Maj. Gen. Henry U. Harder, Jr. is the Adjutant General – Vermont National Guard. Maj. Gen Harder has 37 years of uniformed service. General Harder received his commission in 1989 as a distinguished graduate from the Academy of Military Science after graduating from the University of Vermont at which time he attended Undergraduate Pilot Training at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona. He served within the 134th Fighter Squadron in multiple positions including Flying Training Instructor, Wing Plans Officer, Chief of Safety, Operations Plans Officer, Squadron Chief of Scheduling and Flight Commander. In 2008, he served as the 158th Operations Support Flight Commander until late 2009 when he was chosen to Command the 229th Information Operations Squadron located in Northfield, Vermont. In 2013, he became the Communications and Cyber Director at Joint Force Headquarters, Vermont with a follow on as the Director of Staff-Air until 2016 when he returned to the Wing as the Mission Support Group Commander and then Wing Vice Commander in June of 2017. From 2020 to 2025 he served as Assistant Adjutant General - Air. In 2024 he was dual-hatted as Deputy Adjutant General until his current assignment. General Harder is a command pilot with over 3,000 hours of military flying, the majority in the F-16; his flying time includes over 330 hours of combat time in four separate tours in operations in and over Iraq.
EDUCATION
1987 Bachelor of Arts, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vt.
1991 Undergraduate Pilot Training, Williams Air Force Base, Ariz.
1991 ADF-16 RTU Klamath Falls, Ore.
1996 Education Specialist Graduate Certificate, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vt.
1999 Squadron Officer School, by Correspondence
2004 Air Command and Staff College, by Correspondence
2013 United States Air War College, by Correspondence
2014 Harvard Kennedy School – Cybersecurity Executive Education Seminar, Cambridge, Mass.
2017 Leadership for Strategic Impact, Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College, NH
2020 Dual Status Commanders Course, Peterson AFB, Colo.
2024 Regional Studies Seminar – Africa, Alan Freed Associates, Washington, DC2006 Master of Science, Logistics Management, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
ASSIGNMENTS or CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. March 1990 - April 1991, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Williams Air Force Base, Ariz.
2. April 1991 - December 1991, ADF-16 RTU, Klamath Falls, Ore.
3. December 1991 - June 1997, F-16 Pilot, 134 FS, Burlington, Vt.
4. June 1997 - March 1998, Wing Plans Officer, 158th Fighter Wing, Burlington, Vt.
5. March 1998 - June 2002, Chief of Safety, 158th Fighter Wing, Burlington, Vt.
6. June 2002 - June 2004, Operations Plans Officer, 134 FS, Burlington, Vt.
7. June 2004 - March 2008, Flight Commander, 134 FS, Burlington, Vt.
8. April 2008 - January 2010, 158th Operations Support Flight Commander, Burlington, Vt.
9. February 2010 - September 2013, 229th Information Operations Squadron Commander, Burlington, Vt.
10. October 2013 - March 2014, Communications & Cyber Director, JFHQ-VT, Camp Johnson, Vt.
11. March 2014 - February 2016, Director of Staff–Air, JFHQ-VT, Camp Johnson, Vt.
12. February 2016 - June 2017, 158th Mission Support Group Commander, Burlington ANGB, Vt.
13. June 2017 - July 2019, 158th Fighter Wing Vice Wing Commander, Burlington ANGB, Vt.
14. January 2020 – August 2025, Assistant Adjutant General - Air, Colchester, Vt.
15. January 2024 – February 2026, Deputy Adjutant General – Colchester, Vt.
16. March 2026 – Present, The Adjutant General, Colchester, Vt.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 3,000
Aircraft flown: F-16A/B/C/D, AT38, T38, T37
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters
Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Meritorious Unit Award with Oak Leaf Cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with two Oak Leaf Clusters
Combat Readiness Medal with two Silver Oak Leaf Clusters
National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star
OCCUPATIONAL BADGES
Command Pilot
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Life Member, National Guard Association
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant : Dec. 21, 1989
First Lieutenant : Dec. 21, 1992
Captain : Jan. 7, 1995
Major : Sept. 11, 1999
Lieutenant Colonel : June 8, 2005
Colonel : May 22, 2014
Colonel May 22, 2014
Brigadier General Jan. 2, 2020
Major General Aug. 1, 2025
(Current as of March 2026)