North Dakota Air National Guard Welcomes Newest General Officer
119 Wing
/ Published October 18, 2017
North Dakota Air National Guard Base, N.D. --
Todd Branden, a native of Audubon, Minnesota, was promoted Oct. 7 to the rank of brigadier general, becoming one of only four general officers within the North Dakota National Guard. A ceremony was held for Branden in front of an audience of friends, family and fellow Guard members at the Air National Guard base in Fargo, where he became the newest “one-star” to lead the Airmen of the 119th Wing, also known as the Happy Hooligans.
Maj. Gen. Al Dohrmann, North Dakota adjutant general, presided over the ceremony. He reminded onlookers that promotions to general officer ranks are infrequent and reserved for only the highest leadership positions within the U.S. military.
“Today we promote our newest Air National Guard general officer,” Dohrmann said. “Everything Todd has done so far has gotten him to this point to include participating in the major transitions experienced by 119th Wing. From receiving new aircraft to standing up new missions, he has guided and supported our Airmen along the way. We are promoting him based on his potential to lead at the highest level within our organization, and I am confident that he will continue to lead with honor and distinction.”
Branden enlisted in the North Dakota Air National Guard in 1979 as a traffic management specialist, and earned his commission in 1995 from the Air National Guard Academy of Military Science.
He has served in multiple leadership positions at the 119th Wing to include the 119th Logistics Readiness Squadron commander, 119th Mission Support Group deputy commander, and, most recently, the 119th Mission Support Group commander. In his new duty position as the North Dakota National Guard assistant adjutant general, Air, Branden will be responsible for coordinating with the adjutant general for all matters pertaining to the Air National Guard, such as readiness, training, mobilization, policies, recruiting, equipping and morale for more than 1,000 Airmen.
A 1984 graduate of North Dakota State University, Branden earned Bachelor of Science degrees in business administration and physiology. He resides in Audubon with his wife, Marla. They have two children; Nate, who serves as a cyber security journeyman with the 119th Wing, and Victoria.