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Governor Perdue Promotes Joseph M. Wells to Brigadier General

Wednesday, January 7, 2009  Contact: Office of Communications 404-651-7774

ATLANTA - Governor Sonny Perdue today promoted Colonel Joseph M. Wells to the rank of Brigadier General in the Georgia Army National Guard.  With the promotion, Brig. Gen. Wells becomes the first African American general office in the 276-year history of the Georgia National Guard.

“With his distinguished record and outstanding service to his nation and Georgia, Brigadier General Wells has earned the star on his uniform,” said Governor Sonny Perdue. 

Assisting the Governor in the pinning of Brig. Gen. Wells was Brig. Gen. Maria Britt, the Commanding General of the 11,000-member Georgia Army National Guard and the Georgia Army National Guard's first female general officer. Gen. Britt received her promotion in 2008.

Wells, a native of Rome, Ga., is currently the deputy commanding general (Reserve Component) at the United States Army Intelligence Center and Fort Huachuca in Arizona. Prior to this appointment, he was director of intelligence at the Georgia National Guard Joint Forces Headquarters in Atlanta. General Wells is a Boeing 777 flight officer with Continental Airlines.

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