NEW STATE ADJUTANT GENERAL
Veteran Muehlenbeck to succeed retiring McGuire
Maj. Gen. Michael T. McGuire, who is retiring, speaks alongside Brig. Gen. Kelly Muehlenbeck, Arizona’s first female adjutant general.
“Under your leadership, Gen. Muehlenbeck, I know we can overcome these challenges.” Gov. Doug Ducey
Brig. Gen. Kelly Muehlenbeck, a former prosecutor and professor with more than two decades of National Guard experience, will become the first woman to serve as Arizona adjutant general, Gov. Doug Ducey announced Thursday.
The role involves overseeing both the Arizona National Guard the state’s Department of Emergency and Military Affairs. Muehlenbeck will succeed Maj. Gen. Michael McGuire, who is set to retire April 10.
“What sold me on Gen. Muehlenbeck was her record of proven leadership and consistent determination to serve her country,” Ducey said, noting she had previously been “responsible for bringing together every branch of the National Guard to address emergencies.”
“Leadership like this will be critical as we face the many challenges in front of us, from COVID-19 to natural disasters to public safety,” the governor said. “Not only that, but she understands the importance of building and recruiting for the National Guard in a state with a growing and changing population. … She has shown nothing but dedication to her state and her country for nearly 30 years.”
Muehlenbeck began active-duty service at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in 1993, providing legal counsel on military issues as an assistant staff judge advocate. Four years later, she joined the National Guard, working as both a wing-level and headquarters staff judge advocate during her 22year tenure.
She also lectured at various Air Force and Air National Guard courses before retiring from the Guard in 2019.
On the civilian front, Muehlenbeck
served as a deputy county attorney from 1998 to 2001 in the Pima County Attorney’s Office, where she prosecuted felony offenders in superior court.
Since then, she has worked as an educator at Arizona State University and Mesa Community College, specializing in crime, criminology, justice studies and social inquiry.
Muehlenbeck: Accomplishments more important than gender
“I’m so proud to return to an agency that continues to test its mettle in really what has been a chaotic and everchanging world,” Muehlenbeck said Thursday. “I know, moving forward, that the National Guard will continue to meet all their partners wherever they are.”
Muehlenbeck briefly addressed the historical significance of being the first woman appointed to the post, saying its importance was not lost on her. “But I do hope that what I’ve done and who I am is more important than simply my sex,” she said.
After thanking McGuire for his eight years of leadership, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ducey turned to the hurdles Muehlenbeck will face after taking the helm.
“We’re still continuing this fight against COVID-19, and we have a crisis at the border as well,” he said.
“But under your leadership, Gen. Muehlenbeck, I know we can overcome these challenges and protect Arizonans.”