WASHINGTON, - Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates announced today that the President has nominated Army Maj. Gen. Frank J. Grass for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general and assignment as deputy commander, U.S. Northern Command/vice commander, U.S. Element, North American Aerospace Defense Command at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.
Grass is currently serving as director of operations, J-3, U.S. Northern Command. He assumed that position in September 2008.
If confirmed, Grass would replace retired Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, who was the first National Guard officer to serve as a deputy combatant commander.
As the deputy commander, Grass will help lead Northern Command to anticipate, prepare and respond to threats and aggression aimed at the United States, its territories and interests within the assigned area of responsibility and, as directed by the President or Secretary of Defense, provide defense support of civil authorities including consequence management operations.
Grass enlisted in the Missouri Army National Guard in October 1969. He attended the Missouri Army National Guard Military Academy Officer Candidate School and was commissioned in the engineer corps in 1981.
Grass has served in a variety of command and staff positions as a traditional National Guard soldier, in the Active Guard and Reserve program and on active duty. In his first general officer assignment, Grass served as the deputy director of the Army National Guard in Arlington, Va.
Prior to his current joint duty assignment at United State Northern Command, the general served in a joint assignment as the director for Mobilization and Reserve Component Affairs at U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany.