April 23, 2004
ROMNEY EXTENDS GENERAL KEEFE'S TERM OF SERVICE
National Guard chief will coordinate return of troops to home and family
Governor Mitt Romney today signed into law a bill extending National Guard Adjutant General George W. Keefe’s term of service for one year, allowing him to welcome home the hundreds of men and women serving our nation.
“General Keefe is a soldier’s general,” said Romney. “He started out as an enlisted man and worked his way up through the ranks. He understands where each and every soldier is coming from. General Keefe sent these men and women off to serve our country and he should be here to welcome them home.”
The new law, proposed by Romney in March, extends General Keefe’s service one year beyond his 65th birthday, the mandatory retirement age for any National Guard officer. Keefe, who has served in the National Guard for 48 years, turns 65 tomorrow.
“I am honored by this opportunity to continue to serve as Adjutant General,” said Keefe. “Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom – we supported these and other missions with professionalism and esprit de corps, mobilizing more soldiers and airmen since September 11, 2001 than we have for any conflict in over half a century.”
The General added, "All this is due to the efforts of our members, civilian employees and their families, whose selfless sacrifice has been simply awe inspiring. I would like to thank them for their hard work. I would also like to thank the Governor, the members of the state Legislature and the people of Massachusetts for allowing me to continue to serve with the dedicated men and women of the Massachusetts National Guard."
Since September 11, 2001, 7,000 Massachusetts National Guard troops have been deployed, the largest deployment since World War II. Bay State National Guard troops are currently serving Homeland Security missions in Iraq, Cuba and Afghanistan.
The National Guard is an important element of the nation’s homeland security strategy. National Guard soldiers and airmen are responsible for protecting the lives and property of Massachusetts residents as well as preserving peace, order and public safety in times of natural disaster or civil emergency.
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