Jon A. Jensen (born 1963) is a retired lieutenant general in the United States Army. He served as the 22nd director of the Army National Guard from 2020 to 2024, and as the acting vice chief of the National Guard Bureau from May to August 2024. He previously served as the Adjutant General of Minnesota from November 2017 to August 2020. Prior to that, he was assigned as commanding general of the 34th Infantry Division from January 2017 to October 2017 and as deputy commanding general for United States Army Africa from 2015 to 2017.
LTG Jensen retired on August 5, 2024.
Education Jensen attended Lewis Central High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa, graduating in 1982. He is a 1986 graduate of Northwest Missouri State University. Jensen later earned master's degrees from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and the United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
Military career Jensen enlisted into the Iowa Army National Guard as a Private (PV1) combat medic in November 1982. He served for six and a half years and reached the rank of Staff Sergeant before attending the Army's Officer Candidate School, and received his commission upon graduation in 1989. As a second lieutenant, he was assigned to the 1st Battalion of the 168th Infantry Regiment of the 34th Infantry Division. He was deployed to Kuwait in 2001, Stabilization Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2003 as a major and Iraq in 2007 as a lieutenant colonel and in 2009 as colonel for a second deployment to Iraq. Jensen was appointed as the 31st Adjutant General of Minnesota by the Governor of Minnesota Mark Dayton on November 1, 2017, he was succeeded by Major General Shawn P. Manke as Adjutant General in 2020.
Personal life Jensen is married to Cindy A. Schmid, with whom he is the father of three children.
Awards and decorations National Guard Bureau Organizational Badge34th Infantry Division Shoulder Sleeve Insignia135th Infantry Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia2 Overseas Service Bars Army Distinguished Service MedalLegion of Merit with one bronze oak leaf clusterBronze Star MedalMeritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clustersArmy Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clustersArmy Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clustersArmy Meritorious Unit Commendation with oak leaf clusterSuperior Unit AwardArmy Reserve Component Achievement Medal with silver oak leaf clusterNational Defense Service Medal with one bronze service starArmed Forces Expeditionary Medal with service starIraq Campaign Medal with two service starsGlobal War on Terrorism Expeditionary MedalGlobal War on Terrorism Service MedalHumanitarian Service MedalArmed Forces Reserve Medal with silver Hourglass device, "M" device and bronze award numeral 3NCO Professional Development RibbonArmy Service RibbonArmy Overseas Service Ribbon with award numeral 2Army Reserve Overseas Training Ribbon with award numeral 3NATO Medal for the former Yugoslavia with service star
Publications
References