Four-star general honored at Capitol

Retired Maj. Gen. Raymond (Fred) Rees, left, places the Retirement Pin on Gen. Frank Grass during a ceremony Thursday in the Capitol Rotunda. Grass was recognized by a number of current and former co-workers for his distinguished service to the Army National Guard. In a 1981 ceremony, Rees signed the papers for Grass to start his path as a general officer and was there Thursday to place the pin on his military dress uniform.
Retired Maj. Gen. Raymond (Fred) Rees, left, places the Retirement Pin on Gen. Frank Grass during a ceremony Thursday in the Capitol Rotunda. Grass was recognized by a number of current and former co-workers for his distinguished service to the Army National Guard. In a 1981 ceremony, Rees signed the papers for Grass to start his path as a general officer and was there Thursday to place the pin on his military dress uniform.

After 46 years of service, a four-star general from Missouri ended his military career Thursday afternoon in the Capitol Rotunda.

Numerous high-ranking defense officials, including 12 adjutant generals, were in attendance to honor Gen. Frank J. Grass, of Columbia, who served as the 27th chief of the National Guard Bureau and as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In this capacity, he served as a military adviser to the president, secretary of defense and National Security Council and was the Department of Defense's official channel of communication to the governors and state adjutants general on all matters pertaining to the National Guard.

He was responsible for ensuring the more than 470,000 Army and Air National Guard personnel were accessible, capable and ready to protect their homeland and to provide combat resources to the Army and Air Force.

"There were three groups important to my career - federal, state and family," Grass said. "All three allow us as soldiers to do our jobs. The members of the guard are the horsepower to get things done. The families at home and our unit families that we serve with are so important to what we do."

Prior to his last assignment, Grass served as deputy commander, U.S. Northern Command, and vice commander, United States Element, North American Aerospace Defense Command at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. As deputy commander, United States Northern Command, Grass helped lead the command to anticipate, prepare and respond to threats and aggression aimed at the U.S., its territories and interests within the assigned area of responsibility and as directed by the president or secretary of defense.

Grass enlisted in the Missouri Army National Guard in October 1969. He attended the Missouri Army National Guard Military Academy Officer Candidate School and was commissioned in the Engineer Corps in 1981, also in a ceremony held in the Capitol Rotunda. He has served in a variety of command and staff positions as a traditional National Guard soldier in the active guard and reserve program, and on active duty. In his first general officer assignment, he served as deputy director of the Army National Guard in Arlington, Virginia.

"He always made sure to take care of the enlisted men and treated them with loyalty and respect," said retired Maj. Gen. Raymond Rees.

"His leadership, I would describe as being a straight arrow with a strong moral compass," said Adjutant General of Missouri Steve Danner.

"When I would have a tough day I would go and watch and talk with our men and women as they prepared for their missions, and it always brought me great pride to see their professionalism," Grass said.