Gen. Joseph Lengyel sworn in as National Guard Bureau Chief

Secretary of Defense Ash Carter swore in Gen. Joseph Lengyel as Chief of the National Guard Bureau (NGB) at the Pentagon. 

Lengyel succeeds Army Gen. Frank Grass who is retiring.  Grass had been the first NGB Chief to be on the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). Secretary of Defense Ash Carter thanked Gen. Grass for his strong leadership as the National Guard chief.

Secretary of Defense Ash Carter called Gen, Lengyel a “proven strategic thinker” who “will lead this force with certainty, clearly and the full confidence and trust of myself and the president.”

Gen. Lengyel has been the Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau since August 2012.  Prior to that he was the Chief of the Office of Military Cooperation and Defense Attaché, U.S. Central Command, Cairo, Egypt.  He has also served as: Vice-Commander. 1^st Air Force (Air Forces Northern) Tyndall AFB (July 2010-June 2011); Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Programs, HQ, USAF (June 2010-July 2010); Commander, Air National Guard Readiness Center, Andrews AFB (September 2006-September 2008); Commander, 455^th Expeditionary Operations Group, Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan (June 2004-September 2004).

Lengyel was commissioned through Reserve Officer Training Corp Program in 1981.  His Air Force operational and staff assignments include:  Commander, 149^th Operations Group, Kelly AFB (September 1996-June 1997); Commander 182^nd Fighter Squadron, Kelly AFB (October 1998-October 1999); and Commander, 149^th Operations Group, Lackland AFB (October 1999-February 2002)

Gen Lengyel is the 28^th Chief of the National Guard Bureau and will lead over 450,000 Army and Air National Guard personnel.