MAJOR GENERAL THOMAS M. SUELZER
Maj. Gen. Thomas M. Suelzer serves as the Adjutant General for the State of Texas. As the Adjutant General, he is the senior uniformed Texas National Guard officer and head of the Texas Military Department responsible for formulating, developing and coordinating all policies, programs and plans affecting more than 22,000 military personnel in over 100 locations throughout Texas. Appointed by the Governor of Texas, General Suelzer functions as the Governor’s principal adviser on military matters and is responsible for the strategic leadership, training, readiness, operational employment and performance of the Army and Air Force components of the Texas National Guard.
General Suelzer graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science. He completed Undergraduate Pilot Training at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona and went on to serve in various operational and staff assignments during his ten years of Active Duty service and seven years in the Air Force Reserve. General Suelzer joined the Texas Air National Guard in 2007 where he served as Deputy Director of Operations for Domestic Operations. He also became a leader in the Homeland Response Force enterprise as Chief of Staff for the 71st Troop Command (JTF-71) and later the 136th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade (JTF-136). He went on to serve as the Texas Air National Guard Director of Operations, the Commander of the 136th Airlift Wing, and the Director of Joint Staff for the Texas National Guard. He has served on two Texas Southwest Border missions and as the military Dual Status Commander for the COVID-19 response in Texas. Prior to his current position, General Suelzer was the Assistant Adjutant General – Air for the Texas Military Department.
EDUCATION
1990 Bachelor of Science degree in political science, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1997 Master's degree in aeronautical science, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla.
1997 Squadron Officer School (SOS), Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2004 Air Command and Staff College (ACSC), Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2012 Air War College (AWC), Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2012 Joint Task Force Commanders Training Course (JCTC), United States Northern Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
2014 Dual Status Commander Course (DSC), United States Northern Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
2019 Governor’s Executive Development Program, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas, Austin, Texas
2020 National Security Studies Management Course (NSSMC), Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.
2022 General and Flag Officer Homeland Security Executive Seminar (GFOS), Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, Mass.
2023 Advanced Senior Leader Development Seminar, Department of the Air Force, Arlington, Va.
2023 CAPSTONE, General and Flag Officer Course, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
2023 Senior Executive Seminar, George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, Garmisch, Germany
ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 1990 - November 1991, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Williams Air Force Base, Ariz.
2. November 1991 - May 1992, Student, C-5 Initial Qualification Training, Altus AFB, Okla.
3. May 1992 - January 1994, C-5 Pilot, 31st Airlift Squadron, Dover AFB, Del.
4. January 1994 - August 1995, C-5 Aircraft Commander, 3rd Airlift Squadron, Dover AFB, Del.
5. August 1995 - January 1996, Student, T-37 Pilot Instructor Training, Randolph AFB, TX
6. January 1996 - May 1998, T-37 Instructor Pilot, 8th Flying Training Squadron, Vance AFB, Okla.
7. May 1998 - February 1999, Flight Commander, 8th Flying Training Squadron, Vance AFB, Okla.
8. February 1999 - November 1999, Chief, T-37 Standardization/Evaluation, 71st Operations Group, Vance AFB, Okla.
9. November 1999 - July 2002, T-37 Instructor Pilot, 5th Flying Training Squadron (AFRC), Vance AFB, Okla.
10. July 2002 - August 2005, Admissions Liaison Officer-Area 431, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.
11. August 2005 - February 2007, Deputy Liaison Director-Area 431, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.
12. February 2007 - March 2012, Homeland Defense Officer, Headquarters Texas Air National Guard, Camp Mabry, Austin, TX (May 2007 - July 2008, Director of Logistics-J4, Task Force Aviation, Operation Jump Start, Austin, TX); (July 2011 - October 2012, Chief of Staff, 71st Troop Command (JTF- 71), Austin, TX)
13. March 2012 - December 2013, Deputy Director of Operations for Domestic Operations-A3D, Headquarters Texas Air National Guard, Camp Mabry, Austin, Texas (October 2012 - September 2013, Chief of Staff, 136th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade (JTF-136), Round Rock, TX)
14. December 2013 - March 2017, Director of Operations-A3, Headquarters Texas Air National Guard, Camp Mabry, Austin, TX
15. March 2017 - December 2017, Vice Commander, 136th Airlift Wing, Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth, TX
16. December 2017 - January 2019, Wing Commander, 136th Airlift Wing, Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth, TX
17. January 2019 - January 2021, Director, Joint Staff, Joint Force Headquarters-Texas, Camp Mabry, Austin, TX
18. January 2021 - March 2022, Assistant Adjutant General-Air, Texas Military Department, Camp Mabry, Austin, Texas
19. March 2022 - Present, Adjutant General, Texas Military Department, Camp Mabry, Austin, Texas
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 2019 - January 2021, Director, Joint Staff, Joint Force Headquarters-Texas, Camp Mabry, Austin, TX as a brigadier general
2. January 2021 - March 2022, Assistant Adjutant General-Air, Texas Military Department, Camp Mabry, Austin, Texas as a major general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 2,500
Aircraft flown: C-5, C-130H, T-37, T-38
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
Combat Readiness Medal with four oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal with bronze star
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal with bronze star
Humanitarian Service Medal
Air Force Longevity Service Award with three oak leaf clusters
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with silver hourglass
Air Force Training Ribbon
Kuwait Liberation Medal Government of Kuwait
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 30, 1990
First Lieutenant May 30, 1992
Captain May 30, 1994
Major Oct. 1, 2001
Lieutenant Colonel Oct. 31, 2007
Colonel Dec. 6, 2013
Brigadier General Jan. 26, 2019
Major General Jan. 5, 2021
(Current as of September 2023)
