FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – The North Dakota Air National Guard welcomed its newest senior enlisted leader Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, as Chief Master Sgt. Duane Kangas assumed duties during a change of responsibility ceremony at the Air National Guard base in Fargo, presided over by Brig. Gen. Robert Schulte, North Dakota National Guard chief of staff for Air.
“What Chief Kangas is going to bring is a wealth of experience as a former wing first sergeant, along with his experience, and just the extraordinary job he’s done, as the wing command chief over the years,” said Schulte during his remarks. “We were teammates at the wing, and I couldn’t ask for a better teammate now at state headquarters.”
As the state command chief master sergeant, Kangas will advise senior North Dakota National Guard leaders on matters concerning discipline, morale, welfare, effective utilization, professional development and career progression of the state’s Airmen.
“Thank you for giving me this opportunity, I am honored and humbled to be selected to serve as the next state command chief,” said Kangas during the ceremony. “I understand much is expected of me, and I will do my best to uphold these responsibilities.”
Kangas began his career upon his enlistment into the U.S. Air Force in Sept. 1984. He completed technical training at Chanute Air Force Base, Ill., in March 1985 and served on active duty as an aerospace ground equipment mechanic until 1988. Kangas joined the North Dakota Air National Guard in 1989. He cross-trained in 2000 to become an F-16 aircraft maintenance phase inspector. In 2002, he was chosen for a quality assurance position, capitalizing on his many years of experience as an aircraft maintenance technician. In 2006, Kangas was selected as the 119th Civil Engineer Squadron first sergeant, a position that saw him deploy to five different countries in four years. In 2010, he was chosen as the 119th Mission Support Group first sergeant, and in 2011, he was selected as the 119th Wing first sergeant. In 2016, Kangas assumed the position of 119th Wing Command Chief.
Kangas replaces Chief Master Sgt. Jeff Miller, who served two years in the position. Miller retired from the Air National Guard during a private ceremony immediately following the change of responsibility.
“For me, personally, it was a pleasure to have Chief Miller at the headquarters working there day in and day out,” said Maj. Gen. Al Dohrmann, North Dakota National Guard adjutant general, during his remarks. “You have improved the Air National Guard during your time as command chief, and it’s been awesome having you as a teammate.”
Miller began his career in the U.S. Air Force in 1981 as an F-4 aircraft armament systems mechanic. In 1990, he transferred to the maintenance data system analysis office where he remained until 2000 when he became a first sergeant for the aircraft generation squadron. In December 2001, Miller accepted a full-time position in the base education and training office as the non-commissioned officer-in-charge and was then named manager of the office in 2004. Miller then accepted the classification specialist and force support manager position in the human resources office at the North Dakota National Guard’s Joint Force Headquarters (JFHQ) in Bismarck in August 2016. He remained at JFHQ as the NDANG’s top enlisted member and retired after 40 years of dedicated service.
By Published: Dec. 6, 2020 at 4:52 PM CST
https://www.valleynewslive.com/2020/12/06/nd-air-guard-welcomes-new-state-command-chief/