Leadership

The Adjutant General

Brigadier General Jemal J. Beale was sworn in as The Adjutant General of New Jersey on April 2, 2018. Brigadier General Beale commands the more than 8,400 Soldiers and Airmen of the New Jersey National Guard. He directs, controls, and manages the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs in the execution of federal and state missions. In addition, he manages all state veterans’ programs, commissions and facilities in New Jersey.

A combat Veteran of Afghanistan, his previous assignments include Director, Plans, Operations, Training & Safety, Director, Logistics, Commander, Recruiting & Retention Battalion, and Commander, Border Police Mentor Team (OEF). Brigadier General Beale began his military career in 1987 as an enlisted Soldier and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1990 after completing the Early Commissioning Program at Seton Hall University.

He has served throughout the continental United States, Afghanistan, Albania, Germany, and Italy.

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The Deputy Adjutant General

Brigadier General Mark A. Piterski serves as the Deputy Adjutant General of New Jersey and the Assistant Adjutant General – Army. He is the principal advisor to The Adjutant General on all matters concerning military readiness, mobilizations, homeland security, defense support to civil authorities, human resources, logistics, training, and financial management, as well as the supervision and management of the Department’s 3,200 full-time State and Federal employees, and more than 30 armories and associated properties.

An Iraq Veteran, his previous assignments include Chief of Staff, New Jersey Army National Guard and Commander, 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. He began his career in the Army National Guard as an enlisted infantryman in 1987. He was commissioned as an Infantry Officer in May 1989 following his completion of the Connecticut Officer Candidate School.

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The Deputy Commissioner of Veterans Affairs

Lisa J. Hou, a physician and a New Jersey Army National Guard veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, was appointed in February 2018 as the Deputy Commissioner for Veterans Affairs. In this capacity, Hou administers two Divisions that serve New Jersey Veterans.

The first, the Division of Veterans Healthcare Services, oversees the operations of the state's three long-term care veterans' homes and respite care program. The second, The Division of Veterans Services, oversees the Veterans Service Offices, other state entitlement programs and services, veteran's preference determinations, veteran's status determinations, and the blind and catastrophic veteran pension entitlements.

Additionally, the Division of Veterans Services oversees the Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery, the operation of the state's Homeless Veterans Transitional Housing program, the State Approving Agency, which is responsible for certifying the VA funded educational and training program, and the state-owned monuments and memorials.

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