A man with 26 years of military service will be the Missouri National Guard's new adjutant general.
Gov. Mike Parson on Thursday announced Col. Levon Cumpton will become the state's senior military officer beginning Aug. 2.
Col. Cumpton is an Army Ranger and combat veteran with five deployments abroad. He earned the Combat Action Badge, a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star.
He also has served in numerous National Guard activations during emergencies and disasters in Missouri.
Cumpton, a Missouri native, earned a master's degree as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force War College.
He will succeed Maj. Gen. Stephen Danner, who has announced his retirement.
