Lieutenant General Daniel Hokanson was confirmed as the 29th chief of the National Guard Bureau by the Senate. Hokanson, who will also be a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will be promoted to four-star general, the highest-ranking officer in the nation's oldest military force.
He is currently the director of the Army Guard. Before taking the helm of the Army Guard in June 2019, Hokanson served as the NGB’s vice chief from November 2016.
The Guard Bureau chief is responsible for ensuring nearly 450,000 Guard soldiers and airmen are ready and able to conduct their combat and homeland response missions. The chief also serves as a military adviser to the president, secretary of defense and National Security Council. In addition, he is the Defense Department’s official channel of communication to the governors and state adjutants general on all Guard matters.
His combat deployments include operations Just Cause (Panama), Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and Iraqi Freedom. Hokanson served as Oregon’s adjutant general from 2013 to 2015. “General Hokanson knows the Guard. He knows the Guard Bureau. And he knows Washington,” said retired Brig. Gen. J. Roy Robinson, the NGAUS president. “He will be a very effective advocate for Guard soldiers and airmen in the Pentagon. We look forward to working with him.” Read more.