Watch video of Klobuchar’s remarks here

WASHINGTON — Today on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar expressed her support for the nomination of Major General Jon Jensen of Minnesota to become the Director of the Army National Guard. Major General Jensen has served in the Army National Guard for more than three decades and currently serves as the Adjutant General of the Minnesota National Guard. In addition to serving as Adjutant General, Major General Jensen has held numerous leadership positions within the Minnesota National Guard, including as Commander of the 34th Infantry Division, Director of the Joint Staff, and Assistant Adjutant General.

“I have no doubt that our nation will benefit from his leadership and from his decades of experience and commitment to guardsmen and families, including supporting families through multiple deployments as well as in my state,” Klobuchar said in her remarks.

His record of service and extensive experience in Minnesota and across the world makes him an excellent choice to lead the men and women of the Army National Guard across the country.”

Transcript of remarks as delivered below and video available HERE.

I'm going to briefly address one matter, and that is to express my support for the nomination of Major General Jon Jensen of Minnesota to become the director of the Army National Guard. Major General Jensen has served in the Army National Guard for more than three decades. He currently serves as the Adjutant General of the Minnesota National Guard, a position he has held since November of 2017. He oversees more than 13,000 soldiers and airmen and women in Minnesota. 

His record of service and extensive experience in Minnesota and across the world makes him an excellent choice to lead the men and women of the Army National Guard across the country. We are grateful for Major General Jensen's leadership and service and proud to see a fellow Minnesotan nominated to become the director of the Army National Guard, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting his confirmation. 

Major General Jenson has led the Minnesota National Guard in unprecedented times, including in the state's response to the coronavirus pandemic. In recent months, our guard members, as they have in so many states, have provided planning and logistic support and transportation assistance while also helping to conduct coronavirus tests. Under Major General Jensen's leadership, the Minnesota National Guard has been critical in our response to natural disasters, including flooding in our state which caused significant challenges for so many farmers in Minnesota during last year's harvest. And in addition to his work in our state, the major general has been a national leader in working with the National Guard in other states to expand partnerships with the federal government. 

He began his military career in 1982 as an enlisted combat medic and in August 1989 was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. He continued his training in Georgia and his career eventually took him to assignments in Georgia, Kansas, and Iowa. But then major assignments in Italy, Bosnia Herzegovina, Iraq, and in Kuwait. His outstanding service is demonstrated by the list of decorations and awards that he earned over his career, including the legion of merit, bronze star, meritorious service medal, and army Commendation medal. He has held numerous leadership positions within the Guard including as Commander of the 34th Infantry Division, Director of Joint Staff, and Assistant Adjutant General of the Guard. 

I had the honor of attending the change of command ceremony, where he became Adjutant General of our Guard. Now I hope to have the honor of seeing him confirmed to help lead the brave citizens of the Army National Guard nationwide. I have no doubt that our nation will benefit from his leadership and from his decades of experience and commitment to guardsmen and families, including supporting families through multiple deployments as well as in my state. I think that we know that dual role of the National Guard, it has been tested so much in recent decades, their work fighting on the front line over the last decades and their work here at home through many natural disasters as well as the current pandemic. 

Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor. 

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