The Adjutant General, Pennsylvania
Major General Jessica L. Wright assumed duties as The Adjutant General, Pennsylvania National Guard in February 2004. In this State cabinet-level position, Major General Wright, headquartered at Fort Indiantown Gap, is responsible for command, control, and supervision of all Air and Army National Guard units allocated to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She is also responsible for six (6) state-owned veterans' homes and programs for Pennsylvania's one million veterans.
General Wright was commissioned through the Women's Army Corps Orientation, Officer Candidate School at Fort McClellan, Alabama in 1975. Prior to her commissioning, General Wright enlisted into the Pennsylvania National Guard in 1975. She attended the Rotary Wing Aviator Course at Fort Rucker, Alabama and became the Army National Guard's first female aviator. General Wright was assigned as an Assistant Professor of Military Science at Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia for three years ending in 1989. General Wright became the first female maneuver brigade commander in the United States Army as she took command of the 28h Combat Aviation Brigade, 28th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Pennsylvania Army National Guard. In October 2000, General Wright was assigned as the Deputy Adjutant General - Army, Pennsylvania National Guard and served in this capacity until being sworn in as Pennsylvania's first female Adjutant General in 2004.
EDUCATION:
1974 Alderson and Broaddus College, Bachelor of Arts, Social Work, Philippi, West Virginia
1993 Webster University, Master of Arts, Management, Saint Louis, Missouri
1997 United States Army War College, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, District of Columbia
ASSIGNMENTS:
1. July 1975 - August 1975, Press Officer, Headquarters Detachment, 28th Infantry Division, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
2. August 1975 - November 1976, Recruiting and Retention/Equal Opportunity Operations Officer, Headquarters Detachment, 28th Infantry Division, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
3. December 1976 - January 1977, Staff Advisor, Woman's Army Corps, Headquarters Detachment, 28th Infantry Division, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
4. February 1977 - August 1979, Pilot, CH-47, 228th Aviation Company, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
5. September 1979 - December 1981, S1, Headquarters Company, 28th Aviation Battalion, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
6. January 1982 - May 1983, Flight Operations Platoon Commander, 1028th Transportation Company, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
7. May 1983 - July 1985, Assistant Operations and Training Officer, Eastern Army Aviation Training Site, Annville, Pennsylvania
8. July 1985 - September 1985, Assistant Branch Chief, Eastern Army Aviation Training Site, Annville, Pennsylvania
9. September 1985 - November 1986, Flight Operations Platoon Commander, 1160th Transportation Company, Savannah, Georgia
10. November 1986 - January 1989, Assistant Professor of Military Science, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia
11. February 1989 - March 1990, Personnel Staff Officer, Army National Guard Readiness Center, Arlington, Virginia
12. March 1990 - April 1990, Chief Budget Services, Equal Opportunity, Army National Guard Readiness Center, Arlington, Virginia
13. April 1990 - December 1994, Chief, Tour Management, Army National Guard Readiness Center, Arlington, Virginia
14. December 1994 - July 1996 Division Chief, Personnel Division, Officer Management Branch, Army National Guard Readiness Center, Arlington, Virginia
15. July 1996 - June 1997, Student, United States Army War College, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, District of Columbia
16. June 1997 - November 1998, Commander, 28th Combat Aviation Brigade, 28th Infantry Division, Annville, Pennsylvania
17. November 1998 - May 2000, State Army Aviation Officer, Headquarters, State Area Command, Annville, Pennsylvania
18. June 2000 - February 2004, Assistant Adjutant General-Army, Pennsylvania Joint Force Headquarters, Annville, Pennsylvania
19. February 2004 - Present, The Adjutant General, Pennsylvania, Annville, Pennsylvania
FLIGHT INFORMATION:
Rating: Senior Army Aviator
Flight Hours: Over 1,000
Aircraft flown: CH-47; CH-54; UH-1
Pilot wings from: Ft. Rucker, Alabama
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
Legion of Merit (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Meritorious Service Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Army Commendation Medal
Army Achievement Medal
Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal (with 1 Silver Oak Leaf Cluster and 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
National Defense Service Medal (with 1 Bronze Star)
Global War on Terror Service Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with Gold Hourglass)
Army Service Ribbon
Army Staff Identification Badge
Senior Army Aviator Badge
Pennsylvania Commendation Medal
Pennsylvania Service Ribbon (with Numeral 3)
Pennsylvania Twenty-Year Service Medal (with 2 Silver Stars)
Major General Thomas R. White Jr. Medal
General Thomas J. Stewart Medal
Governor's Unit Citation
Lithuanian Medal of Merit
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS & AFFILIATIONS:
American Legion
Association of the United States Army
Army Aviation Association of America
Board of Governors of Alderson-Broaddus College
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS:
2000 ATHENA Recipient
2004 Honorary Doctorate - Alderson-Broaddus College
2005 Gold Medallion - Chapel of the Four Chaplains
2005 Law and Justice Award - Sons of Italy
2006 Gold Medal Award - Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters
2009 Military Person of the year - Veteran Community Initiatives, Inc.
2009 Distinguished Soldier Award - Union League of Philadelphia
2010 Founders day Award - Lebanon Valley College
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:
Second Lieutenant 3 July 1975
First Lieutenant 1 October 1976
Captain 28 November 1979
Major 21 November 1986
Lieutenant Colonel 20 December 1990
Colonel 7 April 1994
Brigadier General 7 June 2001
Major General 28 April 2005
(Current as of April 2010)