The Adjutant General of Kansas is the highest-ranking military official in the State of Kansas and is subordinate to the Governor of Kansas. The Adjutant General is a member of the Governor's Cabinet and advises the Governor on military and emergency management matters. The Adjutant General runs the day-to-day administration of the Kansas Adjutant General's Department, including the Kansas National Guard.
The Governor appoints, subject to confirmation by the Kansas Senate, the Adjutant General with the rank of major general. The person appointed must have served at least five years as a commissioned officer in the Kansas National Guard and have served as an officer in the armed forces of the United States. The Governor may promote, subject to confirmation by the Senate any Adjutant General who has served at least 15 consecutive years to the rank of lieutenant general. The Adjutant General serves at the pleasure of the Governor.[1]
The Adjutant General is the principal military advisor to the Governor and is also responsible for the organization, training and supervision of the Kansas National Guard. In addition, the Adjutant General is the Director of the Kansas Division of Emergency Management and the head of Kansas Homeland Security. The Office of the Adjutant General also provides administrative services to the Kansas Wing of the Civil Air Patrol.[2]
The Adjutant General's staff is headquartered in Topeka, Kansas and oversees the operation of many installations throughout the state.
See main article: Kansas Army National Guard.
The Kansas Army National Guard is the land component of the Kansas National Guard and is manned by approximately 5200 soldiers assigned at installations throughout the state.
See main article: Kansas Air National Guard.
The Kansas Air National Guard is the air component of the Kansas National Guard and is composed of a headquarters component located at Topeka, Kansas and two main units: the 184th Intelligence Wing, located at Wichita, Kansas and the 190th Air Refueling Wing located at Topeka. There are approximately 2400 airmen assigned in all locations.
KDEM is the branch of the Adjutant General's Department that deals with mitigation advocacy, planning requirements and guidance, training and exercising, response coordination, and administration of recovery programs for the civil sector on the State of Kansas regardless of the type of hazard. It was created in 1950 in response to Cold War nuclear threats as the State Civil Defense Agency and was transferred to the Adjutant General's Department in 1955. At that time its role was expanded to include emergency management for all disasters and coordination of recovery and response activities statewide.
This branch coordinates activities in the State of Kansas dealing with the prevention and protection from terrorist related activities including response and recovery from terrorist acts.
The Volunteer Department was created to administer state funds allocated to the Civil Air Patrol and was placed under the control of the Adjutant General's Department by state law in 1997 for the administrative support and control of state resources and funding used by the Kansas Wing of the Civil Air Patrol.
| Term | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| August 31, 1855 to January 1858 | Adjutant General Hiram J. Strickler | |
| May 2, 1861 to June 20, 1861 | Brig. Gen. Robert B. Mitchell | |
| June 23, 1861 to March 22, 1862 | Brig. Gen. Lyman Allen | |
| March 22, 1862 to February 26, 1863 | Brig. Gen. Charles Chadwick | |
| February 27, 1863 to May 2, 1864 | Brig. Gen. Guilford Dudley | |
| May 2, 1864 to March 31, 1865 | Col. Cyrus K. Holliday | |
| April 1, 1865 to August 18, 1867 | Col. Thomas J. Anderson | |
| August 18, 1867 to March 3, 1869 | Col. Josiah B. McAfee | |
| March 4, 1869 to March 4, 1870 | Col. William S. Moorhouse | |
| March 5, 1870 to March 5, 1873 | Col. David Whittaker | |
| March 6, 1873 to March 2, 1876 | Col. Charles A. Morris | |
| March 2, 1876 to March 5, 1878 | Col. Hiram T. Beman | |
| April 8, 1878 to January 7, 1883 | Col. Peter S. Noble | |
| January 8, 1883 to January 22, 1885 | Col. Thomas Moonlight | |
| January 23, 1885 to March 31, 1889 | Col. Alexander B. Campbell | |
| April 1, 1889 to January 1, 1893 | Col. John N. Roberts | |
| January 10, 1893 to March 31, 1894 | Col. Henry H. Artz | |
| April 1, 1894 to February 28, 1895 | Col. Albert J. Davis | |
| March 1, 1895 to January 31, 1897 | Brig. Gen. Simeon M. Fox | |
| February 1, 1897 to February 21, 1899 | Col. Hiram Allen | |
| February 22, 1899 to February 1, 1903 | Brig. Gen. Simeon M. Fox | |
| February 1, 1903 to March 31, 1905 | Brig. Gen. Samuel H. Kelsey | |
| April 1, 1905 to March 31, 1909 | Brig. Gen. James W. F. Hughes | |
| April 1, 1909 to September 30, 1917 | Maj. Gen. Charles I. Martin | |
| October 1, 1917 to January 27, 1919 | Brig. Gen. Charles S. Huffman | |
| January 27, 1919 to January 11, 1923 | Brig. Gen. Charles I. Martin | |
| January 11, 1923 to February 10, 1925 | Brig. Gen. R. Neill Rahn | |
| February 10, 1925 to April 27, 1951 | Brig. Gen. Milton R. McLean | |
| April 21, 1951 to December 31, 1972 | Lt. Gen. Joe Nickell | |
| January 1, 1973 to September 30, 1980 | Maj. Gen. Edward R. Fry | |
| October 1, 1980 to October 17, 1987 | Maj. Gen. Ralph T. Tice | |
| October 18, 1987 to November 30, 1990 | Maj. Gen. Philip B. Finley | |
| December 1, 1990 to February 10, 1999 | Maj. Gen. James F. Rueger | |
| February 10, 1999 to October 31, 2003 | Maj. Gen. Gregory B. Gardner | |
| January 5, 2004 to January 8, 2011 | Maj. Gen. Tod M. Bunting | |
| January 28, 2011 to April 2, 2020 | Maj. Gen. Lee Tafanelli | |
| April 3, 2020 to April 1, 2023 | Maj. Gen. David A. Weishaar | |
| April 1, 2023 to present | Brig. Gen. Michael T. Venerdi |