H. Steven Blum | |
---|---|
Born | Baltimore, Maryland | October 13, 1946
Allegiance | United States |
Service/ | United States Army Army National Guard |
Years of service | 1971–2010 |
Rank | Lieutenant general |
Commands held | National Guard Bureau Multinational Division (North) 29th Infantry Division 3rd Brigade, 29th Infantry Division 1st Battalion, 115th Infantry Regiment |
Battles/wars | War on terror |
Awards | Defense Distinguished Service Medal (2) Army Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit (3) |
Other work | Managing Director and Group Practice Leader, Sitrick Brincko Group Advisor, Blakely Educational Services, Inc. |
H. Steven Blum (born October 13, 1946) is a retired United States Army lieutenant general. He served as the 25th chief of the National Guard Bureau from 2003 to 2008. His last assignment before retiring was deputy commander, United States Northern Command, where he concurrently served as vice commander, United States Element, North American Aerospace Defense Command. He retired from the Army National Guard on May 21, 2010.
Blum was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on October 13, 1946. [1] He attended Forest Park High School, graduating in 1963. [2] He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of Baltimore in 1968. [3]
Soon after graduating, Blum enlisted in the Maryland Army National Guard. His unit was activated in April 1968, in response to the Baltimore riot of 1968 that broke out following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Blum would later recall that "he heard more shots fired in the weeks he worked downtown Baltimore's streets than during any of his other deployments – at home or abroad." [4]
Blum taught United States history at Pimlico Junior High School before accepting a full-time position with the Army National Guard in 1971. He received a Master of Science degree in social science from Morgan State College in 1973.
Blum is Jewish, and is a member of Jewish War Veterans. [5]
Blum received his commission from Officer Candidate School on August 28, 1971, graduating with honors. He subsequently carried out staff and command assignments at every level from platoon to division, including command of a Special Forces Operational Detachment-A, Light Infantry Battalion, Infantry Brigade, and Division Support Command. [6]
Blum's general officer assignments included Assistant Adjutant General for the Maryland Army National Guard, assistant division commander (support) and commander of the 29th Infantry Division (Light), and chief of staff, United States Northern Command. [7]
Blum served as commanding general for Multinational Division (North) Stabilization Force 10 in Bosnia and Herzegovina during 2001 and 2002 as part of Operation Joint Forge. [8]
During his tenure at SFOR, Blum received high marks for his military and diplomatic ability to command and coordinate multiple units of various nations. In his last work, To America: Personal Reflections of an Historian, the late historian Stephen Ambrose compared Blum favorably to Dwight Eisenhower in World War II. [9]
In April 2003 Blum was appointed chief of the National Guard Bureau and promoted to lieutenant general. [10]
When his term expired in 2007 he received a two-year extension. [11]
As chief of the National Guard Bureau, Blum was the senior uniformed National Guard officer, responsible for formulating, developing, and coordinating all policies, programs, and plans affecting more than half a million federalized and nonfederalized Army National Guard and Air National Guard personnel. Appointed by the U.S. president, he served as the principal adviser to the Secretary of Defense and Chief of Staff of the Army, and Chief of Staff of the Air Force on all National Guard issues. His duties also included serving as the Army's and Air Force's official channel of communication with state governors and adjutants general concerning the 54 state and territorial National Guards.
Blum served as chief until November, 2008 and was succeeded by Craig R. McKinley. [12]
Following his term as chief of the National Guard Bureau, Blum was assigned as Deputy Commander of the United States Northern Command. [13]
As deputy commander, United States Northern Command, Blum helped lead the command to anticipate, prepare, and respond to threats and aggression aimed at the United States, its territories, and interests within the assigned area of responsibility and, as directed by the president or Secretary of Defense, provided defense support to civil authorities including consequence management operations.
He served at NORTHCOM until retiring in May, 2010. [14]
After his retirement from the military, Blum accepted a position as managing director and group practice leader with the Sitrick Brincko Group. [15]
He was also an Executive in Residence at Johns Hopkins University, School of Education, Division of Public Safety and Leadership. [16]
As of 2012, Blum is affiliated with Blakely Educational Services, Inc., a firm which provides educational services to the United States military, its allies, and for other organizations. [17]
On July 18, 2006, Blum was awarded the NAACP Meritorious Service Award at their 31st annual Armed Services and Veterans Affairs Awards banquet. [18] Some atheists and agnostics objected to certain remarks about their lack of religious belief, and his paraphrased repetition of the "no atheists in foxholes" assertion. According to Blum in his remarks: "The strength of this nation is that it's not homogeneous. We don't all look alike. We don't all think alike. We don't all play alike. We don't all have the same physical attributes."
In addition, Blum is a graduate of:
Defense Distinguished Service Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster) | |
Army Distinguished Service Medal | |
Defense Superior Service Medal | |
Legion of Merit (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters) | |
Meritorious Service Medal (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters) | |
Army Commendation Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster) | |
Army Achievement Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster) | |
Joint Meritorious Unit Award | |
Army Superior Unit Award (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster) | |
Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal (with 1 Silver and 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters) | |
National Defense Service Medal (with 2 Bronze Service Stars) | |
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal | |
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal | |
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal | |
Armed Forces Service Medal | |
Humanitarian Service Medal | |
Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with "M" Device and Gold Hourglass) | |
Army Service Ribbon | |
Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon | |
NATO Medal |
Rank | Date |
---|---|
Lieutenant general | 13 April 2003 |
Major general | 1 February 2000 |
Brigadier general | 1 August 1996 |
Colonel | 3 January 1989 |
Lieutenant colonel | 1 October 1982 |
Major | 8 September 1978 |
Captain | 3 September 1974 |
First lieutenant | 28 August 1972 |
Second lieutenant | 28 August 1971 |
The Army National Guard (ARNG), in conjunction with the Air National Guard, is an organized militia force and a federal military reserve force of the United States Army. They are simultaneously part of two different organizations: the ARNG of each state, most territories, and the District of Columbia, as well as the federal ARNG. The ARNG is divided into subordinate units stationed in each U.S. region, operating under their respective governors and governor-equivalents.
The 29th Infantry Division, also known as the "Blue and Gray Division", is an infantry division of the United States Army based in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. It is currently a formation of the U.S. Army National Guard and contains units from Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and West Virginia.
The 115th Infantry Regiment, Maryland Army National Guard was an infantry regiment of the United States Army. It traced its roots back to the American Revolutionary War, although its official U.S. Army lineage begins in 1881. The units to which the 115th Regiment claims lineage served in the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, but the 115th itself was only credited with service in World War I, World War II, and the Global War on Terror. Prior to the reorganization into the 58th Brigade Combat Team, the 1–115th was part of the Third Brigade, 29th Infantry Division (Light). In 2006, the 115th was consolidated (merged) with the 175th Infantry Regiment. As a result of this consolidation, it no longer exists as a separate regiment.
The Georgia National Guard is the National Guard of the U.S. state of Georgia, and consists of the Georgia Army National Guard and the Georgia Air National Guard. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. The state functions range from limited actions during non-emergency situations to full scale law enforcement of martial law when local law enforcement officials can no longer maintain civil control.
The 58th Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade is a military intelligence brigade of the United States Army National Guard in Maryland. It was largely formed from the personnel and equipment of the 58th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade and officially stood up in its present configuration on 1 August 2015. Most recently, members of the brigade joined state efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Maryland and constituted one of the last U.S. Army National Guard units to serve in the War in Afghanistan, returning to Maryland in February, 2021.
The United States Marine Corps is organized within the Department of the Navy, which is led by the Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV). The most senior Marine commissioned officer is the Commandant of the Marine Corps, responsible for organizing, recruiting, training, and equipping the Marine Corps so that it is ready for operation under the command of the unified combatant commanders. The Marine Corps is organized into four principal subdivisions: Headquarters Marine Corps, the Operating Forces, the Supporting Establishment, and the Marine Forces Reserve.
The District of Columbia Army National Guard is the Army component of the District of Columbia National Guard. As the District of Columbia is a federal district and not a state, the guard is placed under the authority of the President of the United States, unlike most other National Guard units which are headed by their state's governor.
The District of Columbia National Guard is the branch of the United States National Guard based in the District of Columbia. It comprises both the D.C. Army National Guard and the D.C. Air National Guard components.
The Maryland Army National Guard is the United States Army component of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is headquartered at the old Fifth Regiment Armory at the intersection of North Howard Street, 29th Division Street, near Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard in Baltimore and has additional units assigned and quartered at several regional armories, bases/camps and other facilities across the state.
Michael Spigelmire is a retired lieutenant general of the United States Army.
In the United States (US) military, a beret flash is a shield-shaped embroidered cloth that is typically 2.25 in (5.72 cm) tall and 1.875 in (4.76 cm) wide with a semi–circular base that is attached to a stiffener backing of a military beret. These flashes—a British English word for a colorful cloth patch attached to military headgear—are worn over the left eye with the excess cloth of the beret shaped, folded, and pulled over the right ear giving it a distinctive appearance.
The 175th Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Maryland Army National Guard. It is one of several National Guard units with colonial roots and campaign credit for the War of 1812.
Lieutenant General William E. Ingram Jr. is a retired United States Army officer who served as the Director of the Army National Guard. He was the 20th individual and the third three-star general to lead the Army National Guard since 1948, when the office was established as Chief, Army Division, National Guard Bureau. In this assignment Ingram guided the formulation, development and implementation of all programs and policies affecting the Army National Guard, a force of more than 350,000 citizen soldiers in the 50 States, three Territories and the District of Columbia.
Walter E. Fountain is a retired United States Army officer who attained the rank of major general. In his final assignment, he served beginning in January 2018 as Director of Domestic Operations and Force Development at the National Guard Bureau. His previous assignments include Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for National Guard Matters, Deputy Director for Domestic Operations (J-3) at United States Northern Command, Assistant Adjutant General of the Oklahoma National Guard, and acting Deputy Director of the Army National Guard.
Linda L. Singh is a retired major general of the Maryland Army National Guard.
The 110th Information Operations Field Support Battalion is an information operations battalion of the United States Army and the Army National Guard.
Harry E. Miller Jr. is a retired Army National Guard officer. A veteran of the Iraq War, he attained the rank of major general as commander of the 42nd Infantry Division, a position he held from 2013 to 2017.
Steven N. Wickstrom is a retired Army National Guard officer. He attained the rank of major general as commander of the 42nd Infantry Division from 2009 to 2013.
Major General Francis J. Evon Jr. is the Adjutant General of the Connecticut National Guard. He is responsible to the Governor and the Chief, National Guard Bureau, for providing operationally trained, equipped and mission-ready forces to support both U.S. mobilization requirements and state emergency operations to include developing and coordinating counter terrorism and domestic preparedness contingencies for the State of Connecticut. He implements policies, programs, and plans as the direct link to all state assigned National Guard resources, providing information and evaluation, issue resolution and action recommendations. General Evon began his military career in 1985 as an enlisted Anti-Tank Crewman in the Combat Support Company, 2nd Battalion, 102nd Infantry of the Connecticut Army National Guard. He was commissioned through the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps in 1989. Major General Evon has held command leadership positions at the company, battalion, and brigade levels. He served as commander of the 1st Battalion, 102d Infantry Regiment in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom from November 2009 to November 2010. Prior to his current assignment, General Evon served as the assistant adjutant general for the Connecticut Army National Guard. His promotion to major general was confirmed at the federal level by the U.S. Senate on May 23, 2019.
Jeff W. Mathis III was a career officer in the United States Army. A longtime member of the Army National Guard, Mathis attained the rank of major general before retiring in 2014. A veteran of overseas deployment to Africa during the Global War on Terrorism, he was most notable for high profile command assignments including Joint Task Force – Civil Support (2012-2014) and I Corps (2009-2010).