Governor Henry today appointed Army National Guard Major General Myles Deering to serve as the state’s top military officer.
As Oklahoma Adjutant General, Deering will serve as military advisor to the governor and commander of the Oklahoma Air and Army National Guard.
He succeeds Lt. General Harry “Bud” Wyatt III, who was recently promoted to serve as the director of the Air National Guard at the Pentagon in Washington, DC.
“During his lengthy military career, Gen. Deering has distinguished himself as a dedicated solider and a seasoned leader capable of handling any and all challenges that come his way,” said Henry. “Oklahoma will be in good hands with Gen. Deering as its top military officer.”
From December 2004 to November 2008, Deering served as commander of Oklahoma’s famed 45th Infantry Brigade. He led the 45th in recent 
deployments to Iraq and in 2005 served as task force commander of 15,000 National Guard, Reserve and Active Duty troops in New Orleans during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Deering, 56, was recently assigned as the Director of Manpower and Personnel at the National Guard Bureau in Washington, DC, but will be reassigned back to Oklahoma in order to serve as Oklahoma’s State Adjutant General.
“It is a great honor to serve my home state and my country as adjutant general,” said Deering. “I appreciate the governor’s confidence in me, and I look forward to serving in this new role.”
Deering’s military career has spanned almost four decades.
He entered the service in 1971 and was commissioned as an infantry officer upon completing Officer Candidate School.
He has held numerous leadership positions in the Oklahoma Army National Guard and has earned numerous medals and citations, including the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Army Commendation Medal.
A native of Ada, Deering holds a master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. He has also earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Oklahoma and a master’s degree in Natural and Applied Science from Oklahoma State University.
He is a 1970 graduate of Ada High School. Deering and his wife, Pam, reside in Norman. Pam is the Assistant Superintendent of Fiscal Services for the Midwest City-Del City Public Schools. Their son, Daniel, is a former Oklahoma National Guard member who served in Bosnia and Iraq.
Col. Lawrence Fleishman was introduced as the commander of the Oklahoma Army National Guard’s 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in a ceremony Saturday at Midwest City High School.
Fleishman and the outgoing commander, Brig. Gen. Myles Deering, returned recently from Iraq where they supervised the International Zone — also known as the Green Zone — in Baghdad. Deering, also honored in Saturday’s ceremony, will be promoted to the rank of major general and become the director of manpower and personnel at the National Guard Bureau in Washington, D.C., in January.
Incoming command Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey Mapes was also welcomed as the incoming top non-commissioned officer. Mapes replaces Sgt. Maj. Dean Bridges. Fleishman, who enlisted in the National Guard in 1981, also holds a law degree from the University of Oklahoma and a doctorate in physics from Princeton University.
"It’s a reflection of how I solve problems. As a physicist, I look for order, and as a soldier, I impose that order on the battlefield,” he said.
In his 27 years with the Guard, Fleishman has imposed order in places such as Afghanistan, Iraq and New Orleans.
Fleishman’s first order of business is getting troops trained on the brigade’s new Army Battle Control System in the spring and carrying on the legacy of the one of the National Guard’s most prestigious units, he said.
"War on Terror" Vets May Have Special License Plates
State Rep. Randy McDaniel and state Sen. Todd Lamb filed House Bill 2666, which would create a special car tag for veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
McDaniel served in the Oklahoma Army National Guard for 11 years, reaching the rank of Captain.
"We should support and encourage all the brave young men and women who make great sacrifices to serve our country overseas during the time of war. We want to give our Iraqi and Afghan War veterans the same opportunities to display their pride as veterans of other wars," said McDaniel, R-Edmond.
Lamb said Oklahomans should take every opportunity to honor the men and women who put their lives on the line in the war on terror. Lamb said his father, state Secretary of Veterans Affairs Norman Lamb, taught him the importance of service to country as well as the importance of honoring the veterans who answered that call.
"Oklahomans have always served valiantly in times of war, and that has certainly been the case during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom," said Lamb, R-Edmond, who was an agent with the U.S. Secret Service prior to being elected to the Senate. "Having tags that honor their service is not only a way for our state to pay tribute to these men and women, it's also a way to help show people in Oklahoma and throughout the nation how dedicated our citizens are to protecting the freedoms that define America."
Currently, there are already special military tags for veterans of previous wars but there are none for the veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
"The United States armed forces has a rich and proud history. All American soldiers that put themselves in harm's way deserve recognitions for their sacrifices and service," said McDaniel.
Governor Henry today appointed Army National Guard Major General Myles Deering to serve as the state’s top military officer.
deployments to Iraq and in 2005 served as task force commander of 15,000 National Guard, Reserve and Active Duty troops in New Orleans during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
