Senator Tony Luetkemeyer Congratulates Missouri’s New Adjutant General
JEFFERSON CITY — State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville, congratulates Col. Levon E. Cumpton on his confirmation as Adjutant General of the Missouri National Guard. The Missouri Senate voted to confirm Col. Cumpton’s appointment during the extraordinary legislative session called by the governor. Sen. Luetkemeyer is a member of the Senate’s Gubernatorial Appointments Committee, which reviewed the selection.
“I was honored to visit with Col. Cumpton during the confirmation process and discuss the role of the National Guard in the safety and security of our state and nation,” Sen. Luetkemeyer said. “A strong and effective Missouri National Guard is especially important to the citizens of the 34th Senatorial District due to the presence of the 139th Airlift Wing at Rosecrans Air Base in St. Joseph.”
The 139th is one of two flying wings of the Missouri Air National Guard, the other being the 131st Bomb Wing, which flies B-2 bombers from Whiteman Air Force Base. The St. Joseph-based unit, which flies the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, has deployed around the world and most recently assisted communities ravished by flood waters in Missouri.
As Missouri’s senior military leader, Cumpton oversees all National Guard units in the state. More than 12,000 Missourians serve in the Missouri Air and Army National Guard. The governor serves as Commander in Chief of the Missouri Guard.
Col. Cumpton assumed his leadership role on Aug. 2, pending confirmation from the Senate. A decorated combat veteran, Cumpton has served more than 26 years in the U.S. Army and National Guard. A native of Bates County, Missouri, Cumpton has deployed overseas in Germany, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and elsewhere. He is a graduate of the United States Air Force War College.
For more information about Sen. Luetkemeyer, visit www.senate.mo.gov/luetkemeyer.