WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) announced today that retired Major General Earl Adams of Pittston will attend the State of the Union tomorrow as his guest. General Adams served as Adjutant General and Commissioner of the Maine Department of Defense, Veterans, and Emergency Management from 1995-2001 under then-Governor King.

“Earl was one of my closest advisors as Governor and remains one of my closest friends today,” Senator King said. “His leadership during the Ice Storm of 1998 was invaluable as we worked to get the state back up on its feet. I’m grateful for his extraordinary service to Maine and to the nation, and I look forward to having him join me for the State of the Union as a representative of Maine’s veterans.”

A graduate of Presque Isle High School and the University of Maine, General Adams enrolled in the advanced ROTC program and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant upon graduation. Following a short teaching stint in Presque Isle, he was assigned to Fort Benning, Georgia in April 1959 for Infantry Office Basic Course and was then assigned to the 4^th Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, Washington.

Upon his return to Presque Isle, he joined the Maine National Guard, and in 1971, was selected as the first Recruiting and Retention Manager for the Maine Army National Guard. Under his leadership, he enlisted the first female into the Maine Guard. He also went on to become the first full-time Chief of Staff for the Maine Guard.

In 1981, General Adams retired from the military as a colonel and served as the Director of Special Projects at the Maine Department of Transportation until Governor-elect King appointed him as Adjutant General and Commissioner of the Maine Department of Defense, Veterans, and Emergency Management in 1994.

General Adams was instrumental in the King Administration and played a central role in leading the Maine National Guard during the Ice Storm of 1998 when he oversaw the largest call-up of National Guard troops in the state’s history to work with utilities to help restore power.

General Adams now lives in Pittston with his wife, Sheila. He has been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Meritorious Service Medal along with several other distinctions in recognition of his service.

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