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News | Oct. 4, 2010

USNORTHCOM deputy receives third star

By NORAD and USNORTHCOM Public Affairs

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Frank J. Grass received his third star in a ceremony hosted by the Commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, at the Garden of the Gods Club in Colorado Springs 6 p.m. Sunday.

U.S. Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld, Jr. and U.S. Air Force General Craig R. McKinley joined with more than 60 state National Guard representatives, here for the NORAD and USNORTHCOM National Guard Bureau Senior Leader Conference, to honor Lt. Gen. Grass' achievements.

Adm. Winnefeld took advantage of this occasion to announce that Lt. Gen. Grass, Director of Operations for USNORTHCOM since Sept. 2008, would assume the deputy commander position for USNORTHCOM effective immediately. "I'm delighted to have Frank as my USNORTHCOM Deputy. He's an exceptional team player who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the job, and his National Guard credentials are a great fit." Adm. Winnefeld said.

Lt. Gen. Grass enlisted in the Missouri Army National Guard in October 1969. He attended the Missouri Army National Guard Military Academy Officer Candidate School and was commissioned in the Engineer Corps in 1981.

Lt. Gen. Grass has served in a variety of command and staff positions as a traditional National Guard soldier, in the Active Guard and Reserve program, and on active duty. In his first general officer assignment, Lt. Gen. Grass served as the Deputy Director of the Army National Guard, Arlington, Virginia. Prior to his assignment at USNORTHCOM, he served in a joint assignment as the Director, Mobilization and Reserve Component Affairs, United States European Command, Stuttgart, Germany.

USNORTHCOM is the joint combatant command formed in the wake of the Sept.11, 2001 terrorist attacks to provide homeland defense and defense support of civil authorities.

For more information, please contact NORAD and USNORTHCOM Public Affairs at (719) 554-6889. For photos and other information about NORAD or USNORTHCOM, please visit our Web sites at www.norad.mil or http://www.northcom.mil.