La. Assistant Adjutant General – Army, a Lake Charles native, achieves one-star rank

By Sgt. Danny Hough, Louisiana National Guard Public Affairs Office

PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana National Guard promoted Guardsman Jason Paul Mahfouz to the rank of brigadier general during an official ceremony at Louisiana National Guard Training Center Pineville’s post theater, July 13.

Brig. Gen. Mahfouz is the assistant adjutant general – Army for the Louisiana National Guard and serves as a senior advisor and assistant to the adjutant general of Louisiana who is responsible for a ready force of 11,000 service members. All O-6, or colonel-level, commands will report to Mahfouz.

“He was joint director of operations in 2020 and 2021…during the most significant hurricane season that we have had in our careers. Oh and, by the way, add COVID to that,” said Maj. Gen. Thomas Friloux, adjutant general of Louisiana. “Jason is all in with everything he does. He gives 100% and is fully dedicated to the organization.” Friloux further went on to say that Mahfouz is often the first in at work and the last to leave.

Mahfouz graduated from Officer Candidate School at Fort Moore, Georgia and commissioned into the Engineer Corps in 2001. He has deployed multiple times supporting: Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Mahfouz has held several leadership positions over the past 36 years to include: Director of the Joint Staff; Director of Joint Plans, Training, and Strategy; Commander of the 199th Brigade Support Battalion; Operations Officer for the 769th Engineer Battalion and other key and developmental assignments.

“I’m committed to doing my best to earn this privilege,” said Mahfouz. “General Friloux, my most sincere appreciation for the opportunity to continue serving our organization in this new role and entrusting me with this responsibility.”

Some of his awards and decorations include: the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Achievement Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal with Bronze Service Stars, the Global War On Terror Expeditionary Medal, the Global War On Terror Service Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Stars, the Liberation of Kuwait Medal (Saudi Arabia), the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge, and the Army Engineer Association Bronze de Fleury Medal.

Mahfouz, a Lake Charles native, resides in New Orleans and is married to the former Alisha Annette Spillers. They have two children: Julian Paul and Mason Cooper.