Owens recognized at retirement ceremony - Aug. 3, 2024

Lt. Col. (Va.) Peyton N. Owens Jr. receives the Virginia Defense Force Distinguished Service Medal in recognition of his 40 years of dedicated service to the Virginia Defense Force and is placed on the retired list of the Virginia militia, unorganized, as a colonel during a retirement ceremony Aug. 3, 2024, at the VDF Headquarters in Richmond, Virginia. Brig. Gen. (Va.) Rich Diddams, commander of the VDF, hosted the event and presented his award. Owens is the longest serving member of the VDF, having joined soon after the organization stood back up in 1984. He previously served on active duty in the U.S. Army as well as the U.S. Army Reserve and the Virginia Army National Guard with a total of 54 years of uniformed service. During his 40 years of service in the VDF, he served in a variety of command and staff positions including inspector general, G3 training and operations officer, G4 logistics officer, G6 communications officer and finally as G1 personnel officer.