The Adjutant General retires in June

A message from Major General Bret D. Daugherty, The Adjutant General:

I want to officially inform you that my time as director of the Washington Military Department and commander of the Washington National Guard will be coming to an end. My last day in the office will be the end of June.

It has been the greatest honor of my career to lead this team over the last 12 years. What a ride — from the State Route 530 landslide at Oso, to the fallen I-5 bridge in Skagit County; from multiple floods and fires to a global pandemic. We’ve handled green crabs and murder hornets, as well as some bird flu in between. No matter the crisis, our response has been unwavering and commendable. Meanwhile, we’ve maintained our readiness and successfully fulfilled every federal mission thrown our way. We’ve deployed thousands of soldiers and airmen to where our country needed them. We converted our armor brigade to Strykers. We modernized our aviation units. We’ve secured our elections and protected our critical infrastructure from cyber-attacks. With the Washington Youth ChalleNGe Academy, we put nearly 4,000 at-risk students on the path to a successful life. We’ve grown our partnership with Thailand and started a new one with Malaysia. We’ve guarded America’s skies and have served as a deterrent to foreign threats. Together, we’ve celebrated more achievements than we can count, while mourning loved ones we’ve lost along the way.

Change can be hard to accept, but it’s often necessary and the result is often positive. Know that I’ve built a transition plan that will help our next TAG/director seamlessly take command. I’m confident that any changes you notice will be welcome and will ensure our organization remains on the right path.

Before I leave – we have a lot of work to accomplish, and I look forward to working with you to add to our list of successes. We’ll also be working with the governor’s team to put together a timeline for my replacement

As I’ve said before – I work with the most committed and talented public servants. You have been an inspiration and have made my tenure one that I’ll look back at fondly (while playing with my growing grandkids and catching fish!).

Thanks for everything you do – this organization is in good hands.

Read a biography and download a photo for Maj. Gen. Bret D. Daugherty.