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Director of the Army National Guard

Lieutenant General Jon A. Jensen

Lieutenant General Jon A. Jensen is the Director, Army National Guard. He guides the formulation, development and implementation of all programs and policies affecting the Army National Guard; a force of nearly 335,000 Soldiers in the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia.

General Jensen served previously as the 31st Adjutant General of the state of Minnesota and earlier as the Commanding General, 34th Infantry Division, St. Paul, Minnesota; he was dual-hatted as the Deputy Commander and Army Reserve Component Integration Advisor, United States Army Africa and Southern European Task Force, United States Africa Command, Vicenza, Italy.

General Jensen has commanded at the company, battalion, brigade, and division levels. His operational assignments include OPERATION DESERT SPRING, OPERATION JOINT FORGE, and OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM.

EDUCATION

  • Northwest Missouri State University - BS - Finance and Business Economics
  • United States Army Command and General Staff College - MMAS - Military Arts and Science
  • United States Army War College - MSS - Strategic Studies

ASSIGNMENTS

  1. August 1989 – December 1989, Student, Infantry Basic Course, Fort Benning, Georgia
  2. December 1989 – September 1990, Rifle Platoon Leader, Company B, 1st Battalion 168th Infantry, Glenwood, Iowa
  3. October 1990 – December 1990, Scout Platoon Leader, Combat Service Company, 1st Battalion 168th Infantry, Council Bluffs, Iowa
  4. December 1990 – December 1993, Commander, Company B, 1st Battalion 168th Infantry, Glenwood, Iowa
  5. January 1994 – December 1995, Commander, Company D, 1st Battalion 168th Infantry, Council Bluffs, Iowa
  6. January 1995 – June 1995, S1, 1st Battalion 168th Infantry, Council Bluffs, Iowa
  7. June 1995 – August 1995, Student, Infantry Advanced Course, Fort Benning, Georgia
  8. August 1995 – January 1998, S3 Air, 1st Battalion 168th Infantry, Council Bluffs, Iowa
  9. February 1998 – June 2000, S3, 1st Battalion 168th Infantry, Council Bluffs, Iowa
  10. July 2000 – December 2000, Student, Command General Staff Officer Course, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
  11. January 2001 – June 2001, Security Force Commander, 1st Battalion 168th Infantry, OPERATION DESERT SPRING, Camp Doha, Kuwait
  12. June 2001 – May 2002, Student, School of Advanced Military Studies, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
  13. May 2002 – November 2002, Plans Officer, Headquarters 34th Infantry Division, Rosemount, Minnesota
  14. December 2002 – December 2004, G3 Plans/Exercise Chief, Headquarters 34th Infantry Division, Rosemount, Minnesota and OPERATION JOINT FORGE, Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina
  15. January 2005 – June 2005, Plans Chief, Joint Force Headquarters (JFHQ), St. Paul, Minnesota
  16. July 2005 – January 2007, Commander, 2nd Battalion 135th Infantry, Mankato, Minnesota
  17. January 2007 – May 2007, Commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Company (Forward), 1/34th Brigade Combat Team, OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, Tallil, Iraq
  18. May 2007 – September 2007, Executive Officer, Joint Force Headquarters (JFHQ), St. Paul, Minnesota
  19. September 2007 – May 2008, Executive Officer, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1/34th Brigade Combat Team, Bloomington, Minnesota
  20. May 2008 - November 2010, Assistant Chief of Staff, G3, 34th Infantry Division, Rosemount, Minnesota and OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, Basra, Iraq
  21. November 2010 – July 2011, Chief of Staff, 34th Infantry Division, Rosemount, Minnesota
  22. July 2011 – July 2012, Joint Chief of Staff, Joint Force Headquarters (JFHQ), St. Paul, Minnesota
  23. July 2012 – May 2014, Commander, 1/34th Armored Brigade Combat Team, Bloomington, Minnesota; dual hatted Dec 13 - May 14, Director of the Joint Staff, Joint Force Headquarters (JFHQ), St. Paul, Minnesota
  24. May 2014 – November 2014, Director of the Joint Staff, Joint Force Headquarters (JFHQ), St. Paul, Minnesota
  25. November 2014 – September 2015, Assistant Adjutant General - Army, Joint Force Headquarters (JFHQ), St. Paul, Minnesota
  26. September 2015 – January 2017, Director of the Joint Staff, Joint Force Headquarters (JFHQ), St. Paul, Minnesota; dual-hatted, Oct 15- Jan 17 Deputy Commander and Army Reserve Component Integration Advisor, United States Army Africa and Southern European Task Force, United States Africa Command, Vicenza, Italy
  27. January 2017 – October 2017, Commander, 34th Infantry Division, St. Paul, Minnesota; dual-hatted, Jan 17 - Mar 17, Deputy Commander and Army Reserve Component Integration Advisor, United States Army Africa and Southern European Task Force, United States Africa Command, Vicenza, Italy
  28. November 2017 – August 2020, The Adjutant General, Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota
  29. August 2020 – Present, Director, Army National Guard, Arlington, Virginia

SUMMARY OF OPERATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS

  1. Jan. 2001 – June 2001, Security Force Commander, 1st Battalion 168th Infantry, OPERATION DESERT SPRING, Camp Doha, Kuwait as a Major
  2. Dec. 2002 – Dec. 2004, G3 Plans/Exercise Chief, Headquarters, 34th Infantry Division, Rosemount, Minnesota and OPERATION JOINT FORCE, Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina as a Major
  3. Jan. 2007 – May 2007, Commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Company (forward), 1/34th Brigade Combat Team, OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, Tallil, Iraq as a Lt. Colonel
  4. May 2008 – Nov. 2010, Assistant Chief of Staff, G3, 34th Infantry Division, Rosemount, Minnesota and OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, Basra, Iraq as a Colonel

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

  • Distinguished Service Medal
  • Legion of Merit (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
  • Bronze Star
  • Meritorious Service Medal (with 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
  • Army Commendation Medal (with 4 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
  • Army Achievement Medal (with 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
  • Army Meritorious Unit Commendation (with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
  • Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal (with Silver Oak Leaf Cluster)
  • National Defense Service Medal (with 1 Bronze Service Star)
  • Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (with Bronze Service Star)
  • Iraqi Campaign Medal (with 2 Bronze Service Stars)
  • Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
  • Humanitarian Service Medal
  • Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with Silver Hourglass, "M" Device, and Numeral 3)
  • Noncommissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbon
  • Army Service Ribbon
  • Overseas Service Ribbon (with Numeral 2)
  • Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon (with Numeral 3)
  • North Atlantic Treaty Organization Medal

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION

  • Second Lieutenant 22 August 1989
  • First Lieutenant 21 August 1992
  • Captain 15 October 1993
  • Major 24 June 1998
  • Lieutenant Colonel 7 April 2005
  • Colonel 8 December 2008
  • Brigadier General 13 November 2014
  • Major General 27 June 2017
  • Lieutenant General 3 August 2020

(Current as of August 2020)