On Nov. 25, Gov. Phil Murphy presided over a ceremony at the National Guard Armory in Lawrenceville at which Colonel Yvonne L. Mays was promoted to the rank of brigadier general, becoming first black woman to lead the New Jersey National Guard.
Mays has been serving as the 34th Adjutant General of New Jersey at the rank of colonel since Murphy appointed her to that role in June. The State Senate confirmed her in October.
In the role of Adjutant General, Mays serves as the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, and she commands the 8,400 soldiers and airmen of the New Jersey National Guard.
She is the third Air Force officer to hold the post.
“Brigadier General Mays is an exemplary leader who has served our country with honor for more than four decades,” Murphy said at the event. “Our Garden State heroes are in the best possible hands with her at the helm.”
Mays said she is eager to serve.
“Today the National Guard faces unprecedented challenges, but we are not alone, and it is not the first time we have encountered such difficulties,” she said. “Our legacy is built on the foundations laid by leaders present in this room. I will take full responsibility for continuing and enhancing the excellent work done by these remarkable Americans.”
More than 500 attended the ceremony, including May’s family, members of the New Jersey State Legislature, the National Guard and DMAVA.
“As we speak, more than 1,500 soldiers of the 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team are preparing for redeployment back home to their families,” Mays reminded the audience. “Additionally, nearly 700 more soldiers and airmen from the 42nd Regional Support Group, the 177th Fighter Wing and 108th Wing await their turns in 2025 to relieve other units which remain downrange.”
In her first official act following the promotion, Mays awarded state service medals to a dozen World War II veterans.
Mays enlisted in the Air Force in August 1983 and supported Operation Just Cause and deployed in support of Operation Desert Storm.
Mays earned her commission from the Palmetto Military Academy, Fort Jackson, South Carolina in 1999 and began her New Jersey Air National Guard duty as the
Director of Personnel and Commander of Mission Support Flight, 177th Fighter Wing in Egg Harbor Township.
Mays resides in Lumberton Township.
