Augusta -
A legislative panel is backing the Governor's choice for a new head of the Maine National Guard.
The committee unanimously endorsed Colonel James Campbell to serve as the adjutant general and commissioner of the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management.
Campbell's nomination faces a final vote by the Senate Thursday.
In his testimony before the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee's 12-0 vote Wednesday, Campbell acknowledged that the roles and functions of the National Guard "have evolved tremendously over the past 20 years."
Campbell joined the Maine Army National Guard in 1995, following nine years of active duty service. He's held a number of positions in the Guard, including assistant professor of military science in the University of Maine Army Reserve Officer Training Corps.