Governor Abbott Appoints Deputy Adjutant General For Air
Governor Greg Abbott today appointed Colonel Dawn Ferrell to serve as the Deputy Adjutant General for Air for a term to expire at the pleasure of the Governor. The Deputy Adjutant General for Air shall coordinate activities of the Texas Military Forces with the National Guard Bureau to ensure funding and compliance occurs with other federal, state, and local jurisdictions in matters relating to mission of the Texas Air National Guard.
Colonel Dawn Ferrell of Wichita Falls is the Commander for the 136th Mission Support Group of the 136th Airlift Wing for the Texas Air National Guard (TXANG) based at the Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base. Colonel Ferrell was commissioned through the Air National Guard's Academy of Military Science in 1994. She enlisted in the TXANG in 1983 serving the 181st Aerial Port Flight at Sheppard Air Force Base as an Air Cargo Specialist. After commissioning, she took command of the 181st Aerial Port Flight until the unit was deactivated in 1995. She was then reassigned to the 136th Aerial Port Squadron at Hensley Field in Dallas. In 2005, Colonel Ferrell was assigned as the Deployed Aerial Port Commander for Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita relief efforts at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base (Belle Chase) in New Orleans, Louisiana, where her team set up a fully functioning aerial port to handle the influx of aircraft delivering troops and supplies to hurricane-devastated areas. Colonel Ferrell was appointed Commander of the 136th Aerial Port Squadron in August 2006. In 2013, Colonel Ferrell deployed to International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan, serving in a joint North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) billet as Director of Plans and Logistics Operations where she was responsible for strategic level oversight for logistics planning, sustainment and redeployment of United States and NATO forces for the ISAF mission. Ferrell earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from Midwestern State University and a doctorate degree from the University of North Texas.