BATON ROUGE, La. – On Wednesday, the United States National Guard Association named Governor John Bel Edwards the recipient of the Harry S. Truman Award 2022 for Distinguished Service in Support of National Defense, the group’s highest recognition.
gov. Edwards was selected for his consistent leadership and support of LANG, as well as his numerous accomplishments, including leading Louisiana’s efforts to pioneer groundbreaking methods for its cybersecurity plans and practices. Those plans largely involved the Louisiana National Guard as part of a combined approach that applied all available state resources to the response. In 2017, Governor Edwards took executive action and established the Louisiana Cybersecurity Commission.
In 2019, Governor Edwards declared a state of emergency in response to ransomware attacks on state resources. This was the first ever declared cyber response emergency in Louisiana. Governor Edwards was appointed by President Biden as one of ten governors to serve on the bipartisan Council of Governors. In 2022, Governor Edwards, along with the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, White House Executives, and other federal and state officials met with the council and its working groups to identify priority initiatives.
Gov. Edwards has demonstrated through his leadership and initiative that he understands the threat posed by malicious cyber activity to our national defense and the overall security of the United States. He has made sustained and far-reaching contributions to countering this threat, as evidenced by his leadership and direct actions at the state and national levels.
“One of the greatest honors of my life has been serving as Commander in Chief of the Louisiana National Guard, who never hesitates when asked to work through floods, hurricanes, frigid weather, cyber-attacks, and even a pandemic to protect what matters. in Louisiana – our people. And all this they do while conducting their traditional military training and global operations. Here and elsewhere, the National Guard protects and serves our homeland in ways that the public often overlooks or takes for granted. Either way, the National Guard always shows up, and to be recognized by the National Guard Association of the United States with its highest honor, the Harry S. Truman Award, is really humbling,” said Governor Edwards. “I believe we can all learn a lesson from the National Guard’s selfless commitment to the greater good, to our communities and to our national security. I will continue to work day in and day out to be worthy of such an honour.”
“Governor Edwards has been deservedly selected for this prestigious award for his lifelong dedication and outstanding service to the security and defense of Louisiana and our great nation,” said Major General Keith Waddell, adjutant general of the Louisiana National Guard.
The Harry S. Truman Award for Distinguished Service in Support of National Defense, authorized by the NGAUS Board of Directors in 1968, is the highest recognition bestowed upon an individual by the Association. Past winners have included President Ronald Reagan, President George Bush, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, congressmen, other governors and entertainer Bob Hope. The award honors individuals who have made outstanding and far-reaching contributions to the defense and security of the United States in a manner worthy of recognition at the national level.
The governor is honored alongside General James McConville, the United States Army Chief of Staff. The awards will be presented at the 144th NGAUS General Conference and Exhibition in August in Columbus, Ohio.
For a list of this year’s honorees, click here.
