Adjutant general receives second star in official ceremony

The Adjutant General is an Iraq War veteran.  Discover these Second Gulf War books written by other Operation Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn veterans.

Wisconsin National Guard Public Affairs Office

Gov. Scott Walker formally promoted the adjutant general of Wisconsin to the rank of major general during an Oct. 3 ceremony at the State Capitol in Madison. Walker officially promoted Maj. Gen. Don Dunbar in August. However, it is a tradition for the governor to promote Wisconsin National Guard general officers with a formal ceremony at the capitol.

"I am honored to continue this tradition here today," Walker said, "and to officially bestow the rank of major general to an outstanding senior officer of the Wisconsin National Guard."

Several people took part in Dunbar's pinning ceremony. Walker and Dunbar's wife, Colleen, pinned the major general rank on Dunbar's jacket, while Dunbar's father Phil and mother-in-law Ida Donegan put the new two-star shoulder boards on his epaulets. His sister Margie Wildason pinned the rank on his hat.

Dunbar thanked family and friends for attending and for participating, noting that it made the event more meaningful. He also mentioned two special people who could not attend - his mother, Peggy, and his father-in-law, Buzz Donegan (USMC) - both of whom passed away in 2009.

He concluded his brief remarks by praising the Wisconsin National Guard and the work they do for our state and nation. "It is a privilege to be the adjutant general and serve the men and women of the Wisconsin National Guard," he explained. "I pledge that I will do my very best not to let them down."

Since becoming the state's 30th adjutant general on Sept. 1, 2007, Dunbar has deployed more than 6,000 Soldiers and Airmen in support of the global war on terror including the historic deployment of the entire 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team to Iraq in 2009. In addition to commanding the Wisconsin National Guard, the adjutant general oversees the state's homeland security advisor.

Since 2007, Dunbar has led Wisconsin through five separate Stafford Act emergencies. He also serves as vice chair of the FEMA National Advisory Council and was a member of the Local, State, Tribal and Federal Preparedness Task Force which presented a preparedness report to Congress in 2010.

Dunbar began his military career in 1983 and completed pilot training in 1985. He has served as KC-135 functional manager at the National Guard Bureau, staff member for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, executive officer to the director of the Air National Guard, and commander of the 141st Operations Group.

In 2005 he became commander of the 128th Air Refueling Wing, Wisconsin Air National Guard, at General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee. There he commanded more than 900 Airmen and was responsible for maintaining worldwide unit readiness.

Dunbar has volunteered for and deployed on contingency missions including Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and Northern Watch. A native of Drexel Hill, Penn., Dunbar and his wife Colleen reside in New Berlin.