El Paso County has recognized retired Army Staff Sgt. Sheila Y. Anthony as its Veteran of the Year. Anthony was honored Monday during a meeting of the El Paso County Commissioners Court for her military service and her continued advocacy for veterans and their families.
Anthony served 22 years in the military, including two deployments to Afghanistan, before retiring in 2017. She received the Bronze Star Medal and the Combat Action Badge. She now works as a veterans and military liaison for the city of El Paso, connecting veterans with housing, supportive services and other resources. Her work also includes outreach to women veterans and suicide prevention awareness. El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego praised her commitment to ensuring that "no veteran is ever forgotten."
Events are planned across the region in the days before Veterans Day, which falls on Wednesday, Nov. 11. The Downtown Veterans Parade will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, in Downtown El Paso. It will honor veterans, active-duty personnel and their families and mark the nation's 250th anniversary. The parade begins at the intersection of Myrtle Avenue and St. Vrain Street. It is free. Information is available from the El Paso County Veteran Services Office.