Gov. Jim Pillen announces pick for adjutant general of Nebraska National Guard

LINCOLN — Brig. Gen. Craig Strong, with more than 35 years of military experience, is slated to become the state’s next adjutant general of the Nebraska National Guard.

Pillen announced Strong at a news conference Friday morning to succeed Maj. Gen. Daryl Bohac this summer. The role oversees the Air National Guard, Army National Guard and the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency.

Strong will also become the director of the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, as was his predecessor.

Pillen read a letter from Strong where the brigadier general wrote that service in the Nebraska National Guard is a “value-added proposition that builds exceptional citizens with personal values grounded in the ethos of duty, honor and selfless service.”

According to Pillen, Strong has a master’s degree in economics and another in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College. Strong also has a degree from the Nebraska College of Law.

Strong has deployed overseas three times, twice to Iraq and once to the U.S. Virgin Islands for hurricane recovery. He was also a practicing attorney specializing in employment law and commercial transactions.

“Nebraskans can rest assured that his strength, his commitment, his resolve and his character of who he is that he will lead us for years to come,” Pillen said.

Strong, a fifth-generation Nebraskan, thanked Bohac for his guidance, which “always epitomized what it is to be a truly ethical, servant leader.”

The Nebraska National Guard is one of the best investments for the future of the state, Strong explained, and his intent will be to always put the concerns of soldiers and airmen as well as their families and employers first.

In 1986, Strong and two high school classmates joined the Navy Reserve in search of adventure but also for college tuition assistance.

“But what we found was more than that,” Strong said. “What we found was a heartfelt sense of pride in our country as well as we had experienced a very special bond with each other.”

A major goal, Strong added, will be to secure a “future pipeline” of soldiers and airmen “looking to be part of something that is truly bigger than themselves.”

“I let the governor know that I see this Nebraska outreach sort of like a blitz across the state,” Strong said. “And since he played monsterback at Nebraska, he knows a thing or two about blitz, so I think we should probably call this outreach plan Operation Monsterblitz.”

In a statement, State Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, a decorated and retired Army colonel, said Strong has commanded units at “every echelon” of the Army Guard force structure.

Brewer also commended Strong for his work in the Pentagon, commanding units in combat, supporting families of deployed soldiers and understanding the loss of soldiers in combat.

“I believe it has been quite some time since we’ve had an adjutant general of Craig’s caliber,” Brewer said.

Strong’s appointment will go to the Legislature for final approval, including the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee that Brewer chairs. 

Bohac, who has been adjutant general since 2013, said he has been honored to serve and stands ready to support Strong and his family and do everything he can to ensure they are successful.

A change of command ceremony will take place July 8 at 10 a.m. inside Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, allowing the public to attend and learn more about the Nebraska National Guard.

“Which is sometimes the best-kept secret in the state of Nebraska,” Bohac said.