Brigadier General Sonya A. Powell is a native of Atlanta, Georgia. She was commissioned in the United States Army Reserves through ROTC at Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama.
Powell currently serves as the Commanding General of the 87th Training Division located at Birmingham, AL. Brigadier General Powell previously served as the Deputy Commanding General for the 76th U.S. Army Reserve Operational Response Command at Salt Lake CIty, Utah. Before that, she served as the Brigade Commander for the USAR Consequence Management Unit in Abingdon, Maryland. Before command, Brigadier General Powell served as Assistant Chief of Staff, J5 for USARE PACOM, Camp Parks, California, and Assistant Chief of Staff, G4, Logistics for the 9th Mission Support Command, Fort Shafter, Hawaii. Additional assignments included: Assistant Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer for the state of Alabama, Brigade S3 for the 1st Operations Brigade, 78th Division Fort Gillem, Georgia, Battalion Commander of the 4/108th Chemical Battalion in Huntsville, Alabama, G7 Branch Training Chief with the 84th Training Command Fort Knox, Kentucky, Support Operations Officer for 401st Army Field Support Brigade in Bagram, Afghanistan, Brigade S3 for the 401st Army Field Support Brigade Bagram, Afghanistan, Support Operations Officer for the 643rd Regional Support Group, Whitehall, Ohio. Observer Controller Trainer for the 1st BDE, 85th (TS) Division and 3rd BDE, 75th Division, Fort Sheridan, Illinois, Chemical Officer for the 6-52 Aviation Regiment, Los Alamitos, CA (deployed to Balad, Iraq), Chemical Officer for the 301st Area Support Group, Fort Totten, New York, Movement Control Officer for the 450th Transportation Detachment in Manhattan, Kansas, Chemical Officer for Headquarters, and Headquarters Company 326th Area Support Group, Kansas City, Kansas, Company Command of the 388th Chemical Company, Bloomington, Illinois, Platoon leader with 388th Chemical Company, Bloomington, Illinois, and Chemical Officer for the 335th Theater Signal Command, East Point, Georgia.
Brigadier General Powell is a graduate of the Chemical Officer Basic Course. Chemical Officer Advance Course, Combined Arms and Service Staff School, Command and General Staff College and the Army War College DDE. She earned a Bachelor and Master of Science in Animal Science from Tuskegee University, a Master’s in business administration from Webster University and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. Brigadier General Powell is currently a doctoral candidate for the Doctor of Healthcare Administration degree from Walden University. Brigadier General Powell is a member of the Honorable Order of The Dragon (Chemical Corps).
Her awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal (1OLC), Meritorious Service Medal (3OLC), Army Commendation Medal (6OLC), Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal (4OLC), National Defense Service Medal (w/bronze service star), Afghanistan Campaign Medal (w/campaign star), Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal (w/Gold Hourglass, “M” device (2nd award)), Army Service Ribbon (2nd award), Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon (8th award) and NATO ISAF Afghanistan Medal.
In her civilian career, Brigadier General Powell is a Strategic Market Director for Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems covering the Oncology therapeutic area. Brigadier General Powell is the mother of one son.