Maj. Gen. Jefferson Burton

Major General Jefferson S. Burton:

Adjutant General of the Utah National Guard

PHS Class of 1977

Major General Burton graduated from Payson High School in 1977. After high school, he attended Brigham Young University. Burton began his military service in 1982 as an enlisted soldier in the field artillery. He attended Brigham Young University’s Reserve Officer Training Corps as the Distinguished Military Graduate and was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1984. In 1986, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the State University of New York. He has since earned two master’s degrees: one in Educational Counseling from the University of Phoenix and the other in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College. Burton served for six years as a regular Army officer in the Military Police Corps, completing tours at the United States Army Military Police School, Fort McClellan, Alabama; in Europe with 7th United States Corps; and at Fort Carson, Colorado with the 4th Infantry Division.

He returned to the Utah Army National Guard in 1991 and branch-transferred to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He has served in many positions including company commander, battalion executive officer, assistant professor of Military Science at both Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University, director of Civil Military Relations, and Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel. He is a two-time battalion commander, leading the Recruiting and Retention Battalion and then as commander of the 1457th Engineer Combat Battalion, where he deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom I as part of the 1st Armored Division Task Force in 2003.

In 2007, Burton was appointed as the assistant adjutant general, commander of 5,600 soldiers in the Utah Army National Guard to include the 19th Special Forces Group, 300th Military Intelligence Brigade, 65th Fires Brigade, 204th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, and 97th Aviation Troop Command.

Burton assumed his duties as the adjutant general in October 2012, responsible for the training and mobilization of more than 7,500 Utah soldiers and airmen. He served as the adjutant general, commanding general of the Utah Air and Army National Guard, from 2012 to 2019.

Upon Burton’s retirement in 2019 Governor Herbert presented Burton with the Distinguished Service Medal for “exceptionally meritorious service to the government in duties of great responsibility.” In March of 2020, Burton was called out of retirement by Governor Herbert to lead Utah’s coordinated response to the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.

Inducted 2007