CONTACT:
Laura Strimple, (402) 580-9495
John Gage, (531) 510-8529
Governor Pillen Announces Appointment for Adjutant General
LINCOLN, NE – Today, Governor Jim Pillen announced his appointment of Brigadier General Craig Strong to become the 34th Adjutant General of the Nebraska Military Department, which includes the Air National Guard, Army National Guard, and the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). Strong will take over for Major General Daryl Bohac, who plans to retire in July after serving as Adjutant General since 2013.
"Brigadier General Strong is a man of courage, integrity, and honor who has the experience necessary to lead our Nebraska National Guard," said Governor Pillen. "Brigadier General Strong has over 35 years of military experience with deep roots in Nebraska, going back five generations. I have high confidence in Brigadier General Strong and look forward to working with him."
"I am excited to be back home in the great state of Nebraska," said Brig. Gen. Strong. "My sincere enthusiasm for this assignment is linked to the three things I care for most deeply: my family, my state, and my military service."
Major General Bohac congratulated Brig. Gen. Strong on being appointed the next Adjutant General and expressed his gratitude for serving the state of Nebraska.
"It’s been an absolute honor to lead the men and women of the Nebraska National Guard and the Emergency Management Agency," said Adjutant General Bohac. "What an amazing journey it’s been."
Senator Tom Brewer noted that Brig. Gen. Strong brings significant experience to his upcoming role.
"Craig has commanded units at every echelon of our Army Guard force structure. He has served in key Army staff assignments in the Pentagon. He has commanded units in combat. He has mobilized our Army Guard units, and supported the families of the deployed soldiers. he knows what it's like to lose soldiers in combat. I believe it has been quite some time since we've had an Adjutant General of Craig's caliber."
Strong was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in October 2020, when he was selected to serve in Washington, D.C., as deputy director, J-8, Programs, Analysis and Evaluation for the National Guard Bureau. Prior to that, he served in the Nebraska Army National Guard, including successful commands at the company, battalion and brigade levels. He has deployed overseas three times: to Iraq in 2004 and 2008 and to the U.S. Virgin Islands for hurricane recovery in 2017. Outside the military, he was a practicing attorney specializing in employment law and commercial transactions.
Strong also joined Governor Pillen in thanking Maj. Gen. Bohac for his many years of dedicated service to our state and the nation, which began in 1978 when Bohac first enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve and continued in the Nebraska Air National Guard.
“I could not have asked for a better mentor than General Bohac,” Strong said.
A change of command ceremony is planned for Saturday, July 8 at 10 a.m. inside Pinnacle Bank Arena and will be open to the public.
Pictures from the event are below and video can be found here.
