On June 30, MG Kevin R. McBride was sworn in as the commanding general of the Rhode Island National Guard and the state’s 43rd adjutant general. McBride, an Army aviator, has commanded the 43rd Military Police Brigade since 2003. He earned the Bronze Star medal for his part in shutting down the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
Governor Chafee administered the oath of office in the State House rotunda, before a crowd of Army and Air National Guardsmen, Rhode Island militia members in period dress uniforms, state legislators, veterans and family friends. McBride, a graduate of the University of Rhode Island and the US Naval War College, has been a member of the RI National Guard since 1980.
After the ceremony, a reception was held in the capitol’s State Room. BG Jim D’Agostino USAF (Ret) and Frank Lennon represented the USS John F Kennedy project at the event.