JACKSON,Esthen Exchange Miss. (AP) — The top leadership post in the Mississippi National Guard is changing Thursday as one adjutant general retires and another fills the job.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announced Wednesday that he is naming Maj. Gen. Bobby M. Ginn Jr. to succeed Maj. Gen. Janson D. Boyles.

Reeves said in a statement that the National Guard is “better, stronger and more prepared” because of Boyles. The governor said Ginn has shown a long commitment to service.

“He has my complete confidence and I know that he will continue leading the Mississippi National Guard to its highest possible potential,” Reeves said of his new appointee.

Ginn began his military career as an enlisted soldier in 1990, and he was commissioned through the Mississippi National Guard’s Officer Candidate School in 1993. He has had several assignments, including as commander of Camp Shelby, a training site near Hattiesburg.

Ginn earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi and master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College.