H. Steven Blum

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Lieutenant General H. Steven Blum

A native of Maryland, Lieutenant General H. Steven Blum (b.1946 or 1947) currently serves as the 25th Chief of the National Guard Bureau. As Chief, he is the senior uniformed National Guard officer responsible for all policies, programs and plans affecting the Army and Air National Guard personnel. He was appointed by President George W. Bush on January 6, 2003, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 15, 2003. He has been a Special Forces officer throughout his career, and he has commanded at every level since taking charge of a detachment in the Maryland Army Guard’s 20th Special Forces in November 1977.

[edit] Education

In 1968, Blum earned his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Baltimore. On August 28, 1971, he graduated with honors from the Maryland Army Guard's Officers Candidate School, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army National Guard. In 1973, he received a master’s in social science from Morgan College in Baltimore. In 1989, he attended the U.S. Army War College.

[edit] Military career

On August 1, 1996, Blum received his first star when he was promoted to brigadier general. In August, 1999, Blum assumed command of the Virginia Army Guard’s 29th Infantry Division, which provided the command and control element for that peacekeeping rotation in Bosnia Herzegovina. On February 1, 2000, he was promoted to major general. In September, 2001, through April, 2002, Blum was given the additional responsibility of commanding general of the Multinational Division (North) SFOR-10 in Operation Joint Forge, Bosnia Herzegovina. He continued to command the 29th Infantry Division until August, 2002 when he was assigned to the Northern Command in Colorado, where he served as Chief of Staff. On April 13, 2003, Blum was promoted to lieutenant general, then was confirmed two days later as the 25th chief of the National Guard Bureau.