Friday is the application deadline for the successor to Major General Judd Lyons as adjutant general for the state of Nebraska. Lyons is stepping down as head of the Nebraska National Guard to become deputy director of the U-S Army National Guard at the Pentagon.

Governor Dave Heineman has already named a screening and expects it to work quickly enough that he can  have 2-to-4 finalists by the end of the month and change-of-command ceremony for the new adjutant general in mid-July.

The 50-year old Lyons became adjutant general in August 2009 when Major General Tim Kadavy also left for a job at National Guard headquarters. Governor Heineman feels both losses say a lot about the quality of the commanders of the Nebraska National Guard.

“It’s quite unusual and unique that two adjutants general from the same state have gone on to serve at the national level in such a short period of time. That shows the quality of leadership that we have here in the Nebraska National Guard. I don’t want to lose General Lyons, but this is a promotion and he deserves it.”

The adjutant general is the senior uniformed officer and leader of nearly 4,700 Army and Air National Guard personnel in Nebraska. The position is part of the governor’s cabinet.