MAJOR GENERAL PETER M. AYLWARD

Retired 1 July 2012

Special Assistant to the Chief, National Guard Bureau

Major General Peter M. Aylward served as Special Assistant to the Chief, National Guard Bureau.

General Aylward enlisted in 1976 and was commissioned in 1980 through the Officer Candidate School program at Fort Benning, Georgia. He has served in a variety of command and staff assignments including Commander 26th Infantry Brigade (Light) 29th Infantry Division; Deputy J-5 Plans and Policy Northern Command, Colorado Springs; and Deputy J-3 Domestic Operations, National Guard Bureau, Arlington, Virginia. He has also served as a member of the Department of Defense Tiger Team for Weapons of Mass Destruction; the 1997 Defense Science Board Weapons of Mass Destruction Analysis and Implementation Team; White House sub-committee for Disaster Reduction and Tsunami Warning and Planning; and was the Director, Department of Defense Pandemic Influenza Task Force.

General Aylward's first general officer assignment was as Deputy Director for Antiterrorism/Homeland Defense, Joint Staff (J-34) Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia. He was then assigned as the Director Joint Staff, National Guard Bureau, Arlington, Virginia followed by the Deputy Commanding General-Coalition, Multi-National Forces-Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq.

EDUCATION:

1987 Bunker Hill Community College, Associate of Science, Business Management, Charlestown, Massachusetts
1992 Lowell University, Bachelor of Science, Computer Information Systems, Lowell, Massachusetts
1995 Marine Corps University, Master in Military Studies, Quantico, Virginia
1997 United States Army War College, Defense Strategy Course, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania
1999 National War College, Master of Science, National Security Strategy, Fort McNair, Washington, District of Columbia
2007 CAPSTONE, National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington, District of Colombia
2008 University of North Carolina, Army Strategic Leadership Development Program-Intermediate, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
2010 Senior Leader Force Management Course, Fort Belvoir, Virginia
2010 Harvard University, United States-Black Sea Security Program, Cambridge, Massachusetts
2010 Syracuse University, National Security Leadership Course, Syracuse, New York
2011General and Flag Officer Homeland Security Executive Seminar, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. August 1980 - February 1981, Platoon Leader, 3rd Platoon, Troop B, 1-26th Armored Cavalry Squadron, Massachusetts Army National Guard, Methuen, Massachusetts
2. February 1981 - June 1981, Student, Armored Cavalry School, Fort Knox, Kentucky
3. June 1981 - June 1984, Platoon Leader, 1st Platoon, Troop B, 1-16th Armored Cavalry Squadron, Massachusetts Army National Guard, Methuen, Massachusetts
4. July 1984 - May 1985, Executive Officer, Troop A, 1-26th Armored Cavalry Squadron, Massachusetts Army National Guard, Reading, Massachusetts
5. May 1985 - September 1986, Commander, Troop A, 1-26th Armored Cavalry Squadron, Massachusetts Army National Guard, Reading, Massachusetts
6. September 1986 - January 1988, Executive Officer, Headquarters, Headquarters Troop, 1-26th Armored Cavalry Squadron, Massachusetts Army National Guard, Reading, Massachusetts
7. January 1988 - June 1988, Student, Armor Officer Advance Course, Fort Knox, Kentucky
8. June 1988 - February 1989, Executive Officer, Headquarters, Headquarters troop, 1-26 Armored Cavalry Squadron, Massachusetts Army National Guard, Reading, Massachusetts
9. February 1989 - May 1989, Assistant G-3 (Air), 26th Infantry Division, Massachusetts Army National Guard, Camp Edwards, Massachusetts
10. May 1989 - April 1992, Chief, Teach Advice and Counsel Officer, Massachusetts Military Academy, Massachusetts Army National Guard, Camp Edwards, Massachusetts
11. April 1992 - June 1992, S-3, 1-110th Armored Cavalry Squadron, Massachusetts Army National Guard, Concord, Massachusetts
12. July 1992 - June 1994, Plans Officer, Operation, Readiness Evaluations Division, First United States Armory, Army National Guard, Fort Meade, Maryland
13. July 1994 - June 1995, Student, Marine Corps Command and General Staff College, Quantico, Virginia
14. June 1995 - October 1996, Chief, 1996 Olympic Task Force and Military Support Branch, Operations Division, Army National Guard, Arlington, Virginia
15. November 1996 - September 1997, National Guard Liaison Officer to the Director of Military Support, Deputy Chief of Staff Operations, Army Operations Center, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia,
16. September 1997 - July 1998, Executive Officer, Deputy Director, Operations, Readiness and Mobilization, Deputy Chief of Staff Operations, Army Operations Center, Pentagon, Washington, District of Colombia
17. July 1998 - June 1999, Student, National War College, Fort McNair, Washington, District of Columbia
18. June 1999 - February 2001, Automated Data Processing and Telecom Program Manager, Information Systems Division, Army National Guard Readiness Center, Arlington, Virginia
19. March 2001 - July 2002, Commander, 26th Infantry Brigade, Massachusetts Army National Guard, Springfield, Massachusetts
20. August 2002 - June 2003, Deputy Director and Chief, Planning and Policy Division, J-5, Northern Command, Colorado Springs, Colorado
21. July 2003 - January 2006, Deputy Director, Domestic Operations, J-3, National Guard Bureau, Arlington, Virginia
22. January 2006 - 22 January 2009, Deputy Director, Anti-terrorism/Homeland Defense, J-34, Joint Staff, National Military Command Center, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia
23. January 2009 - August 2009, Director, Joint Staff, National Guard Bureau Arlington, Virginia
24. August 2009 - March 2010, Deputy Commanding General-Coalition, Multi-National Forces-Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq
25. March 2010 - June 2012, Special Assistant to the Chief, National Guard Bureau, Arlington, Virginia

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:

Army Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Army Meritorious Service Medal (with 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Joint Service Commendation Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Army Commendation Medal (with 1 Silver and 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Joint Service Achievement Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Army Achievement Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal (with 4 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
National Defense Service Medal (with Bronze Service Star)
Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Ribbon (with 1 Bronze Service Star)
Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with Silver Hourglass Device)
Army Service Ribbon
Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon
Massachusetts Medal of Merit
Georgia Commendation Medal
Massachusetts Defense Service Ribbon
Massachusetts Desert Storm Service Ribbon
Massachusetts Defense Expeditionary Ribbon
Massachusetts Emergency Service Ribbon
Massachusetts Service Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award (with 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Army Meritorious Unit Commendation Award
Army Staff Identification Badge
Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
Army Combat Unit Service Identification Badge 1St Corps

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS:

1981 Honor Graduate, Armored Cavalry Officer Basic School, Fort Knox, Kentucky
1995 Distinguished Graduate, Marine Corps Command and General Staff School, Quantico, Virginia
2002 Order of Saint Maurice

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS & AFFILIATIONS:

American Legion
American Veterans (AMVETS) - Life Member
Association of the United States Army - Life Member
Military Officers Association of America - Life Member
National Guard Association of America - Life Member
National War College Alumni Association
Veterans of Foreign Wars - Life Member

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:

Second Lieutenant 25 August 1980
First Lieutenant 23 August 1983
Captain 25 September 1985
Major 1 August 1992
Lieutenant Colonel 1 August 1996
Colonel 30 March 2001
Brigadier General (LINE) ARNG 3 January 2006
Major General (LINE) ARNG 28 January 2009

(Current as of September 2012)