It is an honor to write to you, my fellow Indiana National Guard soldiers, airmen and civilian employees. I am Brigadier General Larry Muennich, your newly appointed Adjutant General.
I’ve spent 31 years in the military, first as an enlisted soldier and then a commissioned officer. I’m excited to begin this new chapter as your leader of the Indiana National Guard. I come from a long line of service – which has ingrained a strong belief in the importance of service to our state and nation.
We serve during a time of volatility, uncertainty, and transformation; therefore, the readiness of our National Guard has never been more important to our state and nation. We currently have soldiers and airmen deployed overseas in the Middle East and also at the Southwest Border. Yesterday, nearly 140 of our soldiers provided military support for the 60th Presidential Inauguration. I traveled to D.C. with Governor Braun on Sunday to personally thank the soldiers who answered the call for this mission.
I see the threats we face in two categories. The first category are national security threats to our homeland and abroad from foreign adversaries. These threats come from the potential for kinetic and non-kinetic attacks from our adversaries, cyber threats, terrorist activities from non-state actors, and the impact of novel crises on the homeland, such as natural disasters, pandemics, and social unrest. These threats also come from malign foreign actors that destabilize regions and threaten America’s safety, prosperity, and interests.
The second category of threats is threats to our organization. Primary among these is our ability to recruit and retain our talent. We must connect with our communities, tell our stories, and care for our team members. I have many goals I hope to achieve as TAG, but my top priority is to take care of our soldiers, our airmen, and our civilian teammates and instill a sense of pride in the Indiana National Guard from every Hoosier.
The threats we face are real and evolving. Our military is evolving rapidly to meet those threats, and we must evolve as well. How we evolve to address these threats will define our success in the future.
I am excited to build upon the dedicated work and leadership of Maj. Gen. Lyles who will officially retire from the Indiana National Guard on January 31 of this year. His leadership has been exemplary, and I wish him well in this next chapter.
Thank you for your service to the Indiana National Guard – I look forward to working with you.
Larry Muennich
Brigadier General, INNG
60th Adjutant General
