Governor will nominate retired U.S. Army Brigadier General Diane Dunn to become first woman to lead Maine National Guard and serve as Commissioner of the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management
Governor Janet Mills announced today that Major General Douglas Farnham, Maine's Adjutant General and Commissioner of the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management (DVEM), will retire after nearly 40 years of dedicated service in the United States military.
Prior to assuming the role of Adjutant General, General Farnham served as Commander of the 101st Air Refueling Wing in the Maine Air National Guard. He was first nominated to serve as Adjutant General and DVEM Commissioner by former Governor Paul LePage in 2015 and renominated to the position by Governor Mills in 2019.
"General Farnham is a highly respected leader of unwavering integrity whose counsel and advice has been invaluable to me and whose dedicated service has made our state and nation stronger," said Governor Mills. "I am deeply grateful for his service and wish him nothing but the best as he embarks upon his well-deserved retirement."
"It has been an honor to serve the Governor and the State in this capacity," said Major General Douglas A. Farnham. "The Airmen, Soldiers and employees of the Maine National Guard, Maine Emergency Management Agency, and the Maine Bureau of Veteran Services made me proud every day as they demonstrated their commitment and dedication to the people of Maine and the nation."
Governor Mills also announced today that she will nominate retired U.S. Army Brigadier General Diane Dunn to succeed Farnham as Adjutant General and Commissioner of the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management. Dunn will be the first woman in history to lead the Maine National Guard and to hold the post of Commissioner, if confirmed by the Legislature.
General Dunn is a former Assistant Adjutant General and Chief of Staff of the Maine Army National Guard with 33 years of distinguished military service. In 2014, she became the first woman to command a brigade in the Maine Army National Guard. Upon her promotion to Brigadier General in 2020, she became the first female general officer in the 200-year history of the Maine Army National Guard.
Throughout her career, General Dunn has held many leadership positions. She has served as company commander of the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 286th Supply Services Battalion in Bangor, battalion commander of the 240th Regional Training Institute while it was in Augusta, battalion commander of the 286th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion in both Bangor and Afghanistan, and brigade commander of the 120th Regional Support Group in Bangor.
"General Dunn has served at the highest levels of the Maine National Guard. She is uniquely and highly qualified to serve as Adjutant General and Commissioner, and she is deeply respected by the men and women of the department who have served with her," said Governor Mills. "She is the right person to take on these immense responsibilities, and I am grateful that she is once again willing to answer the call to serve Maine and the nation."
"I extend my deepest gratitude to Governor Mills for nominating me to serve as Adjutant General and Commissioner of the Department of Defense, Veterans, and Emergency Management. I have tremendous respect for our Airmen, Soldiers and employees of the department who play a crucial role in protecting and serving our state and nation. It would be an honor and a privilege to once again lead them and to serve my beloved state," said Brigadier General Diane Dunn, U.S. Army, Retired. "I thank the countless friends, mentors, and colleagues who have shaped my career and who have supported me. If confirmed by the Legislature, I pledge to work hard every day, to lead with integrity, and to strive to fully discharge the responsibilities of the department to protect the lives, freedom, and property of Maine people."
"General Dunn has earned respect in many circles, both in Maine and across the country, for her effective leadership and strategic planning skills. She understands and is committed to the role our National Guard has in national defense, as well as the State's responsibilities to our veterans and emergency management," continued Major General Douglas A. Farnham, "I have worked closely with Diane and know she will make an outstanding Adjutant General and Commissioner. She has my full support."
General Dunn commissioned in the Maine Army National Guard in 1988 after graduating from Houghton University in New York, where she participated in the school's Army Reserve Officers' Training Course (ROTC) program. After leading a successful civilian career as a licensed social worker, in 1997, she began working full time for the Maine National Guard as a battalion training officer.
Nationally respected for her deep experience in strategic and exercise planning, General Dunn deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan in 2009, where she commanded the 286th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Her distinguished career also included national assignments as the Joint Regional Branch Chief of U.S. Northern Command in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and as a deputy commanding general for U.S. Army North at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
She is the recipient of the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with 4 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, the National Defense Service Medal with 1 Bronze Service Star, the Global War on Terrorism-Service Medal, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Medal, among several other distinguished decorations and badges.
Since retiring from the National Guard in 2021, General Dunn has served as a senior advisor and Chief of Staff to University of Maine and University of Maine at Machias President Joan Ferrini-Mundy. Governor Mills has requested that the National Guard Bureau expedite reinstatement of General Dunn to active status.
General Dunn, 57, lives in Rome with her husband. She was born in Farmington and grew up in Jay and Lewiston – one of four children – and has French-Canadian, Irish and Penobscot ancestry. She was the first in her family to go on to attain higher education. She holds a Bachelor's degree from Houghton University, a Master's Degree in public administration from the University of Maine, and a Master's Degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College. She is a proud mother and grandmother.
General Dunn's nomination is subject to confirmation by the Maine Senate and is expected to be considered by the Joint Standing Committee on Veterans & Legal Affairs. As Adjutant General and DVEM Commissioner, General Dunn would lead the Maine Army and Air National Guards and oversee the Maine Bureau of Veterans Services and the Maine Emergency Management Agency.
General Farnham will continue to serve as Adjutant General and DVEM Commissioner until his successor is confirmed.