Edward D. Baca
Encyclopedia
Edward D. Baca, LL.D. was a United States Army
general in the New Mexico National Guard
. Under Baca's leadership in the 1980s, the NMNG rose to national prominence as a part of the U.S. Army's 'Total Force Policy.' Later, he became the first Hispanic
to head the National Guard Bureau. At the time of his retirement in 1998, Baca was the highest ranking Hispanic military officer.
, New Mexico
, into a family with a long history both in New Mexico and of military service. His father, Ernesto Baca, was a veteran of both World War II
and the Korean War
. Baca's
ancestors
arrived in Mexico City
with the conquistadores in the 16th century and participated in the Oñate expedition
that resulted in the founding of the Province of New Mexico. Two of his great grandfathers fought in the Civil War
.
One of six children (one girl and five boys), Baca attended St. Michael's High School
in Santa Fe, helping to
pay the tuition by working on construction crews during the sweltering New Mexico summers. After graduation,
Ernesto died unexpectedly, greatly affecting his teenage son with whom he had been very close. Seeking to pull him
out of a deep funk, a cousin of the young Baca took him to the local National Guard armory
, Battery C, 726th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion, and on November 19, 1956 had him sworn in.
that he could go no
further unless he became a commissioned officer. Baca graduated from Officers Candidate School on July 20,
1962 and became a platoon leader in the 3631st Maintenance Company. He soon applied for an overseas, active
duty slot and was deployed to Vietnam
.
Upon his release from active duty status on February 22, 1966, Baca returned to New Mexico and took command
of his old unit, the 3631st.
expanded to include that of the State Assistant G-1. He was promoted to general officer rank and, on November 29, 1979, appointed the State Command Administrative Officer with the additional assignment of Secretary
of the General Staff
. Among his responsibilities was to serve as Chief of Staff
to the
Adjutant General.
Maj. Gen.
Baca was appointed by Gov. Toney Anaya
as Adjutant General of the New Mexico
National Guard on January 4, 1983. His tenure was marked by a number of significant accomplishments. Baca led
the national effort to modernize the National Guard including the deployment of the Army's only Roland Air Defense battalion. He was primarily responsible for the fielding of Chaparral and Hawk
missile battalions in the Army Reserve
. The prestigious 'drug demand reduction program' initiated by the NMNG to assist local law enforcement agencies was hailed by the National Guard Bureau and used as a pilot for the rest of the nation. Baca was reappointed Adjutant General by the next three governors, occupying his post for nearly 12 years.
On October 1, 1994, Baca was promoted to Lieutenant General and appointed Chief of the National Guard
Bureau by President
Bill Clinton
. The following year, the Bureau faced a crisis. In 1995, the United States Department of Defense
planned to cut the number of National Guard combat divisions by 50% in order to allocate more funding to active duty forces. Baca strongly resisted this attempt, replying to those in the Pentagon who called for a justification of Guard combat units' contribution to national security: "There were a lot of folks who said the same thing before World War II
, 'Where's the threat?'" By 1998, his efforts appeared to have paid off when Guardsmen were needed to supplement the US complement for SFOR
in Bosnia, an operation which saw the first National Guard combat unit deployed overseas in nearly thirty years. Of this time, Baca was able to boast of the Guards combat capacity: "We've got a reserve of untapped ability before we'd ever feel a pinch."
Baca remained Chief until his retirement on July 31, 1998. He currently heads a leadership training and consulting business in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
changed to eliminate perceived cultural biases in order to increase the levels of minorities in the military. This position came under fire from a number of groups.
, Texas
. The couple have seven children, four of whom have
served in the military (two sons served in the New Mexico National Guard). Of Baca's own siblings, only his oldest
brother served in the armed forces.
Baca holds a BS in Liberal Arts from the State University of New York at Albany and an honorary
Doctorate of Law from New Mexico State University
. He is also an Honorary Member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart
.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
general in the New Mexico National Guard
New Mexico National Guard
The New Mexico National Guard consists of the:*New Mexico Army National Guard **1st and 2nd Battalions, 200th Infantry**93rd Troop Command, 44th Army Band**111th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade**200th Infantry Brigade*New Mexico Air National Guard...
. Under Baca's leadership in the 1980s, the NMNG rose to national prominence as a part of the U.S. Army's 'Total Force Policy.' Later, he became the first Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
to head the National Guard Bureau. At the time of his retirement in 1998, Baca was the highest ranking Hispanic military officer.
Early life
Edward Baca was born in Santa FeSanta Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, into a family with a long history both in New Mexico and of military service. His father, Ernesto Baca, was a veteran of both World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. Baca's
ancestors
Baca Family of New Mexico
The progenitors of the Baca family of New Mexico were Cristóbal Baca and his wife Ana Ortiz. Cristóbal was a military captain who arrived in 1600 with his family in order to help reinforce the colony. At the time, he had three grown daughters and a small son...
arrived in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
with the conquistadores in the 16th century and participated in the Oñate expedition
Juan de Oñate
Don Juan de Oñate y Salazar was a Spanish explorer, colonial governor of the New Spain province of New Mexico, and founder of various settlements in the present day Southwest of the United States.-Biography:...
that resulted in the founding of the Province of New Mexico. Two of his great grandfathers fought in the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
One of six children (one girl and five boys), Baca attended St. Michael's High School
St. Michael's High School
St. Michael's High School is a private Catholic junior/senior high school located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the state capital of New Mexico. It is privately run under the auspices of the international Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, better known as the De La Salle Christian...
in Santa Fe, helping to
pay the tuition by working on construction crews during the sweltering New Mexico summers. After graduation,
Ernesto died unexpectedly, greatly affecting his teenage son with whom he had been very close. Seeking to pull him
out of a deep funk, a cousin of the young Baca took him to the local National Guard armory
Armory (military)
An armory or armoury is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
, Battery C, 726th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion, and on November 19, 1956 had him sworn in.
OCS and active duty service
After six years as an enlisted man in the Guard, Baca's cousin convinced the young NCONon-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
that he could go no
further unless he became a commissioned officer. Baca graduated from Officers Candidate School on July 20,
1962 and became a platoon leader in the 3631st Maintenance Company. He soon applied for an overseas, active
duty slot and was deployed to Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
Upon his release from active duty status on February 22, 1966, Baca returned to New Mexico and took command
of his old unit, the 3631st.
National Guard leader
On January 30, 1977, Baca became the state military personnel officer. Subsequent to this, his duties wereexpanded to include that of the State Assistant G-1. He was promoted to general officer rank and, on November 29, 1979, appointed the State Command Administrative Officer with the additional assignment of Secretary
of the General Staff
General Staff
A military staff, often referred to as General Staff, Army Staff, Navy Staff or Air Staff within the individual services, is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units...
. Among his responsibilities was to serve as Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
to the
Adjutant General.
Maj. Gen.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Baca was appointed by Gov. Toney Anaya
Toney Anaya
Toney Anaya is a U.S. Democratic politician who was born in Moriarty, New Mexico. He went to undergraduate school at Georgetown University and graduated with a law degree from American University's Washington College of Law in 1967...
as Adjutant General of the New Mexico
National Guard on January 4, 1983. His tenure was marked by a number of significant accomplishments. Baca led
the national effort to modernize the National Guard including the deployment of the Army's only Roland Air Defense battalion. He was primarily responsible for the fielding of Chaparral and Hawk
MIM-23 Hawk
The Raytheon MIM-23 Hawk is a U.S. medium range surface-to-air missile. The Hawk was initially designed to destroy aircraft and was later adapted to destroy other missiles in flight. The missile entered service in 1960, and a program of extensive upgrades has kept it from becoming obsolete. It was...
missile battalions in the Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
. The prestigious 'drug demand reduction program' initiated by the NMNG to assist local law enforcement agencies was hailed by the National Guard Bureau and used as a pilot for the rest of the nation. Baca was reappointed Adjutant General by the next three governors, occupying his post for nearly 12 years.
On October 1, 1994, Baca was promoted to Lieutenant General and appointed Chief of the National Guard
Bureau by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. The following year, the Bureau faced a crisis. In 1995, the United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
planned to cut the number of National Guard combat divisions by 50% in order to allocate more funding to active duty forces. Baca strongly resisted this attempt, replying to those in the Pentagon who called for a justification of Guard combat units' contribution to national security: "There were a lot of folks who said the same thing before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, 'Where's the threat?'" By 1998, his efforts appeared to have paid off when Guardsmen were needed to supplement the US complement for SFOR
SFOR
The Stabilisation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina which was tasked with upholding the Dayton Agreement. It replaced the previous force IFOR...
in Bosnia, an operation which saw the first National Guard combat unit deployed overseas in nearly thirty years. Of this time, Baca was able to boast of the Guards combat capacity: "We've got a reserve of untapped ability before we'd ever feel a pinch."
Baca remained Chief until his retirement on July 31, 1998. He currently heads a leadership training and consulting business in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Controversies
In 1998, Baca unsuccessfully attempted to have the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude BatteryArmed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery
The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery is a multiple choice test, administered by the United States Military Entrance Processing Command, used to determine qualification for enlistment in the United States armed forces...
changed to eliminate perceived cultural biases in order to increase the levels of minorities in the military. This position came under fire from a number of groups.
Family
Baca is married to Rita Hennigan of Muenster, TexasMuenster, Texas
Muenster is a city in Cooke County, Texas, United States, along U.S. Route 82. The population was 1,556 at the 2000 census.-History:In 1887 the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad constructed a line from Gainesville to Henrietta that passed through the site that would become Muenster...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The couple have seven children, four of whom have
served in the military (two sons served in the New Mexico National Guard). Of Baca's own siblings, only his oldest
brother served in the armed forces.
Baca holds a BS in Liberal Arts from the State University of New York at Albany and an honorary
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
Doctorate of Law from New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
. He is also an Honorary Member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
.
Awards
Among LTG Baca's decorations are the following:
Army Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of MeritLegion of MeritThe Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
Meritorious Service MedalMeritorious Service Medal (United States)The Meritorious Service Medal is a military decoration presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States subsequent to January 16, 1969...
Army Commendation Medal
Army Reserve Component Achievement Award with Silver Oak Leaf ClusterOak leaf clusterAn oak leaf cluster is a common device which is placed on U.S. Army and Air Force awards and decorations to denote those who have received more than one bestowal of a particular decoration. The number of oak leaf clusters typically indicates the number of subsequent awards of the decoration...
National Defense Service MedalNational Defense Service MedalThe National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower...
with one Bronze Service StarService starA service star, also referred to as a battle star, campaign star, or engagement star, is an attachment to a United States military decoration which denotes participation in military campaigns or multiple bestowals of the same award. Service stars are typically issued for campaign medals, service...
Vietnam Service MedalVietnam Service MedalThe Vietnam Service Medal is a military award which was created in 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The distinctive design was the creation of sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones, a former employee of the Army Institute of Heraldry. The medal is issued to recognize military service during...
Armed Forces Reserve MedalArmed Forces Reserve MedalThe Armed Forces Reserve Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that has existed since 1950. The medal recognizes service performed by the Reserve and National Guard forces of the United States of America....
with two Hourglass DeviceHourglass DeviceThe Hourglass Device is a military award of the United States armed forces presented as an attachment to the Armed Forces Reserve Medal. The Hourglass Device denotes total service as a member of the Reserve or National Guard and is issued in three degrees....
s
Vietnam Gallantry CrossVietnam Gallantry CrossThe Vietnam Gallantry Cross was a military decoration of South Vietnam which wasestablished in August 1950. Also known as the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, the Gallantry Cross was awarded to any military personnel who have accomplished deeds of valor or displayed heroic conduct while fighting an...
with Palm