Donald E . Edwards Major General Donald E . Edwards ( born June 15 , 1937 ) was the Adjutant General of the State of Vermont , serving as the senior uniformed officer in the state and responsible for the organization , training and equipping of nearly 4 , 000 members of the Vermont Army and Air National Guard . His position as Adjutant General also included appointment as Inspector General and Quartermaster General , and head of the State Military Department , including the Veterans Affairs office . Early life and start of military career . Donald Everett Edwards was born in Bellows Falls , Vermont on June 15 , 1937 . He began his military career as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army Armor Branch in 1959 after graduation from Norwich University and completion of the Reserve Officer Training Corps program . He later became qualified as a Transportation officer , and served with the regular Army until 1971 , including deployment to Vietnam . He served in the Army Reserve from 1971 until his appointment as Adjutant General of the Vermont National Guard in 1981 . Civilian career . Between leaving active duty in 1971 and being appointed Adjutant General in 1981 , Edwards was employed as a dealer in fine arts and antiques and an appraiser of real property , antiques and household effects . He also served as a member of Grafton , Vermont ’ s School Board and Planning Commission as well as the Windham Regional Planning Commission . From 1975 to 1981 he was a Democratic member of the Vermont House of Representatives . Education . Edwards is also a graduate of the Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at Harvard University ' s John F . Kennedy School of Government . Assignments . 1 . June 6 , 1959 – October 31 , 1971 , United States Army , including deployment for the Vietnam War < br > 2 . November 1 , 1971 – February 28 , 1981 , United States Army Reserve , including command of the 413th Supply and Service Battalion < br > 3 . March 1 , 1981 – March 31 , 1997 , The Adjutant General , Vermont National Guard , Winooski ( later Colchester ) , Vermont Awards and Decorations . Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal Meritorious Service Medal Army Commendation Medal ( with Two Oak Leaf Clusters ) Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal ( with One Silver Oak Leaf Cluster ) National Defense Service Medal ( with One Bronze Service Star ) Vietnam Service Medal Armed Forces Reserve Medal ( with Silver Hourglass ) Army Service Ribbon Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon ( with Numeral 1 ) Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal ( First Class ) Vietnam Transportation Badge Overseas Service Bar ( 4 ) Vermont Outstanding Unit Award Vermont Service Ribbon ( with 3 Bronze Service Stars ) Vermont Duty Ribbon ( with 4 Bronze Service Stars ) Vermont State Special Duty Ribbon Effective Dates of Promotion . Second Lieutenant , June 6 , 1959 First Lieutenant , December 6 , 1960 Captain , June 6 , 1963 Major , July 14 , 1967 Lieutenant Colonel , December 15 , 1975 Colonel , December 14 , 1980 Brigadier General , March 2 , 1982 Major General , May 10 , 1983 Military Retirement . In 1997 Edwards was defeated for reappointment as Adjutant General , losing to Martha Rainville . ( In Vermont , the Adjutant General is elected for a two year term by a secret ballot of the Vermont General Assembly . ) Rainville became the first woman to ever be appointed as a state Adjutant General . Edwards retired from the military upon Rainville assuming the Adjutant General ' s duties . Later career . After his military retirement General Edwards served on the staff of Bernie Sanders for two years . Later he was an on air commentator for Fox News and the Executive Vice President of an Information Technology company . Retirement . In retirement Edwards continued to comment on public affairs in magazine articles and other media . He was a member of the National Veterans Steering Committee during John F . Kerry ' s 2004 presidential campaign . Edwards currently resides in South Bristol , Maine and Ashburn , Virginia . Other Achievements . Edwards served as President of the Adjutants General Association of the United States and was a Vice President of the National Guard Association of the United States .