Donnelly Invested as Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army

Donnelly's other affiliations and involvement's include service as the Vice-Chairman of the Picatinny Innovation Technology Center, member of the Picatinny Arsenal Environmental Restoration Advisory Board, and Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen's Picatinny Arsenal Advisory Board. He is president of the Business and Education Together Foundation, Inc., a member of the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, and United Way of Morris County.

This prestigious new position carries with it the equivalent rank of two and a half stars and the Civilian Aide is considered to be the Secretary of the Army's personal representative in his or her respective geographical area. The primary function of the Civilian Aide is to keep the Secretary apprised on a variety of issues affecting the United States Army, Army installations, and Army units (including the Army National Guard and Army Reserve) within the state. Civilian Aides are selected on the basis of their demonstrated patriotism, interest in the Army, business or professional leadership, and their ability to increase the public's understanding of the Army.

Following lunch, the New Jersey National Guard Colonial Color Guard posted the colors accompanied by bagpiper Detective Bob McDermott of the Morris County Prosecutor's Office. Reverend Gloria White, Calvary Baptist Church, Plainfield delivered the invocation. Letters of greeting and congratulations from State Senator Anthony Bucco and Congressman Rodney P. Frelinghuysen were read and then, following brief remarks, LTG Inge presented Mr. Donnelly with the official Civilian Aide appointment certificate and lapel pin.

The ceremony took place at the Park Avenue Club in Florham Park and attracted the "who's who" of the military and business community as well as an assortment of elected officials from throughout the Garden State.

More than 60 distinguished guests witnessed the event to include Assemblyman Richard A. Merkt, 25th Legislative District; Morris County Freeholder Director, John J. Murphy; County Administrator, Jim Rosenberg; former Morris Township Mayor Peter J. O'Hagan; Major General Tom Garrett, Commander, 42nd Infantry Division, Major General William H. Russ, Commander, Communications and Electronics Command, Fort Monmouth; Colonel (P) Larry Newman, Commander, US Army Research, Development and Engineering Center, Picatinny Arsenal; Brigadier General Ireneusz Zembrzuski, Assistant Adjutant General-Army, CTARNG (Connecticut Army National Guard); Brigadier General William Marshall, Deputy STARC (State Area Command) Commander, New Jersey Army National Guard; Brigadier General (Ret) Robert S. Dutko, Sr., State Chairman, New Jersey Employer Support the Guard and Reserve Committee; Colonel Larry Stroud, President, National Guard Association of New Jersey; Jack Dempsey, Undersheriff, Morris County; Chief Tom Baxter, Sheriff's Office; Pat Minutello, Chief of Policy, Morris County Prosecutor's Office; and Joseph Devine, Chief of Detectives, Morris County Prosecutor's Office.

The Civilian Aide program goes back more than 80 years when just before World War I, a group of civilian volunteers began the Civilian Aide program as part of a training initiative to supply the Army with leaders.

During World War II, Aides were called upon to perform important, often sensitive missions. They were especially helpful in locating civilians who had the critical technical skills for direct commission as Army officers.

In 1950, under the direction of Secretary of the Army Frank Pace, Jr., the program was redesigned to meet the Army's need for civilian liaisons capable of providing the Army with grass roots opinions from throughout the country.