
Col. Graves is a full-time employee of the SDNG and serves as the South Dakota Army National Guard Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations at Joint Force Headquarters on Camp Rapid, according to a release.
“Reaching the rank of colonel represents achieving a long-term career goal. This promotion is a deep sense of personal fulfillment and validation of my efforts over many years. In my office, I have a sign that says, ‘Excellence is not a skill, it’s an attitude’. That is truly the driving force of who I am and how I strive to be every day,” Graves said in a release.
Graves began her military career in the SDNG when she enlisted in Detachment 1, 740 th Transportation Company as an 88M motor transport operator in February 2000 in Brookings. She received her commission from the 196 th Regional Training Institute, Fort Meade, South Dakota Officer Candidate School in August of 2002.