McDonnell names new head of Va. National Guard

A 46-year veteran of the Virginia National Guard has been chosen as its new adjutant general, Gov. Bob McDonnell announced Friday.

Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Long Jr. is to assume command Wednesday. He recently served at Fort Monroe as commander of Joint Task Force Civil Support, whose mission is to train for and respond to incidents involving chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.

Long, who rose through the ranks after joining the Guard in 1964 as an 18-year-old private, will be responsible for the combat readiness, administration and training of more than 8,200 Army and Air National Guard personnel.

The two-star general's appointment comes in the wake of a shake-up in the G uard's leadership.

The former adjutant general, Air Force Maj. Gen. Robert Newman, was not reappointed by McDonnell. He was replaced last month with an interim appointee, Brig. Gen. Wayne Wright, chief of staff of the G uard. Shortly thereafter, Wright replaced the assistant adjutant general for air, Brig. Gen. Charles Smith, with Col. Zane Johnson.

McDonnell's decision not to reappoint Newman came a month after The Virginian-Pilot reported that for several years Newman has held a paid position in a business run by one of his subordinate officers, Brig. Gen. Peter Bonanni. Until earlier this year, Bonanni served as assistant adjutant general for air.

Newman said he informed the appropriate senior officials in then-Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's administration about his association with Bonanni's company.

But he acknowledged later that the relationship could give the appearance of a conflict.

McDonnell's office would not say whether Newman's relationship with Bonanni's firm was a factor in the decision not to reappoint him.

Long, 64, who grew up in Stafford County and still lives there today, said Friday he's aware of the recent turmoil.

"I don't have a lot of details about those things," he said in a telephone interview. "I'm big on getting the right people in the right slots and making this a place we're all proud of."

Master Sgt. James Rogers, a longtime National Guardsman who worked for Long in the 1980s and attended his change-of-command at Fort Monroe last week, said he expects that Long will bring strong leadership to the Virginia Guard.

"He knows that some cleanup has to be done," Rogers said. "He's a no-nonsense guy. He gives you a directive to do and he expects you to do it professionally."

Long said McDonnell told him on Thursday that he wants a Virginia Guard that "can respond to the needs of the state."

"My goal would be to continue to build this as a great organization," said Long. "I've grown up in the Guard.... I'm very proud of that."

Long has held numerous command assignments with the National Guard, including coordinating relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina and directing the Defense Department's Project and Contracting Office in Iraq in 2004 and 2005. He deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina with the 29th Infantry Division (Light).

Most of his assignments have taken place outside the G uard's Richmond headquarters; he last served there from 1993 to 1995, according to his résumé.

From 1980 to 2005, during times when he was not on active duty, Long owned and operated a Fredericksburg construction company that specialized in building houses and offices.

He holds a bachelor's degree from Liberty University and is a graduate of the U.S. Army War College.

Bill Bartel, (757) 446-2398, bill.bartel@pilotonline.com