Topeka ? As state adjutant general, Maj. Gen. Greg Gardner had reason to celebrate on Sept. 10.

After a summer of lobbying by Kansas officials, the Air Force announced that the 184th Bomb Wing of the Kansas Air National Guard would get a new name and mission but would remain in the state, at McConnell Air Force Base.

The next morning brought terrorism to America, and soon Gov. Bill Graves would ask Gardner to take charge of protecting more than a Guard unit  the security of the entire state and its 2.6 million citizens.

It’s a task for which Gardner, 48, was perhaps particularly well suited. As adjutant general since February 1999, he not only oversees 8,000 guardsmen and women, but also directs the Kansas Division of Emergency Management.

And as former commander of the 184th Bomb Wing, Gardner is adept at seeing the big picture while keeping an eye on minute detail.

‘A perfect fit’

“It’s a perfect fit,” said Gardner of his newest title, state coordinator of homeland security. “It’s a natural fit.”

It’s also one more duty that keeps Gardner on the telephone, on the computer and on the move. He logs countless hours driving his Dodge minivan to the Statehouse to brief Graves and legislators, and is sometimes called to Washington for still more meetings.

And on most days he’s dressed in blue. But during a recent interview, Gardner was in his olive-drab flight suit, the uniform he has worn to amass more than 4,000 hours in the cockpit of F-16 fighters and B-1 bombers.

“I guess I am a bit more relaxed in a flight suit. It’s the uniform I have worn for so long,” Gardner said.

The smile on his face is as recognizable as the two stars he wears proudly. The painting of a B-1 over the plains looms behind his desk, a source of pride and emotion.

Disciplined family man

A career airman, Gardner maintains discipline. His days begin at 5 a.m. He hops on an exercise bike, reads his e-mail and watches the morning news.

“Sometimes I let myself sleep in to 5:15,” he said.

His busy days often limit time Gardner would prefer to spend with family.

Recently, he and wife Kim agreed to attend a church program every Tuesday night. That has meant telling people who want Gardner to speak or attend gatherings “no.”

“I’m not used to that,” he said.

Daily, people call him “General” or “sir.” But he takes pride in his relationship with his two children and in the title “Daddy.”

“That’s so important,” he said.

Still, duty calls.

As director of emergency management, Gardner is responsible for the planning, training, preparedness and response to emergencies in all 105 Kansas counties.

It is a familiar role. As commander of the 184th, he participated in training exercises simulating a small-scale war. The base, with engineers, military police, hospital and other infrastructure, is, in effect, a city.

“There’s a correlation with just about everything,” Gardner said.

He uses lessons learned from those drills to streamline the state’s preparedness and response to terrorism. While the pressure to improve security has increased, staff and money have not.

Gardner earns $89,800 as adjutant general and has a staff of 20.5 in emergency management and a budget of $8.6 million for fiscal 2003, which begins July 1. Homeland security gave him another title, but no additional pay.

Key to preparedness

He borrows a line from business in describing emergency management.

“They always say location, location, location. For us it’s relationships, relationships, relationships,” he said.

Those ties are built through the planning process at all levels, he said, and nurtured through training, drills and additional planning.

“When disaster strikes, you then start with a level of trust,” Gardner said.

When he was appointed in 1999, he promised county officials that he would gain certification as an emergency manager. He attained that level last fall.

Gardner has asked legislators for additional planners and trainers. Those requests have been denied, despite federal matching funds, as the state faces a budget shortfall of nearly $700 million.

The general understands, but knows the additional staff would help all Kansans and afford him more time to look at larger issues facing the National Guard and emergency management.

Graves is pleased with Gardner’s leadership and direction to safeguard the state since Sept. 11.

“If he has a drawback, it’s that he’s so engaged and focused on his mission that I think there are times that he is carrying almost too much of a load,” Graves said. “He’s passionate.”

Though measures have been taken statewide to strengthen security, including at critical industries, the Wolf Creek nuclear plant and airports, Graves realizes that Kansas cannot be pronounced “secure.”

“But I think we have moved a long way, and we’re just going to live in a different world going forward,” Graves said.

While budget constraints limit some security steps, Gardner is moving forward with such measures as mandating that all emergency responders use the incident command system, which allows for the efficient use of resources and personnel.

No small task

Rep. Carlos Mayans, a member of the House Select Committee on Kansas Security, said the adjutant general’s job was never a small task and gained importance after Sept. 11.

“Not only do we view it as a lot bigger, it is bigger,” he said.

As Gardner works to juggle three duties for the state, he is mindful of his personal life, balancing the physical, mental, spiritual and emotional elements.

“I guess I need to find something for me,” he said.

What Gardner has found is satisfaction in doing his job and helping communities get back on their feet after disaster strikes.

When a tornado ripped through Hoisington last April, Gardner was one of the first officials to reach the scene.

“I get pleasure in solving problems people couldn’t solve for themselves,” he said.