Years of service 1956 – 1998 Rank General officer Battles and wars Vietnam War | Name Edward Baca Battles/wars Vietnam War | |
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Born July 27, 1938 (age 85)
Santa Fe, New Mexico ( 1938-07-27 ) Allegiance United States of America Commands held Adjutant General, New Mexico National Guard
Chief of the National Guard Bureau Awards Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Commendation Medal Other work Leadership, Management consulting | ||
Service/branch United States Army | ||
Edward D. Baca (born July 23, 1938) was a United States Army Lieutenant General who was the first Hispanic to serve as Chief of the National Guard Bureau.
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Early life
Edward Baca was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico on July 23, 1938, into a family with a long history in New Mexico. His father, Ernesto, was a veteran of both World War II and the Korean War. Baca's ancestors arrived in Mexico City with the conquistadores in the 16th century and participated in the Oñate expedition that resulted in the founding of the Province of New Mexico. Two of his great-grandfathers fought in the Civil War.
One of six children, Baca attended St. Michael's High School in Santa Fe, helping to pay the tuition by working on construction crews during summers. His father died shortly after Baca's high school graduation. Seeking to help Baca recover and begin a career, a cousin convinced him to join the National Guard, and on November 19, 1956 he became a member of Battery C, 726th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion.
OCS and active duty service
Baca graduated from Officer Candidate School in July, 1962 and became a platoon leader in the 3631st Maintenance Company. He soon applied for an overseas active duty assignment, and was deployed to Vietnam. Upon his release from active duty on February 22, 1966, Baca returned to New Mexico and took command of the 3631st.
National Guard leader
Baca continued to advance through the ranks in a series of command and staff assignments. On January 30, 1977, he became the military personnel officer for the New Mexico Army National Guard. He was later assigned as Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel (G1). In 1979 Baca was promoted to Brigadier General and appointed the State Command Administrative Officer and Secretary of the General Staff.
In 1983 Baca was appointed by Governor Toney Anaya to be Adjutant General of the New Mexico National Guard and promoted to Major General. His tenure was marked by a number of accomplishments, including taking part in an effort to modernize the National Guard nationwide, including the deployment of the Army's only Roland Air Defense battalion. He also had a role in the fielding of Chaparral and Hawk missile battalions in the Army Reserve. In addition, the New Mexico National Guard's Drug Demand Reduction Program was praised by the National Guard Bureau and used as a pilot program for similar programs in other states.
In 1994 Baca was promoted to Lieutenant General and appointed Chief of the National Guard Bureau by President Bill Clinton.
In 1995, the United States Department of Defense planned to cut the number of National Guard combat divisions by 50% in order to allocate more funding to active duty forces. Baca strongly resisted this attempt, replying to those in the Pentagon who called for a justification of Guard combat units' contribution to national security: "There were a lot of folks who said the same thing before World War II, 'Where's the threat?'" By 1998, his efforts paid off when Guardsmen were needed to supplement the US complement for SFOR in Bosnia, and were available, enabling the National Guard to deploy its first combat unit overseas in nearly thirty years. Of this time, Baca was able to say of the Guard's capacity: "We've got a reserve of untapped ability before we'd ever feel a pinch."
In 1998, Baca unsuccessfully attempted to have the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery changed to eliminate what he perceived as cultural biases.
Baca remained Chief until his retirement on July 31, 1998. He currently heads a leadership training and consulting business in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Family
Baca is married to Rita Hennigan of Muenster, Texas. The couple have seven children, four of whom have served in the military, including two who were members of the New Mexico National Guard. The seven children are Brian Baca, Brenda Baca, Karen Nielsen, Mark Baca, Michelle Baca, David Baca, and Daniel Baca. Brian has three children, Brenda has five, Karen has three, Mark has five, Michelle has two, David has two, and Daniel has one. His son Daniel died at age 41 (1974-2015).
Education
Baca holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Liberal Arts from Regents College (now Excelsior College). He is a graduate of the Ordnance Officer Basic and Advanced Courses and the Command and General Staff Officer Course.
Awards
Among LTG Baca's decorations are the following: