Retired August 01, 2025Maj. Gen. Henry U. Harder, Jr. is the Assistant Adjutant General – Air, Vermont National Guard. He is responsible to prepare, implement and administer plans, policies and programs for over 1100 Air National Guard members in Vermont. General Harder serves as primary advisor to the Adjutant General of Vermont on all Air National Guard affairs both state and federal.
Maj. Gen. Harder received his commission in 1989 as a distinguished graduate from the Academy of Military Science after graduating from the University of Vermont at which time he attended Undergraduate Pilot Training at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona. He served within the 134th Fighter Squadron in multiple positions including Flying Training Instructor, Wing Plans Officer, Chief of Safety, Operations Plans Officer, Squadron Chief of Scheduling and Flight Commander. In 2008, he served as the 158th Operations Support Flight Commander until late 2009 when he was chosen to Command the 229th Information Operations Squadron located in Northfield, Vermont. In 2013, he became the Communications and Cyber Director at Joint Force Headquarters, Vermont with a follow on as the Director of Staff-Air until 2016 when he returned to the Wing as the Mission Support Group Commander and then Wing Vice Commander in June of 2017. General Harder is a command pilot with over 3,000 hours of military flying, the majority in the F-16; his flying time includes over 330 hours of combat time in four separate tours in operations in and over Iraq. Prior to his current position, the general was the 158th Fighter Wing Vice Wing Commander, Burlington Air National Guard Base, Vermont.
EDUCATION
1987 Bachelor of Arts, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vt.
1991 Undergraduate Pilot Training, Williams Air Force Base, Ariz.
1996 Education Specialist Graduate Certificate, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vt.
1999 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2004 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2013 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2014 Cybersecurity Executive Education Seminar, Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, Mass.
2021 Dual Status Commanders Course, U.S. Northern Command, Peterson Space Force Base, Colo.
2024 Africa Regional Seminar, Alan L. Freed Associates, Inc., Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. March 1990 - April 1991, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Williams Air Force Base, Ariz.
2. April 1991 - December 1991, ADF-16 RTU, Klamath Falls, Ore.
3. December 1991 - June 1997, F-16 Pilot, 134 FS, Burlington, Vt.
4. June 1997 - March 1998, Wing Plans Officer, 158th Fighter Wing, Burlington, Vt.
5. March 1998 - June 2002, Chief of Safety, 158th Fighter Wing, Burlington, Vt.
6. June 2002 - June 2004, Operations Plans Officer, 134 FS, Burlington, Vt.
7. June 2004 - March 2008, Flight Commander, 134 FS, Burlington, Vt.
8. April 2008 - January 2010, Commander, 158th Operations Support Flight, Burlington, Vt.
9. February 2010 - September 2013, Commander, 229th Information Operations Squadron, Burlington, Vt.
10. October 2013 - March 2014, Director, Communications and Cyber, Joint Force Headquarters (JFHQ), Camp Johnson, Vt.
11. March 2014 - February 2016, Director of Staff–Air, JFHQ, Camp Johnson, Vt.
12. February 2016 - June 2017, 158th Mission Support Group Commander, Burlington Air National Guard Base (ANGB), Vt.
13. June 2017 - July 2019, 158th Fighter Wing Vice Wing Commander, Burlington ANGB, Vt.
14. August 2019 - January 2020, Retired Reserve, Air Reserve Personnel Center, Buckley Space Force Base, Colo.
15. January 2020 - August 2025, Assistant Adjutant General, Colchester, Vt.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 3,000
Aircraft flown: F-16A/B/C/D, AT38, T38, T37
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air and Space Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal with two silver oak leaf clusters
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant : Dec. 21, 1989
First Lieutenant : Dec. 21, 1992
Captain : Jan. 7, 1995
Major : Sept. 11, 1999
Lieutenant Colonel : June 8, 2005
Colonel : May 22, 2014
Colonel May 22, 2014
Brigadier General Jan. 2, 2020
Major General July 31, 2025
(Current as of October 2025)