CW5 Anita Cannaday Retires

First Female to Attain the Rank of Chief Warrant Officer Five in TXARNG Retires

ON MAY 26, 2021, AT CAMP MABRY, family, friends, and fellow service members, both past and present, gathered together to honor Chief Warrant Officer Five (CW5) Anita L. Cannaday on the occasion of her retirement from the Texas Army National Guard.

CW5 Cannaday began her military career in 1987 when she enlisted into the Army to serve in the Quartermaster Corp as a Material Storage and Handling Specialist; upon completion of Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training, she was assigned to the 833rd Ordnance Company. After eight years in the Regular Army with tours in Korea and Somali, she decided it was time to go, she had no idea that her path in the military was not complete.

In May of 1995, before separating from the Regular Army, she joined the Texas Army National Guard (TXARNG). It was during her initial AGR tour that she became a member of the Adjutant General Corps. From 1996 to 2002, she served in various positions within the Texas Military Personnel Directorate, including SIDPERS Clerk, and SIDPERS NCOIC, before pursuing a career in the Warrant Officer Corps.

In June of 2002, CW5 Cannaday was appointed as a Human Resources Warrant Officer. She has served in various key leadership assignments within the G1, TXARNG. During this period, she also became a Training Advising and Counseling (TAC) Warrant Officer with the 136th Regional Training Institute (RTI).

CW5 Cannaday was identified for deployment with the 36th Sustainment Brigade (36th Sus Bde), “Raw Hide” as the Human Resources Technician in the S1. This was the first deployment for the newly organized 36th Sus Bde to Operations Iraqi Freedom (OIF) 09-11 rotation. Upon completion of the OIF rotation, CW5 Cannaday was assigned as the S1, 136th RTI and the Warrant Officer Candidate School Program Manager. During this assignment CW5 Cannaday was selected as the Texas Reserve Officer Association Warrant Officer of the Year. While her assignment at the 136th RTI was challenging, the organization’s requirements had an even more challenging assignment waiting. In April 2012 she was assigned as the Officer in Charge of the Joint Forces Headquarters, TXARNG.

The G1, TXARNG was her Human Resources foundation and in 2013, she was reassigned to the Office of Personnel Management Section within the G1, where she served as the Senior Branch Manager. In September of 2019, CW5 Cannaday was identified as the Senior Human Resource Advisor, J1, Texas Military Department, this would be the culminating position of her 34 years of military service to the Great State of Texas and the United States Army.

CW5 Cannaday spent her military career skillfully rendering service like the opening of the warrant officer code says. She willingly rendered loyal service to superiors, subordinates, and peers in every organization of which she was a member of. She always set an example in conduct, appearance and performance that made others proud to know and work with her.

CW5 Cannaday is the first female to attain the rank of Chief Warrant Officer Five in the history of the Texas Army National Guard. Chief Warrant Officer 5 (CW5) is the fifth, and highest, Warrant Officer rank in the United States Army. She clearly demonstrated her commitment to something much greater than herself.

NGAT is proud to have CW5 Cannaday as a NGAT Life Member. Chief Cannaday will enjoy retirement at her home in Pflugerville, Texas with her husband Steven. H