Page 21 - February 2017

Wearing Two Covers

The United States Military and the Massachusetts State
Police call our hats “covers,” and Trooper Richard
Johnson, a member of the 73rd Recruit Training Troop,
has worn two different covers for more than 20 years.

On January 27, Trooper Johnson was promoted to the
rank of Brigadier General in the Massachusetts Army
National Guard. Brigadier General Johnson is currently
assigned as the Land Component Commander of the
Massachusetts National Guard, responsible for all
aspects of training, readiness, and force development
for approximately 6,100 soldiers in four brigade
headquarters and ten battalions. He also serves as a
Joint Task Force Commander in domestic response
operations in support of homeland security and
homeland defense.

Brigadier General Johnson began his military career
in 1985 as an enlisted Military Police Officer and
received a commission as a second lieutenant from the
Massachusetts Military Academy in 1989. He has led
soldiers on four combat deployments, serving as a platoon
leader in the 972nd Military Police Company during
Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, company
commander of the 772nd Military Police Company in
Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), battalion
commander of the 211 Military Police Battalion in When he returned from his most recent deployment
th
Operation Iraqi Freedom, and most recently as the to Afghanistan, Trooper Johnson reported to the State
commander of the Afghanistan Border Patrol Zone 1 Police Academy to update his training. At the same
Security Force Advisor Team, 101st Airborne Division time he was taking over his brigade command within
in Operation Enduring Freedom. He has served in a the National Guard, a responsibility that put him in
number of domestic response operations, including command of 2,000 soldiers.
multiple security events, storms, floods, and other “Coming home from a long deployment and working
natural disasters, including the Democratic National from 7-3 for the State Police then driving to Reading to
Convention in Boston in 2004 and in New Orleans for take care of my responsibilities as a brigade commander
Hurricane Katrina a year later. He has also commanded was an exhausting time,” he said.
the 26th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, where he
served as the FEMA Region I CBRNE Homeland Trooper Johnson acknowledged that his busy military
Response Force Commander, and the 972nd Military commitments prevented him from studying for and
Police Company. taking State Police promotional exams over the years.
But, he noted, he “loves the organization” and with his
Trooper Johnson joined the Massachusetts State Police deployments likely behind him, hopes to focus more on
in 1996 as a member of the 73 RTT. He is currently his career with the Department.
rd
assigned to the Office of the Superintendent where he
has a number of duties, including serving on a planning In addition to his military and police training, he holds
committee with other public safety agencies preparing graduate degrees in Public Affairs and Criminal Justice
for catastrophic responses. Trooper Johnson said his from the University of Massachusetts, was a National
“current assignment within the Department bridges the Security Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School in 2011-
positions he holds on the State Police with his duties in 12, and completed the National Security Management
the National Guard.” Course at Syracuse University in 2016.

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