# State adjutant general

Each state in the United States has a senior military officer, as the state adjutant general, who is the de facto commander of a state's military forces, including the National Guard residing within the state, the state's naval militia, and any state defense forces. This officer is known as TAG (The Adjutant General), and is subordinated to the chief executive (generally the state's governor). They do not have authority over police forces, only military forces.

## Source of appointment

In 49 states, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the United States Virgin Islands, the adjutant general is appointed by the governor. The exceptions are Vermont, where the adjutant general is appointed by a vote of the Vermont General Assembly, and the District of Columbia, where a commanding general is appointed by the President of the United States of America. Until 2016, South Carolina chose its adjutant general in statewide general elections, but after passage of a popular referendum, the holder of this position is now appointed by the governor.

## Responsibilities

Each adjutant general shares a common responsibility for the state's National Guard plus a unique set of other responsibilities defined by the state's constitution, state statutes, and other state-level directives. In addition to their state responsibilities, each TAG is responsible to the federal government for the use and care of federal assets under the state's control. The National Guard Bureau (NGB) in the Department of Defense provides a centralized administrative, funding, and procurement process to support the states' military departments. The Chief of the National Guard Bureau also provides input as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on national military activities as they relate to the National Guard.
The 54 adjutants general collectively form the Adjutants General Association of the United States (AGAUS) which strives to enhance both state and national military security. A professional military guard organization, the National Guard Association of the United States serves to lobby both Congress and the Executive branch about common needs of the Guard as a whole and also provide support to members of the National Guard.

### National Guard

Each adjutant general commands their state's Army and Air National Guard units which are not on federal active duty. When a National Guard unit is federalized it is moved from state command to the Department of Defense and placed under an Army or Air Force command.

### State defense forces

Twenty-three adjutants general have responsibility for military land forces that comprise state level militias under the command of the various governors and generally have state support missions. Eight of which maintain a naval militia division. Two adjutants general, Puerto Rico and Texas, are also responsible for an air support component.

### Emergency management agencies

Some adjutant generals are responsible for oversight of the state's emergency management organization. These groups are non-military organizations but have a close working relationship with the state's National Guard and any state defense forces. They are the state level agency that works directly with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters.

### Homeland security

Some states have assigned their adjutant general the responsibility for overseeing homeland security. In other states, this responsibility may be assigned to the state's law enforcement agency instead.

### Veteran’s affairs

Some states place their veteran's affairs organization in the state's military department under the oversight of the state adjutant general. Other states have an independent veteran's affairs department.

## List of adjutants general

Each adjutant general is the senior officer in the state's military structure. Many hold federal rank as active duty general officers, but others may for a variety of reasons, including mandatory federal military retirement age, only hold general officer rank from their state.
| Title | Adjutant General | State, district, or insular area | Rank | Svc | Assumed office | Appointed by |
| The Adjutant General of Alabama | David K. Pritchett | Alabama | Major General | ARNG | 2024 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Alaska | Torrence Saxe | Alaska | Lieutenant General (AK) | ANG | 2019 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Arizona | Kerry L. Muehlenbeck | Arizona | Major General | ANG | 2021 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Arkansas | Chad Bridges | Arkansas | Colonel | ARNG | 2024 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of California | Matthew P. Beevers | California | Major General | ARNG | 2023 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Colorado | Laura L. Clellan | Colorado | Major General | ARNG | 2020 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Connecticut | Francis J. Evon Jr. | Connecticut | Major General | ARNG | 2018 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Delaware | Michael R. Berry | Delaware | Major General | ARNG | 2019 | Governor |
| The Commanding General, District of Columbia National Guard | John C. Andonie | District of Columbia | Major General | ARNG | 2023 | President |
| The Adjutant General of the District of Columbia National Guard | Leland L. Blanchard II | District of Columbia | Brigadier General | ARNG | 2024 | President |
| The Adjutant General of Florida | John D. Haas | Florida | Major General | ARNG | 2023 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Georgia | Richard D. Wilson | Georgia | Major General | ARNG | 2024 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Guam | Michael Cruz | Guam | Brigadier General (GU) | ARNG | 2023 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Hawaii | Stephen F. Logan | Hawaii | Major General | ARNG | 2024 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Idaho | Timothy J. Donnellan | Idaho | Major General | ANG | 2024 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Illinois | Rodney C. Boyd | Illinois | Major General | ARNG | 2024 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Indiana | Lawrence M. Muennich | Indiana | Brigadier General | ARNG | 2025 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Iowa | Stephen E. Osborn | Iowa | Major General | ARNG | 2023 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Kansas | Michael T. Venerdi | Kansas | Brigadier General | ANG | 2023 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Kentucky | Haldane B. Lamberton | Kentucky | Major General | ARNG | 2020 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Louisiana | Thomas C. Friloux | Louisiana | Brigadier General | ARNG | 2024 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Maine | Diane L. Dunn | Maine | Brigadier General | ARNG | 2024 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Maryland | Janeen L. Birckhead | Maryland | Major General | ARNG | 2023 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Massachusetts | Gary W. Keefe | Massachusetts | Major General | ANG | 2016 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Michigan | Paul D. Rogers | Michigan | Major General | ARNG | 2019 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Minnesota | Shawn P. Manke | Minnesota | Major General | ARNG | 2020 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Mississippi | Bobby M. Ginn Jr. | Mississippi | Major General (MS) | ARNG | 2024 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Missouri | Levon E. Cumpton | Missouri | Major General | ARNG | 2019 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Montana | John P. Hronek | Montana | Major General | ANG | 2021 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Nebraska | Craig W. Strong | Nebraska | Major General | ANG | 2023 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Nevada | D. Rodger Waters | Nevada | Brigadier General | ARNG | 2024 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of New Hampshire | David J. Mikolaities | New Hampshire | Major General | ARNG | 2017 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of New Jersey | Yvonne Mays (acting) | New Jersey | Colonel | ARNG | 2024 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of New Mexico | Miguel Aguilar | New Mexico | Major General | ARNG | 2021 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of New York | Raymond F. Shields Jr. | New York | Major General | ARNG | 2018 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of North Carolina | M. Todd Hunt | North Carolina | Major General | ARNG | 2019 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of North Dakota | Mitchell R. Johnson | North Dakota | Brigadier General | ANG | 2024 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Ohio | John C. Harris Jr. | Ohio | Major General | ARNG | 2019 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Oklahoma | Thomas H. Mancino | Oklahoma | Major General | ARNG | 2021 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Oregon | Alan Gronewold | Oregon | Brigadier General | ARNG | 2023 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Pennsylvania | John R. Pippy | Pennsylvania | Brigadier General | ARNG | 2024 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Puerto Rico | Miguel A. Mendez | Puerto Rico | Major General | ARNG | 2023 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Rhode Island | Andrew J. Chevalier | Rhode Island | Brigadier General | ARNG | 2025 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of South Carolina | R. Van McCarty | South Carolina | Major General | ARNG | 2019 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of South Dakota | Mark R. Morrell | South Dakota | Major General (SD) | ARNG | 2023 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Tennessee | Warner A. Ross II | Tennessee | Major General | ARNG | 2019 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Texas | Thomas M. Suelzer | Texas | Major General | ANG | 2022 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Utah | Daniel D. Boyack | Utah | Brigadier General | ANG | 2023 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Vermont | Gregory C. Knight | Vermont | Major General | ARNG | 2019 | Legislature |
| The Adjutant General of the U.S. Virgin Islands | Kodjo S. Knox-Limbacker | U.S. Virgin Islands | Major General | ARNG | 2019 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Virginia | James W. Ring | Virginia | Major General | ARNG | 2023 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Washington | Gent Welsh Jr. | Washington | Major General | ANG | 2024 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of West Virginia | William E. Crane | West Virginia | Major General | ARNG | 2021 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Wisconsin | David W. May | Wisconsin | Brigadier General | ANG | 2024 | Governor |
| The Adjutant General of Wyoming | Gregory C. Porter | Wyoming | Major General | ARNG | 2019 | Governor |