MAJOR GENERAL NELSON J. CANNON

Major General Nelson J. Cannon is the Assistant Adjutant General - Army, Michigan National Guard.

General Cannon received his commission to second lieutenant in 1978 through Officer Candidate School. He began his military career in 1967 when he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, serving in Vietnam from November 1967 through January 1969 as a combat veteran; he was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps in 1970. General Cannon enlisted in the Michigan Army National Guard in 1977 and has served as a Company Commander, Installation Provost Marshal, Deputy Commander for the Army National Guard Maneuver Training Center, Military Police Deputy Brigade Commander and Commanding General of 177th Military Police Brigade and 46th Military Police Command. Deployed assignments include Commander, Joint Detention Operations Group at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in support of Operation Enduring Freedom; Deputy Commanding General for the Civilian Police Assistance Training Team (CPATT) in support of Operation Iraq Freedom and Deputy Commanding General for Detainee Operations and United States Forces-Iraq Provost Marshal General in support of Operation New Dawn.

EDUCATION:

1976 University of Detroit, Bachelor of Arts, Criminal Justice, Detroit, Michigan
1987 Central Michigan University, Master of Arts, Public Administration, Mount Pleasant, Michigan
2002 United States Army War College, Master of Arts, Strategic Studies, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. June 1978 - September 1979, Platoon Leader, 1071st Maintenance Company, Michigan Army National Guard, Camp Grayling, Michigan
2. September 1979 - October 1980, Maintenance Control Officer, 1071st Maintenance Company, Michigan Army National Guard, Camp Grayling, Michigan
3. November 1980 - June 1981, Maintenance Control Officer/Executive Officer, 1071st Maintenance Company, Michigan Army National Guard, Camp Grayling, Michigan
4. June 1981 - July 1985, Company Commander, 1071st Maintenance Company, Michigan Army National Guard, Camp Grayling, Michigan
5. July 1985 - March 1997, Provost Marshal, Installation Support Unit, Michigan Army National Guard, Camp Grayling, Michigan
6. March 1997 - March 1999, Deputy Commander, Maneuver Training Center, Michigan Army National Guard, Camp Grayling, Michigan
7. March 1999 - July 2003, Deputy Commander, 177th Military Police Brigade, Michigan Army National Guard, Taylor, Michigan
8. July 2003 - August 2004, Commander, Joint Detention Operation Group, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
9. August 2004 - July 2006, Commanding General, 177th Military Police Brigade, Michigan Army National Guard, Taylor, Michigan
10. July 2006 - May 2008, Commander, 46th Military Police Command, Michigan Army National Guard, Lansing, Michigan
11. May 2008 - May 2009, Director General, Civilian Police Assistance Training Team, Director of Interior Affairs, Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq
12. May 2009 - February 2010, Commander, 46th Military Police Command, Michigan Army National Guard, Lansing, Michigan
13. February 2010 - April 2011, Deputy Commanding General of Detainee Operations, Provost Marshall General, Detainee Operations, United States Forces-Iraq
14. April 2011 - Present, Assistant Adjutant General - Army, Michigan National Guard, Lansing, Michigan

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:

Defense Superior Service Medal
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal
Army Commendation Medal
Army Achievement Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Combat Action Ribbon
Meritorious Unit Citation
United States Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal
Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal (with 1 Silver Oak Leaf Cluster and 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
National Defense Service Medal (with 2 Bronze Stars)
Vietnam Service Medal (with 3 Bronze Service Stars)
Iraq Campaign Medal (with Campaign Star)
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with Gold Hourglass and M Device)
Army Service Ribbon
Overseas Service Ribbon
Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal (with V device)
Michigan Legion of Merit
Michigan Broadsword Service Medal (with Gold Oak Leaf Cluster)
Michigan Outside the United States Service Ribbon
Michigan State Partnership Ribbon
Combat Action Badge
Joint Meritorious Unit Award

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:

Second Lieutenant ARNG 25 June 1978
First Lieutenant ARNG 24 June 1981
Captain ARNG 27 July 1982
Major ARNG 25 March 1987
Lieutenant Colonel ARNG 22 September 1994
Colonel ARNG 17 May 1999
Brigadier General ARNG 1 September 2004
Major General ARNG 29 July 2006

(Current as of November 2011)