Vermont Air National Guard Lt. Col. Martha T. Rainville will
pin on the stars of a major general, at 10 a.m. EST, Saturday,
March 1, 1997. In doing so, she will also become the first woman
in the 360-year history of the National Guard to be named State
Adjutant General.
The ceremony will be conducted in the Green Mountain Armory,
at Camp Johnson, in Colchester, Vt. She will be sworn in by
Vermont Governor Howard Dean, M.D. A delegation lead by Lt. Gen.
Edward D. Baca, chief, National Guard Bureau, headquartered in
Washington, D.C., as well as the Vermont Congressional delegation
is expected to be in attendance.
On February 20, Rainville was elected by the Vermont State
Legislature to serve as the adjutant general of the Vermont
National Guard. Vermont is the only State to select it's
adjutant general in this manner. South Carolina elects its
adjutant general by popular vote while in the District of
Columbia, the position is appointed by the President. In most
states, the position is traditionally appointed by the governor.
Rainville joined the Vermont Air National Guard in 1988
after serving previous assignments in the U.S. Air Force (on
active duty), Air Force Reserve and New York Air National Guard.
Prior to her election to Adjutant General, she served as
commander of the 158th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 159th
Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard. As commander, she led
her unit at the 1994 USAF William Tell Fighter Competition to a
first place finish in the Aircraft Maintenance competition and
established a first ever Weapons Loading Team perfect score in
the 40-year history of the William Tell Competition.
Martha Rainville is the daughter of Nick B. Trim, of Port
Gibson, Miss., and the late Lucille Slayton Trim. She is a 1975
graduate of Chamberlain-Hunt Academy, and a 1979 graduate of the
University of Mississippi. She resides with her spouse, Norman,
and their three children in Saint Albans, Vt.
Members of the media wishing to attend this historic event
may contact Maj. Lloyd Goodrow at office (902) 654-0246 or home
(802) 878-6354.
