Major General Denise Donnell
Commander, New York Air National Guard
Maj. Gen. Denise M. Donnell serves as the Assistant Adjutant General and as the Commander, New York Air National Guard, Latham, N.Y. She is the primary advisor on all Air Guard matters to The Adjutant General. In this role, General Donnell is responsible for establishing policy and supervising operations of more than 5,800 people assigned to five flying units, the Eastern Air Defense Sector, and four geographically separated support units.
Major General Donnell graduated from Georgetown University in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Foreign Service and earned her commission through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program.
After nine years as a naval aviator, she joined the New York Air National Guard at Stewart Air National Guard Base, Newburgh, N.Y. in 2002. She has commanded at the Squadron, Group, and Wing levels. As Commander, 109th Maintenance Group, she oversaw utilization of the nation’s only ski-equipped aircraft in support of the National Science Foundation and was Commander of the 13th Air Expeditionary Group, McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Major General Donnell is a Command Pilot with more than 4,500 flight hours. Prior to her current position, the General was Commander, 105th Airlift Wing, Stewart ANGB, Newburgh, N.Y.
EDUCATION
- 1993
- Bachelor of Science Degree in Foreign Service, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. 2003 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
- 2005
- Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence 2008 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
- 2016
- Joint and Combined Warfighting School-Hybrid, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va., by hybrid delivery
- 2018
- National Security Studies Management Course, Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.
- 2020
- Master of Science Degree in Government Information Leadership, National Defense University, Fort McNair Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
- 2021
- Senior Leader Orientation Course (SLOC), Arlington, VA
- 2022
- General and Flag Officer Homeland Security Executive Seminar, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
ASSIGNMENTS
- June 1993 - October 1995
- Student, Naval Flight Training, Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas
- October 1995 - August 1996
- P-3 upgrade training, Patrol Squadron 30, Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla.
- September 1996 - April 1997
- P-3 Pilot, Aviation Ordnance Branch Officer, Patrol Squadron 46, NAS Whidbey Island, Wash.
- April 1997 - January 2000
- P-3 NATOPS Evaluator Pilot, Mission Commander, Quality Assurance Officer, Patrol Squadron 46, NAS Whidbey Island, Wash.
- February 2000 - October 2002
- P-3 NATOPS Evaluator Pilot, Operational Test Director, Air Test and Evaluation, Squadron 1, NAS Patuxent River, Md.
- October 2002 - November 2002
- Individual Ready Reserve, Navy Personnel Command, Millington, Tenn.
- November 2002 - May 2004
- C-5 Pilot, 137th Airlift Squadron, New York Air National Guard, Stewart Air National Guard Base, Newburgh, N.Y.
- May 2004 - September 2005
- C-5 Aircraft Commander, 137th Airlift Squadron, NYANG, Stewart ANGB, Newburgh, N.Y.
- October 2005 - September 2009
- Commander, 105th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, NYANG, Stewart ANGB, Newburgh, N.Y.
- September 2009 - February 2013
- Commander, 105th Maintenance Squadron, NYANG, Stewart ANGB, Newburgh, N.Y.
- February 2013 - June 2016
- Commander, 109th Maintenance Group, NYANG, Stratton ANGB, Scotia, N.Y. (December 2014 – January 2015, Commander, 13th Air Expeditionary Group, McMurdo Station, Antarctica)
- 1June 2016 - August 2017
- Vice Commander, 105th Airlift Wing, NYANG, Stewart ANGB, Newburgh, N.Y.
- 1August 2017 – March 2022
- Commander, 105th Airlift Wing, NYANG, Stewart ANGB, Newburgh, N.Y.
- 1March 2022 – Present
- Assistant Adjutant General, New York Air National Guard, Latham, N.Y.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: more than 4,500
Aircraft flown: C-5A, C-17A, C-130, LC-130, P-3C, T-34, and T-44
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
- Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters Air Medal
- Aerial Achievement Medal Navy Commendation Medal
- Navy Achievement Medal with gold star
- Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
- Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Antarctica Service Medal
- Armed Force Expeditionary Medal
- Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with bronze star
- Armed Forces Reserve Medal with two 'M' devices and hourglass Navy Expert Pistol Shot Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
- Captain June 1, 1997
- Major July 10, 2003
- Lieutenant Colonel Dec. 15, 2008
- Colonel May 23, 2013
- Brigadier General Dec. 31, 2020
- Major General Nov. 30, 2022
(Current as of February 2023)