Steven A. Cray

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Steven A. Cray
Steven A. Cray (3).jpg
Major General Steven A. Cray
Born (1964-06-15) June 15, 1964 (age 58)
Burlington, Vermont
Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Air Force
Years of service1984–2019
Rank US-O8 insignia.svg Major general
Unit Vermont National Guard
Commands held Vermont National Guard
Awards Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal
Other work Commercial Airline Pilot, American Airlines
Website http://www.vtguard.com

Major General Steven A. Cray (born June 15, 1964) was the Adjutant General of Vermont. In this post he served as the senior uniformed officer in the state, and was responsible for the organization, training and equipping of the 4,000 members of the Vermont Army and Air National Guard. As adjutant general, he also served as inspector general, quartermaster general and head of the State Military Department, including the Vermont State Guard and Veterans Affairs.

Contents

Early life

Steven A. Cray was born in Burlington, Vermont, on June 15, 1964. [1] He graduated from the University of Vermont (UVM) in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science degree in business. [2]

Military career

General Cray enlisted in the Vermont Air National Guard while a student at UVM. [3] He received his commission as a second lieutenant after graduating from the Academy of Military Science in 1984. [4]

He became a pilot and attained the rating of command pilot, logging over 2,500 hours of military flying, mostly in the F-16. [5] He is a qualified Joint Task Force Commander [3] and held a variety of command, supervisory and staff positions in the 158th Fighter Wing and Vermont Joint Force Headquarters. [3] Prior to his appointment as adjutant general he served as assistant adjutant general for air. [6]

Election as adjutant general

In 2012 Michael Dubie left the adjutant general's position to become deputy commander of United States Northern Command. He was succeeded on an interim basis by Thomas E. Drew.

In February, 2013 Cray defeated three other candidates in the Vermont General Assembly election for the position. [7] In Vermont, the adjutant general is elected for a two-year term in secret balloting by a combined meeting of the Vermont House of Representatives and Vermont State Senate. At the time, elections took place in February of each odd-numbered year. [8]

Cray was promoted to major general and took over from Drew in a ceremony on March 1, 2013, and Drew retired. [9]

Reelection as adjutant general

On February 19, 2015, the Vermont General Assembly reelected Cray to a two-year term. He was unopposed, and won by unanimous voice vote. [10] In February 2017, Cray was re-elected to another two-year term, again by unanimous voice vote. [11] He did not run for re-election in 2019. [12] Cray was presented with the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal at his March 2019 retirement ceremony. [13] He was succeeded by Brigadier General Gregory C. Knight. [14]

Civilian career

Before becoming adjutant general, General Cray was employed as a commercial airline pilot with American Airlines, and logged over 10,000 flight hours. [15] He also served as president of the Vermont National Guard Charitable Foundation and on other civic and charitable boards and commissions. [16]

Education

Assignments

  1. January 1985 – February 1986, student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Williams Air Force Base, Arizona
  2. March 1986 – April 1986, student, AT-38, Fighter Lead-In Training, Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico
  3. April 1986 – November 1986, student, F-16 Replacement Training Unit, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida
  4. November 1986 – January 1989, assistant standards and evaluation officer, F-16, 134th Fighter Squadron, Burlington, Vermont
  5. January 1989 – July 1992, safety officer/flight lead, F-16, 134th Fighter Squadron, Burlington, Vermont
  6. July 1992 – April 1994, instructor pilot, F-16, 134th Fighter Squadron, Burlington, Vermont
  7. April 1994 – August 1997, supervisor of flying/flight commander F-16, 134th Fighter Squadron, Burlington, Vermont
  8. August 1997 – September 2002, standards and evaluation flight examiner, 134th Fighter Squadron, Burlington, Vermont
  9. September 2002 – May 2004, director of operations, Joint Force Headquarters, Vermont Air National Guard, Colchester, Vermont
  10. May 2004 – May 2006, director of plans and programs, Joint Force Headquarters, Vermont Air National Guard, Colchester, Vermont
  11. May 2006 – April 2009, chief of staff, Joint Force Headquarters, Vermont Air National Guard, Colchester, Vermont
  12. April 2009 – March 2013, assistant adjutant general-air, Vermont National Guard, Joint Force Headquarters, Vermont Air National Guard, Colchester, Vermont
  13. March 2013 – March 2019, adjutant general, Vermont National Guard, Joint Force Headquarters, Colchester, Vermont [3] [17]

Flight information

General Cray holds the rating of Command Pilot. [3] He has flown more than 2,500 hours. The aircraft he has flown include the F-16A/B/C/D, AT-38, T-38, and T-37. [3]

Awards and decorations

COMMAND PILOT WINGS.png US Air Force Command Pilot Badge
Air Force Distinguished Service ribbon.svg Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit ribbon.svg Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service ribbon.svg Meritorious Service Medal
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Aerial Achievement Medal ribbon.svg
Aerial Achievement Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation ribbon.svg Oak leaf cluster, bronze.svg Oak leaf cluster, bronze.svg Air Force Commendation Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
Outstanding Unit ribbon.svg Valor device.svg Oak leaf cluster, bronze.svg Oak leaf cluster, bronze.svg Oak leaf cluster, bronze.svg Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters and "V" Device
Organizational Excellence ribbon.svg Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
Combat Readiness Medal ribbon.svg Silver oakleaf-3d.svg Oak leaf cluster, bronze.svg Oak leaf cluster, bronze.svg Oak leaf cluster, bronze.svg Combat Readiness Medal with 1 Silver Oak Leaf Cluster and 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg
National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg
National Defense Service Medal with bronze service star
AFEMRib.svg Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service ribbon.svg Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Outstanding Volunteer Service ribbon.svg Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal
Air Force Longevity Service ribbon.svg Silver oakleaf-3d.svg Oak leaf cluster, bronze.svg Air Force Longevity Service Award with silver and bronze oak leaf cluster
AFRM with Hourglass Device (Silver).jpg M device.png Armed Forces Reserve Medal with silver hourglass and "M" Device
Air Force Training Ribbon.svg Air Force Training Ribbon
Vermont Medal for Merit.JPG Vermont Medal of Merit
Vermont Commendation Medal.JPG Vermont Commendation Medal
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Meritorious Service Ribbon.JPG
Vermont Meritorious Service Ribbon with oak leaf cluster
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Outstanding Unit Award.JPG
Vermont Outstanding Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
Career Service Award.JPG Vermont Career Service Award
Service Ribbon 1.JPG Oak leaf cluster, bronze.svg Oak leaf cluster, bronze.svg Oak leaf cluster, bronze.svg Vermont Service Ribbon with three oak leaf clusters
Duty Ribbon.JPG Oak leaf cluster, bronze.svg Oak leaf cluster, bronze.svg Oak leaf cluster, bronze.svg Vermont Duty Ribbon with three oak leaf clusters [3]

Effective dates of promotions

Promotions
InsigniaRankDate
US-O8 insignia.svg Major general March 1, 2013
US-O7 insignia.svg Brigadier general September 27, 2007
US-O6 insignia.svg Colonel June 4, 2004
US-O5 insignia.svg Lieutenant colonel August 2, 1998
US-O4 insignia.svg Major July 9, 1994
US-O3 insignia.svg Captain August 1, 1989
US-OF1A.svg First lieutenant January 10, 1987
US-OF1B.svg Second lieutenant December 6, 1984 [3]

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References

  1. ↑ U.S. Public Records Index, Volume 1, entry for Steven A. Cray, accessed March 2, 2013
  2. ↑ General Officer Management Office (2018). "Biographical Sketch, Steven A. Cray". National Guard.mil. Arlington, VA: National Guard Bureau.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Biographical Sketch, Steven A. Cray".
  4. ↑ Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS), Biography, Steven A. Cray Archived 2012-05-19 at the Wayback Machine , accessed March 2, 2013
  5. ↑ Wilson Ring, Associated Press, Vt. Legislature Poised to Elect New Guard Chief, Boston Globe, February 19, 2013
  6. ↑ Peter Hirschfeld, Vermont Press Bureau, Steven Cray to Serve as Next Adjutant General of Vermont National Guard Archived 2013-03-05 at the Wayback Machine , February 21, 2013
  7. ↑ Wilson Ring, Associated Press, Challenges Await Incoming Vt. Guard Chief, February 21, 2013
  8. ↑ Vermont Emergency Management Agency, Annex O, Vermont Emergency Management Plan [ permanent dead link ], 2011, page 1
  9. ↑ Sam Hemingway, Burlington Free Press, Cray Takes Helm of Vermont Guard in Ceremony at Camp Johnson, March 1, 2013
  10. ↑ Associated Press (February 19, 2015). "Vermont Lawmakers Oust Incumbent Sergeant-at-Arms, Re-elect Guard Chief, Elect 3 to UVM Board". Johnson County Daily Journal. Franklin, IN. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015.
  11. ↑ Bloomer, John H. Jr., Secretary of the Senate (February 16, 2017). "Journal of the Joint Assembly" (PDF). legislature.vermont.gov. Montpelier, VT: Vermont General Assembly. p. 4. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  12. ↑ Aloe, Jess (December 3, 2018). "Maj. General Steven Cray will retire after six years as Vermont National Guard's top officer". Burlington Free Press. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  13. ↑ Vermont National Guard (March 8, 2019). "The Vermont National Guard Family: "Bittersweet Hello's and Goodbyes"". Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS). Fort Meade, MD.
  14. ↑ Arcari, Brandon (March 8, 2019). "New day for Vermont Guard as Knight takes over". Vermont Business. South Burlington, VT.
  15. ↑ Nancy Remsen, Burlington Free Press, 'Strategic thinker' Cray to Lead Guard, February 21, 2013
  16. ↑ Vermont National Guard Charitable Foundation, Board of Directors Biography, Steven A. Cray, accessed March 2, 2013
  17. ↑ Johnson, Mark (March 8, 2019). "Knight succeeds Cray as Guard commander". VTDigger. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
Military offices
Preceded by Vermont Adjutant General
2013–Present		Succeeded by
incumbent
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