Beverly Diane Neal was born December 30, 1970, in Prosperity, Newberry County, home of Newberry College and Newberry Opera House. She is the daughter of Ernest Neal and Mildred V. Harmon, both of Newberry. She has been the spiritual daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Ricky Wilson of Weaver, AL for sixteen years. She has one older sister, Renee Wilson, and an older brother Jonathan Neal, also of Newberry. Miss Neal is a 1989 graduate of Newberry High and she entered the Army soon thereafter. She has two young adult children, one of which resides in South Carolina and the other in the Ft. Stewart area. She is currently on active duty with the 3rd Sustainment Brigade (FWD) at Kandahar, Afghanistan. This is her 5th tour of duty deployed to the Southwest Asia area in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation New Dawn. She has been awarded numerous awards, accommodations, and citations to include a Combat Action Badge in '04 for receiving direct incoming fire near the Pakistan border. Her unit is based out of the coastal Fort Stewart, Ga. area, home of the 3rd Infantry Division. During her tour of duties she worked closely with the unit Chaplain(s) to implement the Women of Excellence Ministry Bible Study as a resiliency tool for her fellow compatriots. She also serves dutifully on the ministerial staff for the camp Gospel Ministry. She has been an ordained minister for thirteen years and currently holds a license from Greater Faith Outreach, Jacksonville, AL, under Senior Pastor Danny Pressley. In her spare time she likes to read spiritual books, write, run, workout, and spend time with her family and friends. After eighteen years of military service she now possesses a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice '08, from Jacksonville, AL and is working towards her Master's at Webster University. She will retire soon and attend Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, AL, in hopes of becoming a judge in her local area.
