Major General Bennett C. Landreneau is the Adjutant General for Louisiana. He is responsible for the deployment and coordination of programs, policies and plans affecting the more than 14,000 members of the Louisiana Army and Air National Guard. He is also the Director of the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.
General Landreneau was born October 4, 1947. He graduated from Vidrine High School and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agronomy from the University of Southwestern Louisiana. His military education includes Officer Candidate School, Engineer Officer Basic Course, Engineer Officer Advanced Course, Mechanical Maintenance Course, Command and General Staff Officer Course, Infantry and Armor Pre-Command Course, and he is a graduate of the U.S. Army War College.
General Landreneau began his military career in June 1969. He enlisted in the Louisiana National Guard as a Private and was trained as an Infantryman at Fort Polk, Louisiana. He attended Louisiana State Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1971. He has served in many positions including Platoon Leader, Company Commander, Battalion S-4, Battalion S-3, Battalion Executive Officer and Battalion Commander. During Operation Desert Storm, Brigadier General Landreneau served on active duty in Southwest Asia as Commander, 527th Engineer Battalion during Desert Storm. He later served as Commander of the 225th Engineer Group from 6 January 1992 until he assumed command of the 256th Infantry Brigade (Mechanized) headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana on 1 August 1995. He was appointed as the Special Assistant to The Adjutant General on January 2, 1997. The General was assigned to his present position as Adjutant General on November 8, 1997.
General Landreneau’s decorations, awards and honors include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal with one Silver Oak Leaf Cluster, National Defense Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal with two Bronze Service Stars, Humanitarian Service Ribbon, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with one Hourglass Device and M Device, Army Service Ribbon, Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon with Numeral One, Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia), Kuwait Liberation Medal (Emirate of Kuwait),Louisiana Distinguished Service Medal, Louisiana Legion of Merit, Louisiana Recruiting Ribbon with Fleur-de-Lis, Louisiana War Cross, Louisiana Emergency Service Medal with two Fleur-de-Lis, and the Louisiana Longevity Ribbon with a Silver Fleur-de-Lis.
General Landreneau is the immediate Past President of the National Guard Association of Louisiana and a member of the National Guard Association of the United States. He served as President of the Central Louisiana Chapter of the Society of American Military Engineers and the Louisiana Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society. He is a member of the Governor's Military Advisory Commission, Louisiana Drug Policy Board, Louisiana Emergency Response Commission, City of New Orleans Mayor's Military Advisory Board, Louisiana Emergency Response Commission, City of New Orleans Mayor's Military Advisory Commission, the Board of Commissioners for the Orleans Parish Communication District and a member of the Executive Board of the New Orleans Area Council, Boy Scouts of America.
General Landreneau worked as a civilian employee with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service for over 30 years and retired as the Assistant State Conservationist in 1996. He was the recipient of numerous awards with that agency including two USDA Distinguished Service awards and one USDA Superior Service award presented to him by the Secretary of Agriculture.
He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General on December 3, 1996, with federal recognition on the same date. He assumed his state appointed grade of Major General on May 12, 1998.
General Landreneau resides at Jackson Barracks in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is married to the former Dolores Fontenot and is the father of four children: Melissa, Chad, Monique and Layne.
http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/hlspersonnel/landreneaubio.htm
Although his medallions make him appear to be a very decorated officer, it would also seem that he was on just about every board concerned with planning, handling, policing, directing, and dealing with a statewide crisis, like the hurricane.
Since the State efforts turned out so poorly, one wonders was he just a part of the siphoning off of federal funds?
Is this why Landrieu, Blanco, and Nagin appeared so helpless? Why they started pointing fingers so quickly, while there were still many to be rescued?
Maj. Gen. Bennett Landreneau was appointed to head the LNG by previous Republican Gov. Mike Foster. The head of LNG serves some kind of limited term, and it would seem unusual to me if such an appointment was too political. I believe Gov. Blanco will have an opportunity to re-appoint him, so we shall see.