D.C. National Guard welcomes new Adjutant General

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WASHINGTON, DC (03/02/2017) (readMedia)-- Brigadier General George M. Degnon assumed the duties as acting Adjutant General of the District of Columbia National Guard.

Degnon will be responsible for advising the D.C. National Guard Commanding General on legislation, policies, procedures and programs that have both a political and public impact on the DCNG mission. He will also be responsible for ensuring that all DCNG units are organized, trained and equipped to execute both the homeland and federal missions when so directed by the President when acting in the capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the D.C. National Guard.

"It is indeed a great honor and privilege to serve in this capacity and to continue my service to the District of Columbia National Guard," Degnon said. "I look forward to focusing on the mission, the people and having fun. The Airmen and Soldiers in our ranks are among the best in the military and they're the ones I look forward to serving."

Degnon becomes the acting adjutant general after his previous Title 10 assignment as the Deputy Commanding General for the Joint Force Headquarters-National Capitol Region in support of the 58th Presidential Inauguration. Prior to this, he was the commander of the 113th Wing, D.C. Air National Guard at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.

"The D.C. National Guard has a spectacular history and we will continue to build on that legacy," Degnon said. "Our nation increasingly relies on the National Guard every day and we must raise our level of play to not only meet but also exceed those weighty expectations. We have a lot of work to do in many areas and as a result, there will be significant changes to how we do business. These necessary changes will guide the organization in the direction it needs to go."

A native of Northern Virginia who now resides in Maryland, Degnon received his bachelor's degree and commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1988. He received his pilot rating, after completing Undergraduate Pilot Training, in 1989, from Laughlin AFB, Texas. He is a command pilot with more than 3,800 hours in the T-41 Mescalero, T-37 Tweet, T/AT-38 Talon, OV-10 Bronco and F-16 Fighting Falcon aircrafts. As an OV-10 pilot, he became a Jumpmaster-qualified, Forward Air Controller with the 82nd Airborne at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, and deployed in support of Operations Desert Shield/Storm.

Degnon joined the D.C. National Guard in 1998 as an F-16 flight instructor with the 121st Fighter Squadron. He was one of the DCANG pilots who flew sorties on September 11, 2001, and has since, flown aerospace control alert sorties in support of Operation Noble Eagle with the 113th Aerospace Control Alert Detachment. Additionally, he has flown combat sorties in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom with both 410th and 332nd Air Expeditionary Wings in 2003 and 2006 respectively. His list of command assignments prior to Wing Commander include 121st Fighter Squadron Commander, 113th Operations Group Commander, and 113th Wing Vice Commander. After serving as vice commander, he was assigned to the Pentagon to serve as a senior official inquiry officer with the Air Force Office of the Inspector General and as the Deputy Director of Readiness for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs. He also spent nine months as the director of staff for the congressionally mandated National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force.

His summary of in residence education includes the Joint Task Force Commander's Course, National Defense University, Reserve Component National Security Course, Advanced Joint Professional Military Education, Harvard University's Leadership in Homeland Security, Senior Leadership Officer Course, Syracuse University's National Security Decision Making Course, Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century, CAPSTONE, U.S. Northern Command's Dual Status Commander's Course, and the Joint Senior Reserve Officer Course.