Minnesota National Guard's first female general retiring

The first female general in the 166-year history of the Minnesota National Guard will be honored Tuesday in a retirement ceremony in St. Paul.

Air Force Brig. Gen. Sandy Best, who is the assistant adjutant general of the Minnesota National Guard, is retiring after 38 years of service.

Best, who was promoted to general in 2016 and served as interim adjutant general in 2020, also served as assistant to the chief of the National Guard Bureau. There, she helped leaders across the 54 states and territories focus on diversity and inclusion to attract, recruit and retain a Guard workforce that reflected communities across the country. She also developed the Women's Leadership Forum for the Minnesota National Guard.

"She used her position to lift up the women and men in this organization," said Army Maj. Gen. Shawn Manke, adjutant general of the Minnesota National Guard.

The retirement ceremony will be at 2:30 p.m. at the Cedar Street Armory, 600 Cedar St. in St. Paul.