--- title: "The head of the Army National Guard says his ‘favorite whiskey is always somebody else’s whiskey’" description: "Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen, director of the Army National Guard, joked that his favorite kind of whiskey is always \"somebody else's whiskey.\"" date: "2022-02-23" modified: "2022-02-23" authors: - name: "Haley Britzky" job_title: "Former Army Reporter" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/haley-britzky/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/army-national-guard-jon-jensen-whiskey/" categories: - "Army" - "Around the World" - "Military Branches" - "News" - "United States" --- # The head of the Army National Guard says his ‘favorite whiskey is always somebody else’s whiskey’ ![]() *U.S. Army National Guard Director, Lt. Gen. Jon A. Jensen, awards Soldiers for outstanding service at Bemowo Piskie Training Area, Poland, October 1, 2021. (Spc. Osvaldo Fuentes/U.S. Army)* Whiskey is, as we know, an important [piece of military culture](). In 2017, the oldest living World War II veteran at the time, Richard Overton, [credited whiskey]() and cigars for his 111 years. It’s believed to be [at least partly responsible]() for bringing together Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, more commonly referred to as Lewis and Clark. And more importantly, it’s been [fueling non-commissioned officers]() — and giving them a chance to forget whatever dumb shit they saw that week — for ages. So it should come as no surprise that the three-star general in charge of the Army National Guard has a thought or two about whiskey. Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen, the director of the Army National Guard, was speaking at an event with the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) on Tuesday when he was asked about his favorite bourbon. He’s no “bourbon aficionado,” he said, but he does have a few tips for the up-and-coming connoisseur. First, “always enjoy it in moderation,” he said. Second, drink “the whiskey that you like.” And the most important: “What I have found is my favorite whiskey is always somebody else’s whiskey.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fkxz6vN92jU&ab_channel=Task%26PurposeEditorial Jensen, who [has been serving]() since 1989 when he was commissioned as a second lieutenant, surely has a favorite brand of whiskey, but said he was making an effort not to violate [Pentagon policy that forbids]() endorsements of “a non-federal entity, event, product, service, or enterprise.” Before becoming the director of the Army Guard in 2020, Jensen served as the Adjutant General of Minnesota, and before that was the commander of the 34th Infantry Division. He has served in Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Among his military awards and decorations are the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal with three Bronze Oak Leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal with four Bronze Oak Leaf clusters, the Legion of Merit with one Bronze Oak Leaf cluster, and the Distinguished Service Medal. And with all the National Guard has been doing over the last two years — which has included serving as [stand-in bus drivers]() and [substitute school teachers]() — there’s no doubt he, and everyone else in the Guard, could use a drink. ## What’s hot on Task & Purpose - [**A Marine sued the Navy**]() **over how it handles ‘bad paper’ discharges and won** - **Army 3-star general suspended amid investigation into**[ **toxic climate and racist comments**]() - **The best gear under $25** **to make life in the field suck less, according to soldiers** - **How a rivalry between two WWII vets led to** [**the world’s smallest flyable airplanes**]() - [**Air Force Reserve major helps**]() **to subdue unruly passenger aboard American Airlines flight** **Want to write for Task & Purpose?** [**Click here**]()**. Or check out the latest stories on** [**our homepage.**]() ## Author Haley Britzky was the Task & Purpose Army reporter from 2019 to 2022. She previously worked at Axios covering breaking news. She reports on important developments within the service, from new uniforms to new policies; the realities of military life facing soldiers and their families; and broader cultural issues that expand outside of the Army, touching each of the military services. ### Author social links [LinkedIn]() [Twitter]()