Wyoming National Guard honors chief warrant officer’s 40 years of service
News originally published by
Wyoming Military DepartmentFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WYMD-261108-001
Nov. 8, 2026
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — After more than 40 years of military service, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Derek Fisbeck retired from the Wyoming Army National Guard on Nov. 6, 2026. Family, friends and military leaders gathered at the Joint Force Readiness Center to honor his career.
Fisbeck served as the Wyoming National Guard’s command chief warrant officer. His career included five overseas deployments and years of training and leading Soldiers. His retirement marks the end of a career that began as a helicopter mechanic and grew into senior leadership roles.
Fisbeck began his military career in May 1986 as a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter repairman. He served with the 3rd Infantry Division in West Germany as a mechanic and crew chief.
In 1989, he joined the Wyoming Army National Guard. He served with the 920th Medical Company Air Ambulance, later renamed the 1022nd Medical Company. He deployed for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990 as a UH-1 Huey crew chief.
Over the next decade, Fisbeck held several positions. He served as a firefighter at Camp Guernsey and an instructor at the Regional Training Institute. He also trained Soldiers as a flight instructor. In 2001, he deployed to Bosnia. He earned the rank of master sergeant in 2002.
Fisbeck became a warrant officer in 2003. A year later, he deployed to Iraq as an aviation maintenance technician and production control officer.
In 2008, he graduated from flight training at Fort Rucker, Alabama, as a UH-60 Black Hawk pilot.
Fisbeck deployed to Afghanistan twice. He served as a medical evacuation pilot from 2009 to 2010. He returned from 2015 to 2016 as a medical evacuation pilot and aviation maintenance officer.
He later served as a maintenance test pilot, instructor pilot and aviation safety officer. He also served as Camp Guernsey’s airfield commander.
From 2020 to 2023, Fisbeck served at the National Guard Bureau. He helped review aviation maintenance programs and support Army National Guard aviation units.
He later became Wyoming’s command chief warrant officer. In that role, he helped train and mentor warrant officers. His work focused on building strong leaders and preparing Soldiers for future missions.
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon joined military leaders, family members and fellow Soldiers to honor Fisbeck’s service. Maj. Gen. Greg Porter, Wyoming’s adjutant general, deferred his military honors to Fisbeck. The gesture recognized his more than four decades of service.
Fisbeck received the Legion of Merit for his leadership and service. The award honored his work to improve the warrant officer corps and develop future leaders.
He also received letters and certificates of appreciation from national and state leaders. These included President Donald Trump, former President George W. Bush and Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon.
Brig. Gen. Edward Lewis, Wyoming’s land component commander, and Brig. Gen. Toby Alkire, deputy adjutant general, also took part in the ceremony. Each of them expressed tremendous gratitude and appreciation for his lifetime of service.
Fisbeck was inducted into the Honorable Order of Saint Michael. The award honors those who have made lasting contributions to Army aviation.
The ceremony also recognized his family. His wife, Dawn, received a certificate of appreciation for her years of support. Their children, Connor and Kaylee, were also recognized.
Fisbeck’s career spanned four decades of change in the Army. He served as a mechanic, crew chief, pilot, instructor and senior leader. Through each role, he helped prepare Soldiers to serve Wyoming and the nation.
Although his military career has ended, his impact will continue through the Soldiers he trained and mentored.
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