General officer named Missouri Air National Guard chief of staff

  • Published
  • By Missouri National Guard Public Affairs
The adjutant general of the Missouri National Guard has named a new chief of staff for the Missouri Air National Guard at Ike Skelton Training Site.

Maj. Gen. Steve Danner, the adjutant general, announced Brig. Gen. Murray A. Hansen, a 30-year Air National Guard veteran, as the Missouri Air National Guard chief of staff. 

"Hansen brings to Missouri a wealth of knowledge and experience," Danner said. "He already possesses the skills needed for the position and I have great confidence he will use his broad range of experience to continue the mission here in Missouri supporting the 139th Airlift Wing and 131st Bomb Wing."

As the Chief of Staff for the Missouri Air National Guard, Hansen will formulate and execute executive support functions for the adjutant general and assist in coordination of joint force headquarters activities.  He will oversee joint military functions and direct joint military program operations as well as serves as the senior Air Force advisor.  Hansen will be responsible for the formulation of long and short-term strategic plans, and developing and coordinating senior leadership response to higher headquarters directives.  He will also furnish guidance to headquarter staff and wings.

Hansen, who is a master navigator with over 3,200 flying hours, was commissioned in 1987 through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Valdosta State University. He first served as an instructor in the Air Force's only dual nuclear and conventional qualified B-52 squadron and executed 156 combat hours in Desert Storm. After transferring to the Air National Guard, he became an instructor Weapon Systems Officer. Hansen was instrumental in the stand-up of the first Total Force Integration (the 116th Blended Wing), during a unit conversion, retraining again to earn a second rating as an Air battle manager on the E-8C JSTARS and completing an additional 300 combat hours in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. In addition, he is a commercial-rated pilot with single and multi-engine land ratings.

Hansen is transitioning from his current position as the Chief of Staff, Wisconsin Air National Guard, where he served as the senior ranking officer for headquarters Air staff and the principal advisor to the Assistant Adjutant General - Air. He focused on issues regarding the administration, operation, training, tactical employment, maintenance and supply of the 115th Fighter Wing, Madison; 128th Air Refueling Wing, Milwaukee; Combat Readiness Training Center and 128th Air Control Squadron, Volk Field. Hansen also concurrently served on the National Guard Bureau's Strategic Planning System as the Priority One Chairman for Force Development and Chairman of the Joint Officer Management's Field Advisory Council.

Danner added that through Hansen's tenure serving on boards at National Guard Bureau, the Missouri Guard is gaining a seasoned professional whose broad background of experience will support the organization's strategic goals.

He has been awarded numerous medals, ribbons and other citations, including the Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster, Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Air Medal Aerial Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Air Force Commendation Medal Meritorious Unit Award with one oak leaf cluster,  Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with valor, one silver leaf and two oak leaf clusters, Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, Combat Readiness Medal with two silver leaf and one oak leaf cluster, Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal with a silver leaf cluster, National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star, and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.

Hansen is a graduate the Air War College.