MINNEAPOLIS, MN – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar today released the following statement on the Appointment of Major General Jon A. Jenson as the 31st Adjutant General of the Minnesota National Guard.

“With 29 years of service in the National Guard, Major General Jon Jenson represents the best of Minnesota and will make an excellent Adjutant General. I especially appreciate his experience, the respect he has from our Guard members, and his commitment to Minnesota's Beyond the Yellow Ribbon program, which is so important to our returning soldiers and their families.

"I also want to thank Major General Richard Nash for his outstanding career serving Minnesota and our country. He has commanded one of the biggest and most accomplished National Guards in the U.S. as they have shouldered major responsibilities in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Sinai and the Baltics, while still keeping Minnesotans safe during times of floods and other natural disasters. We are so proud of our Guard and their leadership." 

Klobuchar is pushing bipartisan legislation to support Guard and Reserve families at home. Currently, children of National Guard and Reserve members are excluded from a program in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which was signed into law last Congress, that requires states to identify students from military families in school records. This program ensures that schools and teachers know which students have parents in the military and help accommodate any additional needs. Klobuchar’s bill would amend ESSA to include children of Guard and Reserve members.

Klobuchar has also supported the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act, or the “Forever GI Bill”, which she cosponsored and was signed into law earlier this month. The bipartisan bill will bring significant changes to veterans education benefits, including removing the 15 year time limitation for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, closing a loophole that barred Guard and Reserve members from receiving their education benefits, and giving education benefits to all Purple Heart recipients regardless of time of service.

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