A day of celebration at the Joint Forces Training Base brought family, friends, and fellow soldiers of Col. Lawrence A. Haskins together for his promotion to Brigadier General and the number two command position in the California National Guard. Brig. Gen. Mary J. Kight, the California National Guard’s Adjutant General, conducted the formal promotion ceremony on Saturday, May 1, 2010.

Kight is the top commanding general in the California National Guard and reports directly to the Governor. Haskins, now the Guard’s Assistant Adjutant General, enlisted in the California Army National Guard in July 1975, serving five years as a cavalry scout and noncommissioned officer prior to being commissioned as a second lieutenant in August 1980. During his 30 year career as an officer, Haskins has held numerous staff and command positions. Some of the highlights include, commanding the 1-184 Infantry Battalion (Assault), 29th Enhanced Separate Infantry Brigade, through a transformation from an air assault element to light infantry battalion.

Mobilized from 2003 to 2004, he served as the commander of Task Force Guardian, a 7,500 soldier brigade in support of Operation Noble Eagle III at Fort Sam Houston, Texas providing additional force protection for 88 Army and Air Force Installations across the 21 Western States. He served as chief of staff for the 40th Infantry Division (Mechanized) through its restructuring into a more self sustained and expeditionary organization, and in 2008 he was assigned as the chief of staff, California Army National Guard, responsible for the readiness, mobilization, reset and welfare of the 17,000 Soldiers of the California Army National Guard. Last summer, he was assigned concurrently as assistant division commander, 40th Infantry Division and in March of this year he was selected for his new position as the assistant adjutant general, California National Guard.

Haskins’ civilian and military education include; Bachelor of Science degree from University of New York; Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Fullerton; Master of Art degree in history from American Military University, and Master of Art degree in strategic studies from the United States Army War College.