Garth D. Newell, a 1989 graduate of Elma High School, son of Annette and Ellsworth Curran, and Grant and Joy Newell, has been selected as Command Sergeant Major of a battalion in South Korea.

Newell and his wife Julie and sons will live in South Korea for the next few years.

Sgt. Maj. Newell has served in the Army for 20 years, and has been deployed trhee times — twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan. He speaks five languages and has received many awards: Two Bronze Stars, a Meritorious service medal, a Joint Meritorious service medal, five Army Commendation medals, a Global War on Terror service medal, a Global War on Terrorism expeditionary medal, a National Defense service medal, an Afghan Campaign medal, an Iraq Campaign medla and a NATO medal.