H. Steven Blum

Infobox Military Person
name=H Steven (Shorty)Blum
born=
died=
placeofbirth=
placeofdeath=


caption=Lieutenant General H Steven Blum
nickname=
allegiance=flag|United States of America
branch=United States Army
serviceyears=1971-present
rank=Lieutenant General
commands=Chief, National Guard Bureau
unit=
battles=
awards=Special Forces Tab Air Assault Badge Expert Infantryman Badge
relations=
laterwork=

Lieutenant General H Steven Blum, ARNG, USA, is the current Chief, National Guard Bureau, Arlington, Virginia.

As Chief, Blum is the senior uniformed National Guard of the United States officer responsible for formulating, developing and coordinating all policies, programs and plans affecting more than half a million federalized and nonfederalized Army National Guard and Air National Guard personnel. Appointed by the President, he serves as the principal adviser to the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Army, and the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force on all National Guard issues. As National Guard Bureau Chief, he serves as the Army's and Air Force's official channel of communication with state governors and Adjutants General concerning state Natonal Guards. Prior to his current assignment, General Blum served as Chief of Staff, United States Northern Command.

On July 16, 2008, Defense Secretary Robert Gates recommended to the President for Blum be nominated to become the next Deputy Commander, United States Northern Command.

Military career

Blum received his commission from Officer Candidate School on August 28, 1971. He has commanded at every level to include a Special Forces Operational Detachment-A, a Light Infantry Battalion and an Infantry Brigade, and a Division Support Command. Prior to commanding the 29th Infantry Division (Light), Blum served as Assistant Adjutant General for Army, Commanding General, Maryland Army National Guard, and Assistant Division Commander (Support), 29th Infantry Division (Light). General Blum served as the Commanding General for Multinational Division (North) Stabilization Force 10 in Operation Joint Forge, Bosnia Herzegovina.

Education

1968 University of Baltimore, Bachelor of Arts, History, Baltimore, Maryland 1973 Morgan State University, Master of Science, Social Science, Baltimore, Maryland 1989 U.S. Army War College

Assignments

# August 1971 - September 1972, S-3, Detachment B3, Company B, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, Maryland Army National Guard
# October 1972 - August 1974, Air Operations Officer, Headquarters Detachment, 5th Special Forces Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group, Maryland Army National Guard
# August 1974 - August 1976, Battalion S-2, Headquarters Detachment, 5th Special Forces Battalion, 20th Special Forces, Maryland Army National Guard
# September 1976 - November 1977, Recruiting and Retention Officer, Headquarters Detachment, Maryland Army National Guard
# November 1977 - August 1978, Commander, Special Forces Operations Detachment-A, Company B, 5th Special Forces Battalion, 20th Special Forces, Maryland Army National Guard
# September 1978 - October 1978, Recruiting and Retention Officer, Headquarters Detachment, Maryland Army National Guard
# October 1978 - June 1981, Special Forces Operations Officer, Command and Control, Headquarters, Maryland Army National Guard
# July 1981 - September 1981, Marksmanship Program Administrator, Headquarters Detachment, Maryland Army National Guard
# October 1981 - September 1982, Training Administrator, Headquarters Detachment, Maryland Army National Guard
# October 1982 - November 1984, Director Plans, Operations and Training, Headquarters, State Area Command, Maryland Army National Guard
# December 1984 - July 1985, Mobilization Operations Officer, Headquarters, State Area Command, Maryland Army National Guard
# August 1985 - September 1987, Battalion Commander, Headquarters, 1st Battalion, 115th Infantry, 29th Infantry Division (Light), Maryland Army National Guard
# October 1987 - October 1988, Executive Officer, Headquarters, 3rd Brigade, 29th Infantry Division (Light), Maryland Army National Guard
# November 1988 - January 1989, Operations and Training Officer, Headquarters, State Area Command, Maryland Army National Guard
# January 1989 - August 1992, Director, Plans, Operations, and Training, Headquarters, Maryland Army National Guard
# September 1992 - July 1995, Commander, 3rd Brigade, 29th Infantry Division (Light), Maryland Army National Guard
# July 1995 - August 1996, Commander, Division Support Command, 29th Infantry Division (Light), Maryland Army National Guard
# August 1996 - July 1999, Assistant Division Commander, 29th Infantry Division (Light), Maryland Army National Guard
# August 1999 - October 2001, Commanding General, 29th Infantry Division (Light), Virginia Army National Guard
# October 2001 - April 2002, Commanding General, Multi National Division (North), Stabilization Force 10, Operation Joint Force, Bosnia and Herzegovina
# April 2002 - August 2002, Commanding General, 29th Infantry Division (Light), Virginia Army National Guard
# August 2002 - April 2003, Chief of Staff, United States Northern Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
# April 2003 - Present, Chief, National Guard Bureau, Arlington, Virginia

Major awards and decorations

Effective dates of promotion

2nd Lieutenant ARNG 28 August 1971 1st Lieutenant ARNG 28 August 1972 Captain ARNG 3 September 1974 Major ARNG 8 September 1978 Lieutenant Colonel ARNG 1 October 1982 Colonel ARNG 3 January 1989 Brigadier General (LINE) ARNG 1 August 1996 Major General (LINE) ARNG 1 February 2000 Lieutenant General (LINE) ARNG 13 April 2003

Controversy

On July 18, 2006, Blum made controversial remarks about atheist and agnostic soldiers while addressing the NAACP. Blum said "Agnostics, atheists and bigots suddenly lose all that when their life is on the line....Something that they lived their whole life believing gets thrown out the door, and they grasp the comrade next to them, and they don’t care what color their skin is, and they don’t care when they pray". Atheists and agnostics objected to Blum's equating their lack of religious belief to bigotry and his paraphrased repetition of the "no atheists in foxholes" assertion. Several atheist organizations complained [cite web |accessdate=
url=http://www.atheists.org/action/alert-19-jul-2006.html
date= uly 19, 2006
title= National Guard Official Needs to Apologize for “Agnostics, Atheists, Bigots” Slur at NAACP Convention!
publisher=American Atheists] and called for an apology. Several soldiers filed formal equal opportunity complaints and at least one officer resigned [cite web
url=http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/17380
title=Atheist National Guard Officer Resigns Commission Over Remarks Made By Lt. Gen. Blum and Others
first=Wayne |last=Adkins
date=November 30, 2006
work=American Chronicle] over Blum's alleged bigotry and alleged illegal handling of formal EO complaints] . [cite web
url=http://www.nakedemperor.netfirms.com/complaint%20documentation.htm
title=Documentation of Army Discrimination against Atheists
first=Wayne |last=Adkins] Blum never apologized for his remarks and the Department of the Army Inspector Generals Office concluded that "Blum's remarks, though perhaps insensitive, did not rise to the level of an offense".

References

External links

* [http://www.ngb.army.mil/ngbGomo/ATab2.aspx LTG Blum Biography]