By Nicholas Perez, Utah Air National Guard
DRAPER, Utah – The Utah National Guard celebrated the promotion of Cody J. Strong from colonel to brigadier general during a ceremony on Sept. 12, 2026, at the Utah National Guard Joint Force Headquarters auditorium in Draper, Utah.
Strong serves as the director of the Joint Staff for the Utah National Guard, where he oversees joint activities across the state. His military career spans more than three decades and began in 1989 when he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve as a light armored vehicle crewman. He transferred to the Utah Army National Guard in 1994, serving as a counterintelligence agent and Norwegian linguist before receiving a direct commission as a military intelligence second lieutenant in 2002.
Throughout his career, Strong has served in a variety of command, intelligence and joint assignments, including deployments to Kosovo, Romania and Iraq. His leadership assignments have included command of the 142nd Military Intelligence Battalion and the 300th Military Intelligence Brigade, as well as positions with the Army National Guard G2, U.S. European Command and National Guard Bureau. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army War College and holds degrees from Weber State University and Brigham Young University.
Strong’s promotion marks the latest milestone in a career characterized by service at the tactical, operational and strategic levels and continued leadership within the Utah National Guard.
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