MAJOR GENERAL ROBERT A. HARRIS

Assistant Adjutant General - Army, Tennessee National Guard

Major General Robert A. Harris, Sr. is Assistant Adjutant General - Army, Tennessee National Guard. In this capacity, he is responsible for ensuring the combat readiness of Tennessee's 10,500 Citizen-Soldiers in four major Army commands and maintaining accreditation of the 117th Regional Training Institute. Major commands include 30th Troop Command, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, 194th Engineer Brigade, and 230th Sustainment Brigade.

General Harris received his commission in 1978 from the Tennessee Military Academy Officer Candidate School program. Prior to receiving his commission, General Harris enlisted in the Army in 1974 and entered the Tennessee National Guard in 1977. He has held numerous positions at the battery, battalion and brigade level as well as serving on the joint force headquarters staff. In 1990, General Harris was deployed with 1st Battalion, 181st Field Artillery to Desert Shield/Desert Storm. In 2004, after completing command of the 196th Field Artillery Brigade, General Harris' branch transferred to the Engineer Regiment and he served in multiple assignments with Tennessee's 194th Engineer Brigade (Combat Support), including two combat tours to Iraq, first in 2004-2005 as a subordinate unit to the 20th Engineer Brigade, and again in 2009-2010 as the Multi-National Corps - Iraq engineer brigade. As the Multi-National Corps - Iraq engineer brigade, the 194th was tasked with providing assured mobility along main supply routes, advising and assisting Iraqi military engineer units, responsible drawdown of equipment and engineer materiel, and facility closure. General Harris is qualified in both field artillery and engineer branches and has commanded at the brigade level in both.

EDUCATION:

1980 Tennessee Technological University, Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering, Cookeville, Tennessee
2001 Shippensburg University, Master of Science, Public Administration, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania
2001 United States Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. August 1978 - October 1979, Ammunition Officer, Service Battery, 1st Battalion, 115th Field Artillery, Tennessee Army National Guard, Winchester, Tennessee
2. October 1979 - January 1984, Executive Officer, Battery A, 1st Battalion, 115th Field Artillery, Tennessee Army National Guard, Winchester, Tennessee
3. January 1984 - August 1986, Battery Commander, Battery A, 1st Battalion, 115th Field Artillery, Tennessee Army National Guard, Winchester, Tennessee
4. August 1986 - October 1986, Assistant S-3, 1st Battalion, 115th Field Artillery, Tennessee Army National Guard, Winchester, Tennessee
5. October 1986 - November 1988, Battery Commander, 1st Battalion, 181st Field Artillery, Tennessee Army National Guard, Chattanooga, Tennessee
6. November 1988 - October 1989, Fire Direction Officer, 1st Battalion, 181st Field Artillery, Tennessee Army National Guard, Chattanooga, Tennessee
7. October 1989 - December 1990, S-3, 1st Battalion, 115th Field Artillery, Tennessee Army National Guard, Winchester, Tennessee
8. December 1990 - May 1991, Liaison Officer, 1st Battalion, 181st Field Artillery, Southwest Asia
9. May 1991 - July 1991, Liaison Officer, 1st Battalion, 181st Field Artillery, Tennessee Army National Guard, Chattanooga, Tennessee
10. August 1991 - August 1992, Operations Officer, 196th Field Artillery Brigade, Tennessee Army National Guard, Chattanooga, Tennessee
11. September 1992 - December 1994, Executive Officer, 1st Battalion, 181st Field Artillery, Tennessee Army National Guard, Chattanooga, Tennessee
12. December 1994 - August 1995, Fire Support Coordinator, 80th Troop Command, Tennessee Army National Guard, Smyrna, Tennessee
13. August 1995 - August 1996, S-3, 196th Field Artillery Brigade, Tennessee Army National Guard, Chattanooga, Tennessee
14. August 1996 - June 2000, Commander, 1st Battalion, 115th Field Artillery, Tennessee Army National Guard, Winchester, Tennessee
15. July 2000 - July 2001, Student, United States Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania
16. July 2001 - April 2004, Commander, 196th Field Artillery Brigade, Tennessee Army National Guard, Chattanooga, Tennessee
17. April 2004 - October 2004, Design Engineer, 194th Engineer Brigade, Tennessee Army National Guard, Jackson, Tennessee
18. October 2004 - April 2005, Design Engineer, 194th Engineer Brigade, Tennessee Army National Guard, Southwest Asia
19. May 2005 - January 2006, Deputy Brigade Commander, 194th Engineer Brigade, Tennessee Army National Guard, Southwest Asia
20. January 2006 - March 2006, Deputy Brigade Commander, 194th Engineer Brigade, Tennessee Army National Guard, Jackson, Tennessee
21. March 2006 - March 2009, Commander, 194th Engineer Brigade, Tennessee Army National Guard, Jackson, Tennessee
22. March 2009 - July 2010, Commander, 194th Engineer Brigade, Tennessee Army National Guard, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq
23. August 2010 - April 2011, Commander, 194th Engineer Brigade, Tennessee Army National Guard, Jackson, Tennessee
22. April 2011 - Present, Assistant Adjutant General - Army, Tennessee National Guard, Nashville, Tennessee

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:

Legion of Merit (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Bronze Star Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Meritorious Service Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Army Commendation Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters)
Army Achievement Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal (with 1 Silver and 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
National Defense Service Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with Gold Hourglass and M Device)
Army Service Ribbon
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)
Army Meritorious Unit Commendation
Army Superior Unit Award

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:

Second Lieutenant ARNG 14 July 1978
First Lieutenant ARNG 13 July 1981
Captain ARNG 16 January 1984
Major ARNG 18 November 1989
Lieutenant Colonel ARNG 8 September 1995
Colonel ARNG 20 March 2001
Brigadier General (Line) ARNG 26 January 2007
Major General ARNG 25 January 2012

(Current as of September 2013)