By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Virgil Armstrong is seeking election to the position of mayor on the Del Rio City Council.
Armstrong was born in Deming, N.M., a small farming and ranching community where his father served as a Border Patrol agent.
“That was his career, so we moved around quite a bit. I’ve lived everywhere from Zapata and Roma, Texas, all the way out Lordsburg, N.M., and Silver City, N.M., but I claim Deming because I was born there and graduated from high school there,” Armstrong said.
He graduated from Deming High School in 1988.
Armstrong said he tried college for a year, but “it wasn’t a good fit,” and he found a U.S. Marine Corps recruiter “because that’s where I felt I would be most challenged.”
He joined the Corps in 1990 and served four years on active duty and two years as a Marine Corps reservist.
After the Marine Corps, Armstrong said he “spent about a year just bouncing around between jobs,” but had already taken and passed the examination to join the Border Patrol.
“I got the call about June of 1995, and by July of that year, I was at the Border Patrol Academy and graduated in December 1995,” he said.
His first duty station was Fabens, Texas.
Armstrong said he was drawn to the agency because of his father.
“I just wanted to be like my dad, and he was a Border Patrol agent, and I saw the being outdoors all the time, the opportunities that his career had presented him, and again, just idolizing him and wanting to be like him,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong served in the U.S. Border Patrol for 25 years, retiring Jan. 1, 2020. At the time of his retirement, he was the deputy patrol agent in charge of the Del Rio Station.
During his career with the agency, Armstrong was stationed in five of the Border Patrol’s 21 sectors.
Following his retirement, he created a local business here, Amistad Predator Control, from a lifelong hobby, trapping and calling predators.
Armstrong’s involvement in the community has also revolved around his children and coaching sports.
He is a board member of the Del Rio Youth Football League and a head coach for one of its teams, the Chiefs. He has been involved in the league since 2016.
Armstrong also coaches t-ball with the Del Rio Little League and with the newly formed 830 Youth Flag Football League.
Armstrong said he decided to seek public office after encouragement from his wife and fellow coaches and his growing sense that things could be better in Del Rio.
“I think we are – and this is my personal opinion – behind the power curve when it comes to economic development, having more things for the kids to do, get them off the streets and get them involved in the community, just places to go, stuff like that,” Armstrong said.
“I think with everything that’s happening, with our current administration, and the direction of this country, we’re not in a good place right now, so I think the time for sitting on the sidelines is done. You’ve got to be a voice. You’ve got to be proactive, and to sit here in this house and voice my opinion, whether on social media or in conversations, that doesn’t do anything,” he said.
“I’ve always taken pride in trying to be the hardest working person in the room. I’m not there to talk. I’m there to say let’s go to work, and when you’re hired for a position – and the way my daddy raised me was if you want something done right, do it yourself – and the realization of what you get out of hard work,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong said he believes city leadership needs “a new face.”
“There’s people who have been there, done that, before already, whether it be on the city council or in another prominent position within the community. They’ve been there and done that, and you look at the results, which were minimal. It’s time Del Rio needs some fresh faces in there, some new blood and new ideas,” Armstrong said.
“We need to work toward the future and not the past. I believe the time for change is now. I believe you should vote for me if you love the city of Del Rio and you want to see promotion, you want to see growth, economic development, something for the children of this community and a positive future,” he added.
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Contact the author at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com
