Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper presides as Army Lt. Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, director of the Army National Guard, is promoted to general and takes over as 29th National Guard Bureau chief during ceremonies at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Virginia, August 3, 2020. Hokanson succeeds Air Force Gen. Joseph L. Lengyel, who has served as National Guard Bureau chief since August 2016.
Transcript
Good morning and welcome. Today we pay special tribute to Lieutenant General Daniel or Hokanson on the occasion of his promotion to general and change of Responsibility as the 29th chief of the National Guard Bureau. Relinquished by the 28th chief of the National Guard Bureau, General Joseph L. Lingo This morning second ceremony is hosted by the Honorable Mark Ts for the 27th Secretary of Defense. Please rise and remain standing for the arrival of the official party. The presentation of the colors by the armed forces Color guard, the singing of the national anthem by Staff Sergeant Ethan Green and the invocation given by Chaplin Colonel Matthew Pollock House you see by the dawn’s light what so proudly we That’s why light last me whose broad stripes on bright stars through the night or the parts way watched worse under the law, it’s red bar bombs bursting in a a growth truth on it. That’s hard. Waas It was hot horse way or under the home. Off the waiver. Go your soul. No Almighty God, you have declared the charity begins at home. And so it has always been our local men and women soldiers, pilots police and other protectors whom communities respect and trust the most. Today’s change of responsibility for the National Guard Bureau. We thank you for the service of General Joseph Lengel and his family, Sally and Katie and the many selfless sacrifices they have offered for the good of their local communities, our country and the world. I thank you in a special way and ask your blessings. Lieutenant General Dan Hawkinson, who will be promoted to the rank of general today to assume his new duties. He and his family, Kelly and the kids Victoria Daniel McKinnon, have likewise given their lives to this country. And at a time when some others might be pulling back on the throttle and slowing their pace, they have recommitted and continue full pitch because courage never quits. So please, God shine your light on the futures of the Lengel and tokens and families and smile on their ceremony today. Um, thank you. Armed forces color guard Sergeant Green and Chaplain Pawlikowski. Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. It is my pleasure to introduce the host of today’s ceremony. The honorable Mark Esper, the Secretary of Defense. Well, good morning. Everyone is a great privilege for me to be here today for this very special ceremony. As we honor General Joel Angles exceptional service and install General Dan Hawkinson as the 29th chief of the National Guard Bureau. Welcome to all of our distinguished guests, friends and family gathered here today. I want to recognize up front and thank General in Gil’s wife, Sally, and along with their three Children, Joe, Michael and Katie, who have faithfully supported him throughout his long and distinguished career. Thank you all very much for your sacrifice, Theo and to general hoping Sins family, his wife, Kelly and history Children who currently serve on active duty Victoria, Danny and MacKinnon. Thank you as well for your unwavering support and your continuing service. Thank you. We’re also delighted to be here to be joined today by General Wilkinson’s parents, Bob and Diane, as well as his two grandchildren. Island and Ida lean along with his brother Eric and sister Misty and brother in law Dan. Thank you all for joining us here today for General and Gail today marks the combination of a career that encompasses over 38 years of distinguished service to our nation, beginning with the Rot C program at the University of North Texas and spanning tours in South Korea, Germany, Afghanistan, Egypt and the most difficult of all Washington D. C. Just to name a few places. As a young aviator, he built upon the legacy of his father, fighter pilot Lieutenant Colonel Laurie Lengel, and honed his skills as an instructor, pilot and weapons officer, eventually logging more than 3000 flying hours, primarily in F 16 and commanding a fighter squadron operations group, Air Expeditionary Group and the Air National Guard Readiness Center. Today, this proud legacy lives on through General Angles son Michael, who is also an F 16 pilot. For more than 60 years and counting, the Lengel family has answered the nation’s call, demonstrating an uncommon commitment to service and sacrifice. Most recently, gentlemen, Gelles took responsibility for nations, citizen, soldiers and airman, first as vice chief, then chief of the National Guard Bureau. In this role, he expertly supported more than 4400 and 50,000 members of the guard as they responded to unprecedented crises at home and abroad from devastating hurricanes and wildfires, the volcanic eruptions and historic flooding to the Corona virus pandemic. and civil unrest. Despite these daunting challenges, he focused on operational readiness, working seamlessly with governors and agin generals and taking care of service members. In doing so, he laid the foundation for an extraordinary response at a time when our nation needed it most. As the Corona virus spread, he helped surge personnel, equipment and capabilities in the hot spots around the nation, bolstering hospital capacity, conducting tests, delivering food and supporting so many, many more other actions that, without question stemmed the spread of the virus and saved lives. And when the support the civil authorities mission expanded in the wake of George Floyd’s tragic murder, he adapted without hesitation, meeting the needs of state local authorities and demonstrating our military’s commitment, long standing commitment to protecting life property and ensuring the sacred rights of all Americans to peacefully protest and exercise their freedom of speech. Thank you. All told. In the month of June, nearly 84,000 National Guard members were engaged in domestic response efforts across all 54 states, territories and the District of Columbia, the largest DeMott domestic response in many, many years. The size, scope and speed of the guards response is a testament to his foresight and ability to streamline relationships with states and employers, enabling the guard to activate and deploy quickly in the hour of need. General Gail Joe, the department in our nation Oh, you! A tremendous debt of gratitude for your leadership and lasting contributions to the United States military into communities across the country is you and Sally Head to Texas. Rest assured that the guard is in good hands as you pass the torch to a well qualified leader. Thank you. Today, General Dan Hawkinson takes charge during unprecedented and challenging times for our great nation. Yet I know that he possesses the character, competence and wealth of experience needed to excel in this role. A West Point graduate, General, Hawkinson is commanded forces at the Company battalion and Brigade Combat Team levels, including mobilizing and deploying the 41st Brigade Combat Team during Operation Iraqi Freedom and also serving as the chief of staff for combined Joint Task Force Phoenix in Afghanistan. Later, he served as the edge in general for the state of Oregon, where they gained first hand experience preparing the state for large scale catastrophic events. In fact, the emergency response playbook he developed for Oregon became a model for other states to follow and ultimately, the foundation for the all hazards playbook. One of his signature achievements during his tenure is vice chief of the National Guard, most recently as director of the Army National Guard, he supported a force of nearly 335,000 soldiers in response to multiple crises while also implementing an important training initiative that improved the readiness across the force journal Hawkinson Dan, As you take the helm, know that we have full faith and confidence in your abilities. The vision and acumen you have demonstrated throughout your career will serve you well as you lead the guard into the future. Thank you for your continued service as we look forward to the guards enduring success under your command in closing, I want to thank each member of the guard for all they do to protect and serve our great nation. Right now, more than 65,000 guard members are executing diode emissions at home and abroad, including thousands working hand in hand with local authorities across the streets of America to meet the needs of their communities. Our nation is safer, stronger and more secure due to their dedication to their fellow Americans. As a former guards from myself, I understand the particular challenges you face as citizen soldiers and airman constantly balancing the demands and expectations of civilian employers, the military chain of command and family. You always have my full support, admiration and gratitude. No matter the challenge, the guard is always ready. Always there. Thanks in no small part to great leaders like General Joe Lengel and a no General Dan Hawkinson, who will carry on that legacy in the years ahead. Congratulations. And thank you all for being here today. Lieutenant General Hawkinson will now join Secretary Esper, who will promote him to the rank of General. Please rise attention to orders by order of the Secretary of the Army and direction of the President. Daniel or Hawkinson is extended federal recognition and appointed as a reserve of the army in the great of General. On this day, the third day of August 2020. Thank you, Secretary Esper. Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. Please welcome General Ho concerns wife Miss Kelly Hawkinson, his daughter First Lieutenant Victoria wailing his son’s captain, Danny Hawkinson and first Lieutenant McKinnon Hawkinson and his parents, Mr Bob and Miss Diane Hawkinson as they pin on his new rank of general. It’s Thank you, Lieutenant. Wailing Captain Hawkinson, Lieutenant Hawkinson and Mr and Mrs Hawkinson. Ladies and gentlemen, please stand Secretary Esper will join General Hawkinson and Miss Hawkinson to administer the oath of office. Please raise your right hand. I state your full name. They are hoping to do songs that I will support and defend before to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic or intimate that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. Leading that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion for purposes that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties according to the duty of the office upon which I am about to enter of the office about So help me God way! Thank you, Miss Opens, Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. General Lingo and the senior enlisted adviser to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, Command Sergeant Major Christopher Heppner will now join Secretary Esper and General Hawkinson for the official passing of the positional colors. The change of responsibility is a time honored tradition that runs deep in symbolism and heritage. The colors are the visible symbol of the unity and loyalty of the guard. The command Sergeant Major is the custodian of the colors when the colors are not displayed for the Chief National Guard Bureau There, in the care of the command, Sergeant Major Command Sergeant Major Kapner will pass the colors to general lingo. General lingo will then pass the colors to Secretary s for Secretary Esper will pass the colors to General Hawkinson. General Hawkinson will pass the colors back to command Sergeant Major Kapner again entrusting him with the care of the colors Under the provisions of U. S Code Title 10 Chapter 1011 section 10502 General Daniel Hawkinson assumes the position of Chief National Guard Bureau effective 3 August 2020. Thank you. Secretary Esper, General Hawkinson and Command Sergeant Major Kuttner. Join me in welcoming General lingo Outgoing teeth, National Guard Bureau. Well, good morning, everyone. Secretary Esper, Secretary Braithwaite, Secretary Barrett, Vice Chairman Members of the Joint Chiefs distinguished guests um, chief of the National Guard Bureau. We are indeed happy to be here today, Sally and I and my family. So if you’ll indulge me, I just have a few short of marks. I would like to say this, I would like to say, as a lifelong Red Sox fan, we’ve had a bad week with the Yankees, by the way, as a lifelong resident selects random about to do the unthinkable, I’m about to quote the New York Yankees. But I think in this case, Lou Gehrig had it about right. Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I’m lucky because I am surrounded by a wonderful family, a terrific team and the best colleagues one could ever hope for. I am lucky because I have witnessed the men and women of the National Guard performed brilliantly over the past four years as part of the larger D O D team, and especially in the last six months during this historic pandemic and through the challenging times of the civil unrest. And finally, Sally and I are lucky. Tow watch Our good friends General Dannatt Kelly Hawkinson, assume the role of the 29 chief of the National Guard Bureau. Sally and I look forward to watching you in the guard from afar. As you flourish in this new role and congratulations to you both. I have just a few. Thank you’s if you’ll indulge me, please. First, the President Obama and Secretary Carter, who selected me for this position four years ago, Sally and I will always be grateful for the opportunity to serve as a 28 chief of the National Guard. Girl, we enjoyed every minute of it. Oh, and I thank him very much to President Trump. Sector is matters. Shanahan and Secretary Esper. It has truly been an honor to be part of your team, be part of a team that developed and now works to implement the national defense strategy in order to help secure the safety and security of our nation, not just for today, but for the future. It has truly been an honor to be part of it. And we thank you. I want to thank my fellow joint Chiefs of Staff both past and present. It has been an incredible honor to serve with each of you to address the military issues of our time and there were many, but we know many remain. And I wish you the best of luck. As you chart the way ahead for the greatest military force on the planet. I will rest easy knowing that it is you who lead our men and women of our services and know that that our national leadership is getting the best possible military advice to the attitude Since general, the 54 states and territories and the District of Columbia who work with us here, it MGB every day to convey the needs and the requirements that allow them to build ready forces of 450,000 men and women of the National Guard. They make sure our National Guard can perform any task we ask of them and be it for the nation or for their state. And they have done a simply marvelous job, and it was an honor to work with them. Most importantly, to the soldiers and airman of the National Guard, you are simply spectacular. You are the nation’s on call forests and our strategic depth, and you are always ready and always there. You are now part of part of an operational force with some of you continuously deployed and seamlessly integrated into the Joint forces, part of our army and air force as well as our emerging space force. You are an indispensable part of the war fighting force. You do it every day, all around the world, here at home, you sit alert, guarding our nation’s guys. You watch the security of our borders. You fight fires and floods, ice storms and tornadoes, and now add global pandemics and ransomware attacks to the list. And it only seems appropriate that has Dan and I change hats. Today we have a hurricane barrelling up the east coast of the United States. In short, you protect lives and property. You preserve peace, order and public safety, and you make things better for Americans when they need your help. I thank you very much. You have built international partnerships with 84 nations. You have made friends, you have built bonds of trust, you have increased our interoperability and you have increased our collective security with our allies and partners. It’s because of these relationships. Our nation is stronger and these relationships with our international partners we are a better force in a better national guard to my senior enlisted adviser. Command started Major Christopher kept her. You have been an amazing battle, buddy. And a wingman keeping me in touch with the troops. You were a great leader and mentor. An example to the enlisted force. Indie chose wisely when I selected you. Command Sergeant Major Kapner. Thank you. See us. Um, to my staff, it is impossible for me to add. Adequately recognise for to thank you all. I will be forever grateful for all of your dedication and hard work and continued effort to make us better able to support the 54. The MGB is a team of teams well done to all of you. And it will be fun to fight. Follow you as you continue your service. Last but not least to my family, Thanks to my wife, Sally, who I met 30 years ago in Germany. She was my wing commander’s executive officer and we were off to the races. It’s been a great journey, and we are sincerely looking forward to getting back to Texas. Three great kids, by far my biggest contribution to the United States of America. Are those three kids We’re proud of them all our Katie, our baby girl, the only one that could be here today. Now a senior in college learned this morning that the fall semester will be done remotely. Virtually did not happy about that. But I get to spend a little more time with her. And that’s good. The other two Covic trapped one in Denver and wanting Aviano, Italy. But they are watching as this is streamed. We look forward to spending more time with them and our grandkids in the days ahead. So in conclusion, I’ll be watching and rooting from Texas. We truly are very happy and feel very lucky and blessed to have been part of all of this or any of this. And once again, we wish Team Hokanson all the best. And we wish to all of you, God, speed and good luck. And we’ll see in Texas will always be a cold beer waiting for you. Thank you all very much. Thank you. General lingo. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to present for the first time General Daniel Hawkinson, Chief National Guard Bureau Secretary Esper, Secretary Braithwaite, Secretary Barrett, Members of the Joint Chiefs, distinguished guests, family and friends members of the West Point class of 1986 and those joining us online. I am humbled beyond words to be with you today. I would like to start by recognising the great work of the office. The secretary of defense and National Guard Bureau protocol teams who put today’s event together. And father Matt Pawlikowski, a classmate and friend, is incredible honor to serve is the 29th chief of the National Guard Bureau. I would like to personally thank Secretary Esper and President Trump for their trust and confidence. Over the past 34 years, I have been fortunate to work with some amazing and selfless people, too many to name who helped make this day and this opportunity possible. Thank all of you for the opportunity to serve with you, learn from you and lead our nation’s greatest treasure. America’s sons and daughters. I especially want to thank generals Fred Reese, Joe Lingle, Frank Grass and Jim a convo for the opportunities, guidance and sage advice. I also want to thank my parents Bob and Diane Hokanson and my six brothers and sisters. They taught me so much growing up and that anything is possible, even for a kid from Happy Camp, California I’m incredibly thankful for the unique and rare opportunities our nation, the United States Army and the National Guard have provided me, and I am humbled for the honor to continue serving the citizens of our great country. Kelly and I would like to personally thank General and Gellin Sally for all they have done for the National Guard and our National Guard families. We’re honored to continue their example in legacy in the entire National Guard team wishes you the absolute best as you return home to Texas. As we’re all aware, this is an important and pivotal time in the history of the National Guard. We have never been busier, were more visible, and our missions have never been more complex or important. What we do now and what we do next will ultimately shape our nation’s future. What makes this possible began in 16 36 with the first formation on Lexington Green, and that is the men and women of the National Guard supported by their families and their employers. They are it will always be our highest priority. I look forward to working with our National Guard Bureau staff to support the 54 states, territories and District of Columbia and the accidents General who man train and lead our formations. I could not ask to be on a better team, and I can’t wait to get to work in closing. I would like to acknowledge the greatest blessing in my life. And that’s my family or daughter Victoria. Her husband, Dan, who is deploying today on our two granddaughters, island Adaline, our son Danny, and his wife, Jenna, who is due next month. And our son, McKinnon. You have made countless sacrifices, moved and adapted to every environment, taught me so much and inspired me beyond words. I thank God and pray for you every day. Lastly, more import. Most importantly, I’d like to recognize the most beautiful person I’ve ever known. A simple yes. When I asked her to dance on that 30th of September 1988 and the fact she overlooked my dancing ability started of a chain of events I could have never dreamed was possible. More than anyone in our family, Kelly has sacrificed the most. She is most responsible for our three amazing Children. And for making today’s events possible, she gave up her dreams so the rest of us could pursue ours for this and so much more. You’re the most beautiful and selfless person I’ve ever known. Thank you for showing me. Life can surpass our dreams. Thank you. Thank you. General Hogan said, Ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the departure of the official party and remain in place. Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes today’s ceremony. Please follow the direction of the ushers to congratulate General Hawkinson and family in the receiving line in the lobby. We respectfully request that guests continue toe wear their masks as you move through the receiving line. Thank you for attending today’s ceremony.