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  Rainville, Martha
CANDIDATE DETAILS
AffiliationRepublican  
 
NameMartha Rainville
Address85 Casey Lane
Williston, Vermont 05495, United States
EmailNone
Website [Link]
Born April 09, 1958 (65 years)
ContributorCOSDem
Last ModifedM@
Jan 27, 2012 12:02am
Tags Divorced - Air Force - Military Reserve - Christian -
InfoMartha T. Rainville was elected Adjutant General of the Vermont National Guard on February 20, 1997, becoming the first woman in the 370-year history of the country’s National Guard to serve as a state Adjutant General.

As Adjutant General, she commanded the 3,800 members of the Vermont Army and Air National Guard, as well as served as the Commissioner of the Military Department, State of Vermont. She oversaw a combined federal and state budget in excess of $120 million with a full-time work force of some 900 state and federal employees.

Martha Rainville is a 1979 graduate of the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor of Arts in Education. Following graduation she entered the United States Air Force, and was named a Distinguished Graduate of the Air Force Officer Basic Military Training Program. Prior to her election as Adjutant General, she commanded the Aircraft Maintenance Squadron for five years.

Maj. Gen. Rainville led the Vermont National Guard through some of the most dynamic times in its long history. Through her vision and leadership, the Army and Air National Guard in Vermont worked more closely as a joint force, long before the National Guard Bureau formalized the concept of a joint force headquarters. This enabled the Vermont National Guard to provide a more rapid and effective response to major natural disasters in the state, including four floods and an epic ice storm, all in an 18-month span. In addition, under her leadership, the Vermont Air Guard became one of the most highly recognized flying units in the country, culminating with its selection in 2005 as the Outstanding Wing in the Air National Guard.

Maj. Gen. Rainville was appointed to serve on the Reserve Forces Policy Board, the principal advisory board to the Secretary of Defense and Congress on matters relating to the Reserve components. She was elected Vice-Chair of the Board for Air National Guard of the National Guard Association of the United States, and also served on the executive committee of the Adjutant Generals Association of the United States.

She guided through the Air Force a major new initiative to assign active duty Air Force personnel to the Vermont Air Guard in Burlington, allowing first-term airmen an opportunity to train with experienced Guard personnel. This pilot program, known as “community basing”, is a model that may ultimately expand to units across the country, allowing the total Air Force to leverage the strength of all its components.

Gen. Rainville worked with senior Defense Department and Congressional leaders to insure the Army and Air Guard receive the most modern equipment available, and oversaw millions of dollars in federal Military Construction Funds for both Army and Air Guard units in Vermont, including a $10 million Regional Readiness and Technology Center on the campus of Norwich University (the first time a collaboration of this kind between the National Guard and a university has been undertaken in the country), and the $34 million Army Aviation Support Facility currently under construction at the Burlington International Airport, which is one of the largest military construction projects ever secured for a National Guard unit in any state.

Martha Rainville also positioned the Vermont National Guard as a leader in the State Partnership Program. She served on the International Affairs Advisory Committee, which recommends policy for the continuation and expansion of this program, contributing to the stabilization of new, emerging third world democracies. For over ten years, Vermont has partnered with the Republic of Macedonia to assist the Macedonian military with developing military forces to operate under elected, civilian control. This program has led to literally dozens of military exchanges between the Vermont National Guard and the Macedonian military. It has expanded into “civilian to civilian” exchanges in recent years, when Gen. Rainville, at the request of the U.S. Ambassador, led teams of business and government leaders to Macedonia to assist in expanding that country’s growing commercial and tourism industries, as it sought to become a full-fledged partner in NATO. Vermont’s partnership with Macedonia is one of the most successful partnerships to date.

Gen. Rainville served as Adjutant General during the nation’s Global War on Terror, overseeing the largest mobilization of Vermont Guardsmen since World War II. With over 2,000 Vermont Army and Air National Guardsmen deployed overseas during the last two years, Gen. Rainville made the care and well being of Guard families her top priority. She established Family Readiness Centers across the state to work with families of deployed soldiers and airmen, ensuring their personal and financial needs were met while their Guard member is away from home. She met regularly with Guard families to brief them on the latest developments involving deployed Vermonters, and to learn first-hand from family members what their concerns were.

As one deployed soldier’s wife wrote to Gen. Rainville, “Today you looked me right in the eye and I know the burden you carry too. I can’t thank you enough for how you consistently show your respect for the men and women who serve under you.”

Martha Rainville has been a leader in her community, having served on the Board of Directors of the Northwestern Medical Center in St. Albans, serving one term as vice president. She dealt directly with holding down costs of health care and with providing quality care to all citizens. As a trustee of the Vermont Veterans Home, she worked to secure adequate staffing and increase support from the V.A. Hospital outreach program. In addition to helping residents of her community deal with their health care needs, she was also chosen by two different governors (Richard Snelling and Howard Dean) to serve on the District 6 Environmental Commission, and was appointed chair of the commission by Gov. Dean. From 1989 – 1991 Martha also served on the St. Albans Town Planning Commission.

Vermonters have recognized the leadership abilities of Martha Rainville, as evidenced by, among other honors, her selection as the 2004 Vermonter of the Year by the Burlington Free Press, the state’s largest daily newspaper, and the Vermont Business and Professional Women Federation named her the 2004 Woman of the Year. One of the most significant awards she received came at the International Women’s Forum annual meeting in Mexico City. Martha was chosen as one of ten women from around the world for the “Women of Achievement Award”. Other awards include Woman of the Year from the Federal Women’s Council of Vermont, and the Vermont Girl Scout Council’s “Woman Leadership Award”. In 2002, Martha received the prestigious Medallion Award from the Norwich University Board of Fellows and was recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Human Letters from St. Michael’s College in Colchester.

Martha has also demonstrated her commitment to excellence in education and has been invited to address students throughout the country. She was selected to be the lead speaker at the Pentagon for “National Women’s History Month – Celebrating Women of Courage and Vision”, where she met with students who had written winning essays on the topic of equal rights. She has also been a panelist and keynote speaker at the Air Force Academy, the United Nations International School in New York City, and at Dartmouth College. In addition, she has been the keynote speaker at the Special Olympics, United Way, Youth Leadership Programs, and was honored to deliver the commencement address at numerous high schools and colleges throughout Vermont. She worked successfully with the Vermont Legislature to establish a state tuition grant program for guard members.

In June of 2005 Gen. Rainville received the prestigious Thibodeau-Wall Award presented from the Howard Center for Human Services. The award was presented to recognize “her caring and support of members of the Vermont National Guard and their families.” In introducing her, Jon Coffin, the Howard Center’s Director of Outpatient Services said of Rainville, “In ensuring that families of Guardsmen deployed overseas are cared for, you have articulated the human side of the Guard role to families in a manner that keeps us all focused on the hearts of our soldiers.”

Martha Rainville has proven to be an effective consensus-builder who won wide spread bi-partisan support as Vermont’s Adjutant General.

Indicative of that are the comments of Rep. John Tracy, D-Burlington and House Majority Leader, who in nominating her for a 5th term as Adjutant General said, “Martha Rainville has been exceptional. She has proved herself to Vermonters. I think we’re incredibly fortunate to have a leader like her.”

Governor Jim Douglas also has had high praise for Martha Rainville, saying “Gen. Rainville is a strong and dedicated leader for the men and women of the Vermont National Guard. Her leadership and expertise has been particularly important through these very challenging times.”

Former Rep. John Freidin, D-New Haven, also spoke highly of her when he first nominated her for election. “Martha Rainville’s record is one of optimism, creativity, initiative, determination and strength”, said Freidin.

And that praise carries over into the community as well. Former Burlington Police Chief Alana Ennise noted, “Martha is very low key. She is not one to wave banners, but she is just impressive. We’re talking major league.”

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NEWS
Date Category Headline Article Contributor
Feb 22, 2006 02:00pm News Rainville donation tied to DeLay, Abramoff [VT]  Article COSDem 
Feb 16, 2006 11:00am News Rainville would decline Bush campaign assistance  Article ArmyDem 
May 16, 2005 09:00pm Opinion Two hats (Op-Ed on Martha Rainville for VT House)  Article COSDem 
May 10, 2005 09:00pm General Rainville says she could wear two hats [VT House]  Article COSDem 

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FAMILY
Husband Paul F. McHale Jr. 00, 2009-

INFORMATION LINKS
RACES
  11/07/2006 VT At-Large Lost 44.54% (-8.68%)
  09/12/2006 VT At Large - R Primary Won 71.31% (+43.31%)
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