Richard C . Nash Major General Richard C . Nash ( born 1950 ) is the current Adjutant General of the Minnesota National Guard , having been appointed to that position by the Governor of Minnesota in 2010 . Nash has previously served as Commanding General of both US Army and multi - national forces including the US Army ' s 34th Infantry Division , the Multi - National Division - South during Operation Iraqi Freedom , and the Multi - National Brigade - North ( SFOR - 14 ) in Bosnia Herzegovina during Operation Joint Forge . His prior positions also include Special Assistant to the Combatant Commander , North American Aerospace Defense Command ( NORAD ) , United States Northern Command , and Assistant Division Commander ( Maneuver ) for the 34th Infantry Division in Iraq . Education . Nash received a Bachelor of Science degree in Health , Biology and Physical Education from Mankato State University in 1972 . He is also a graduate of the US Army War College and the United States Army Infantry School ' s Basic and Advanced Infantry Officer Courses . Personal history . Born in Minnesota on September 10 , 1950 , Nash spent his civilian career in construction management , working in executive positions at Hanson Spancrete Midwest , Maple Grove , and Fabcon , Inc . Major General Nash retired from Hanson Spancrete Midwest as the vice president in 2004 in order to devote more time to his military responsibilities . Military career . Nash was drafted into the Army July 16 , 1972 , and after graduating from Mankato State University , he received his commission as a second lieutenant on April 11 , 1976 . His first assignment was as a communications platoon leader , Headquarters Company , 1st Brigade , 47th Infantry Division , in Stillwater , Minnesota . He then served with 1st Battalion , 135th Infantry Regiment , in Rochester , Minnesota . There he served as a platoon leader and detachment commander for Company C , Battalion S - 2 and Battalion S - 4 . Following his attendance at the Infantry Officer Advanced Course , Nash assumed command of Company C , 1st Battalion , 135th Infantry Regiment , and later moved on to serve as the battalion ' s operations officer ( S - 3 ) . He continued in the operations officer role when he was transferred to 1st Brigade , 47th Infantry Division in 1989 . In 1991 , Lt . Col . Nash returned to the 135th Infantry Regiment , but this time to the 2nd Battalion as battalion commander . Upon his promotion to colonel , he assumed command of the 1st Brigade , 34th Infantry Division , out of Stillwater , Minnesota , until 1999 , when he became the director of facility management at Little Falls , Minnesota . On October 1 , 2000 , Nash was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General and was promoted to Assistant Division Commander ( maneuver ) of the 34th Infantry Division . From June 2003 to April 2004 , Nash served as commanding general of the Multi - National Brigade ( North ) ( SFOR - 14 ) during Operation Joint Forge in Bosnia Herzegovina , and upon his return to the United States , he resumed his position as Assistant Division Commander for the 34th Infantry Division . On June 22 , 2004 , Nash received his second star . Along with this promotion to the rank of Major General , Nash was appointed to serve as Special Assistant to the Combatant Commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command ( NORAD ) and United States Northern Command ( NORTHCOM ) and the command ' s National Guard Liaison . In 2007 , Maj . Gen . Nash returned to the 34th Infantry Division , this time to serve as the division ' s commanding general . Two years later , in February 2009 , the division deployed for a year long tour of duty in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom . General Nash assumed command of the Multi - National Division South ( MND - South ) ( also known as Task Force Mountain ) , based at Contingency Operating Base Basra . The forces of MND - South primarily consisted of Iraqi Security Force s supported by the US Army ' s 34th Infantry Division . The primary mission of MND - South was to assist and support Iraqi security forces with security and stability missions in the area south of Baghdad ranging from Najaf to Wasit provinces extending south to Basra . Due to the departure of British and Polish forces from adjoining regions , General Nash ' s MND - South was responsible for a much larger area of operations than previous forces stationed in the Basra region . The withdrawal of the Polish forces that had led the Multi - National Division Central - South ( MND - Central South ) forced the U . S . led Multi - National Division Center ( MND - Center ) to shift into areas formerly controlled by MND - Central South , leaving General Nash ' s MND - South responsible for much of the area south of Baghdad that had previously been under the control of MND - Center . Then , as British forces prepared to depart from Iraq , on March 31 , 2009 , MND - South assumed responsibility for additional areas that had been controlled by the British - led Multi - National Division South East ( MND - South East ) . After a highly successful deployment , the 34th Infantry Division returned to the United States in February 2010 . Major General Nash remained commander of the 34th Infantry Division until November 2010 , when Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty appointed him as Adjutant General of the Minnesota National Guard . As Adjutant General , Maj . Gen . Nash oversees the entire forces of the state ' s Army and Air National Guard units , which include the 34th Infantry Division , 34th Combat Aviation Brigade , 133rd Airlift Wing , 148th Fighter Wing , 84th Troop Command , 347th Regional Support Group , 175th Regiment Regional Training Center , and the Camp Ripley Training Center , in addition to numerous smaller and subordinate units . As Adjutant General , Maj . Gen . Nash is administrative head of the Minnesota Department of Military Affairs and he oversees the day - to - day operation and management of the fiscal , personnel , equipment and real property resources of the Minnesota National Guard and Minnesota Deapartment of Military Affairs .