WARNER ROBINS, Ga. –
U.S. Air Force Colonel Konata Ato "Deuce" Crumbly, director of the joint staff, Georgia National Guard, was promoted to brigadier general at the Museum of Aviation in Warner Robbins, Georgia, Nov. 12, 2020. U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Tom Carden, The Adjutant General of Georgia, presided over the ceremony conducted virtually with only a small gathering of close family and friends in attendance.
Crumbly becomes the first Georgia Air National Guard brigadier general to serve as the director of the joint staff for the Georgia National Guard.
“We’ve asked Deuce to do some of our most challenging jobs," said Carden. "He served in combat in the United States Army and in the United States Air Force, and that’s fairly rare these days.”
Hailing from Fort Valley, Georgia, Crumbly commissioned as an Army aviation officer in 1996 through Florida A&M University's Reserve Officer Training Corps program. He graduated from flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama, in 1998 as an Army UH-60 A/L Blackhawk pilot. During Crumbly’s tenure as an Army aviation officer, he participated in NATO’s intervention of Yugoslavia during Operation Allied Force in 1999 and the initial invasion of Iraq with the 3rd Infantry Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. Crumbly joined the Georgia Air National Guard as an E-8C Joint STARS pilot in 2004.
During the ceremony, Crumbly discussed the important life and leadership moments he learned from his father, mother and wife. He also thanked his "extended" family of Soldiers and Airmen from active duty and the Georgia National Guard for how they developed him as a leader. Then he discussed the impact the Georgia National Guard has made on the state and country, especially during 2020.
"I hope I gave you some insight on how involved the Georgia Guard has been and some of the leadership lessons I've learned along the way," said Crumbly. "To my wife and children, thank you and I love you. Thank you for putting up with my absences, late nights and early mornings."
Crumbly's previous positions within the Georgia Air National Guard of increased responsibility include assistant flight commander of the 128th Airborne Command and Control Squadron, flight commander of the 128th Airborne Command and Control Squadron, commander of the 12th Expeditionary Airborne Air Control Squadron and commander of the 128th Airborne Command and Control Squadron. Most recently, Crumbly served as the wing commander of the 116th Air Control Wing, followed by the director of operations of the Georgia Air National Guard. He has flown combat missions in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom and missions in support of U.S. Africa Command. He has logged more than 3.500 flying hours to include over 1.300 combat hours.
During the ceremony, Crumbly's family pinned his new rank to his uniform and Carden presented Crumbly with the Legion of Merit.
Crumbly's other awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Air Medal with oak leaf cluster, Combat Readiness Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with two 'M' Devices, Georgia Special Operations Ribbon, Kosovo Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Army Overseas Service Ribbon, Air Force Longevity Service, Army Service Ribbon, Air Force Training Ribbon, and the Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border, and the NATO Medal.
"Deuce has set the bar high because he has always been picked for the hard jobs because he was and is the best of the best,” said Carden. “He is living proof that we can enable every person from every walk of life to climb as high as their desire and talent will allow.”