Asst. Adjutant General - Army
Brig. Gen. Paul Sellars
Brig. Gen. Paul Sellars is Commanding General of the Washington Army National Guard, at Camp Murray, Wash. He is responsible for the mission readiness and operational effectiveness of more than 6,000 military and civilian personnel assigned to the five Major Subordinate Commands: the 56th Theater Information Operations Group, the 81st Brigade Combat Team, the 96th Troop Command, the 96th Aviation Troop Command and the 205th Training Regiment.
Brigadier General (BG) Paul Sellars began his career by enlisting in the Minnesota National Guard in 1992 as a Chemical Operations Specialist in Red Wing, MN while attending the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire. He later became an infantry officer in 1995, after attending Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, GA. He graduated Ranger School in 1996 and served as a Platoon Leader in Albert Lea and Rochester Minnesota. In 1998 his desire for mountains and special forces qualification led him to Washington where he joined 3d BN 161 Infantry Regiment. After Field Artillery Advanced Course and one year at Fort Bragg, NC he became Special Forces qualified in 2001. On September 11th, 2001, his SF company was at JRTC preparing for a deployment to Kuwait. The deployment rolled into the invasion of Iraq where then CPT Sellars’ ODA was assigned to the SOCCENT Commander, operating in and around Baghdad. After returning from Iraq he volunteered to command a Special Forces Detachment deploying to Afghanistan in 2003 with the 19th Special Forces Group.
Returning in 2004 with two combat deployments, CPT Sellars trained Soldiers from the 81st Brigade for mobilization. Paul Sellars worked full time as a contractor, training African Union Soldiers through 2005 and 2006 in Mozambique, Mali, Senegal, Botswana, Ghana, and Zambia. He also conducted JCET exercises in Malaysia, and the Philippines with his Special Forces teams. As a federal contractor in 2006, he deployed again to Afghanistan for nine months, training the Afghan Border Police in Gardez.
After promoting to Major, he served as the commander of A/1-19th SFG(A) and deployed the company to the Philippines and Korea for training. Then he served as the J3 for Special Operations Detachment – Pacific where he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and worked Theater level exercises and staff training in Bangladesh, Korea and at SOCPAC headquarters in Hawaii. LTC Sellars returned to the 81st Brigade to command the 1st Bn 161st Infantry Regiment during transition to a Stryker Brigade.
Promoting to Colonel in 2018, he was transferred back to SOD-P to command the unit while deployed to Afghanistan in 2019. The mission was to advise the Afghan National Army Special Operations Command and Staff.
COL Sellars returned from deployment to take command of the 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team. He led the brigade through preparation for an NTC rotation, deployment to Europe and the activation of Soldiers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He performed his BCT commander duties while simultaneously serving as the full time J3 of the Washington National Guard. Other State missions included establishing vaccination sites, food bank support, COVID-19 mapping, employment security support, and support to civil authorities in response to civil unrest.
As an Active Guard Reserve member since 2007, BG Sellars worked as an ROTC instructor at Central Washington University, S3 and XO for Recruiting Battalion, S3 and XO for the 96th Troop Command, Deputy G3, J3, and Army Chief of Staff.
BG Sellars’ awards include the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, six Meritorious Service Medals, three Army Commendation Medals and an Army Achievement Medal.
He is married to his wife Joanna and has four daughters.
EDUCATIONAL DEGREES
1997, University of Wisconsin, Bachelors, History, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
2018, United States Army War College, Masters, Strategic Studies, Carlisle, Pennsylvania
MILITARY SCHOOLS ATTENDED
1996, Infantry Officer Basic Course, In Residence, Fort Benning, Georgia
1996, Ranger School, In Residence, Fort Benning, Georgia
2000, Field Artillery Officer Advanced Course, In Residence, Fort Sill, Oklahoma
2000, Combined Arms and Services Staff School (CAS3), In Residence, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
2000, Special Forces Detachment Officer Qualification Course, In Residence, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
2001, Thai Special Operations Forces Basic Military Language Course, In Residence, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
2001, Survival Evasion Resistance Escape School, High Risk Level-C, In Residence, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
2011, Intermediate Level Education-Common Core, By Correspondence, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
2013, Intermediate Level Education-Advanced Operations Course, By Correspondence, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
2018, United States Army War College, By Correspondence, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania
PROMOTIONS DATE OF APPOINTMENT
Second Lieutenant 16 August 1995
First Lieutenant 25 September 1997
Captain 11 January 2001
Major 23 July 2007
Lieutenant Colonel 20 September 2013
Colonel 11 October 2018
Brigadier General 03 June 2023
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 2023 - Present, Assistant Adjutant General - Army, Joint Forces Headquarters, Camp Murray, Washington
2. December 2020 - August 2023, Chief of Staff, Army Staff Element, Joint Forces Headquarters, Camp Murray, Washington
3. November 2019 – December 2020, Commander, 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Seattle, Washington
4. April 2018 – November 2019, Commander, Special Operations Detachment-Pacific, JBLM, WA and OPERATION FREEDOM’S SENTINNEL / RESOLUTE SUPPORT, Kabul, Afghanistan
5. October 2016 – April 2018, Commander, 1-161st Infantry Battalion, Spokane, Washington
6. May 2013 – October 2016, Operations Officer, Special Operations Detachment-Pacific, Camp Murray, Washington
7. May 2011 - May 2013, Commander, Company A, 19th Special Forces Group, Buckley, Washington
8. November 2009 - May 2011, Operations & Training Officer, Recruiting and Retention Battalion, Camp Murray, Washington
9. April 2007 - November 2009, Assistant Professor of Military Science, Joint Force HQ, Ellensburg, Washington
10. November 2006 - April 2007, Operations Officer, Special Operations Detachment-Pacific, Camp Murray, Washington
11. December 2005 - November 2006, Detachment Commander, Company A, 19th Special Forces Group, Buckley, Washington
12. July 2004 - December 2005, Detachment Commander, Company A, 19th Special Forces Group, Vancouver, Washington
13. August 2003 – July 2004, Commander, Company A, 19th Special Forces Group, OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, Afghanistan.
14. August 2002 – August 2003, Commander, Company A, 19th Special Forces Group, OPERATION DESERT SPRING, Iraq.
15. August 2001 - August 2002, Detachment Commander, Company A, 19th Special Forces Group, Vancouver, Washington
16. September 1999 - August 2001, Special Forces Student, Company A, 19th Special Forces Group, Vancouver, Washington
17. October 1998 - September 1999, Detachment Operations Officer, Company A, 19th Special Forces Group, Vancouver, Washington
18. September 1996 - September 1997, Rifle Platoon Leader, Company B, 2-135th Infantry Battalion, Rochester, Minnesota
19. May 1996 - September 1996, Rifle Platoon Leader, Company A, 2-135th Infantry Battalion, Albert Lea, Minnesota
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. April 2020 – December 2020, J3, Army Staff Element, Joint Forces Headquarters, Camp Murray, Washington
2. May 2019 – November 2019, Deputy Commander, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan, OPERATION FREEDOM’S SENTINNEL / RESOLUTE SUPPORT, Kabul, Afghanistan
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 2019 – November 2019, Deputy Commander, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan, OPERATION FREEDOM’S SENTINNEL / RESOLUTE SUPPORT, Kabul, Afghanistan
2. September 2003 – May 2004, Commander, Company A, 19th Special Forces Group, OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, Afghanistan.
3. September 2002 – June 2003, Commander, Company A, 19th Special Forces Group, OPERATION DESERT SPRING / OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, Kuwait / Iraq.
US DECORATIONS AND BADGES
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal (with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal (with Silver Oak Leaf Cluster)
Army Commendation Medal (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Army Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal (with 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
National Defense Service Medal (with Bronze Service Star)
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal (with Campaign Star)
Iraq Campaign Medal (with Campaign Star)
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with Silver Hourglass, M Device, and Numeral 3)
Army Service Ribbon
Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon (with numeral 9)
Non-Article 5 NATO Medal Combat Infantryman Badge Special Forces Tab Ranger Tab Parachutist Badge
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
National Guard Association United States
National Guard Association of Washington
U.S. Army War College Alumni Association
Former Assistant Adjutants General - Army National Guard
BG Lyle Buchanan - 1959 - 1974
BG Wayne McDaniels - 1975-Jan 1978
BG Charles Hupe - Feb 1978-Apr 1979
MG George Coates - May 1979-Jan 1981
BG Val McCreary - Feb 1981-Mar 1985
MG Gregory P. Barlow - Apr 1985-Oct 1986
BG Robert C. Watling - Nov 1986-Mar 1989
COL Gerald A. Dines - Apr 1989-Dec 1989
BG Donald E. Hagglund - Jan 1990-Dec 1995
BG Lee S. Legowik - Jan 1996-Sep 2002
BG Gordon D. Toney - Sep 2002-Jun 2009
BG Bret Daugherty - Jun 2009-July 2012
BG Wallace Turner - Nov 2012 - Nov 2019
BG Daniel Dent - Nov 2019 - Aug 2023
