In addition to the national commander and vice commanders, six national constitutional officers are appointed annually by vote of the National Executive Committee. They are the adjutant, treasurer, judge advocate, historian, chaplain and sergeant-at-arms. Officers elected by the national convention take office upon adjournment and serve until the end of the next convention.

Responsibilities of national officers:

Daniel S. Wheeler, National Adjutant

Daniel S. Wheeler, National Adjutant

The administrative head of the organization, the adjutant oversees National Headquarters and all other national offices. He is charged in the Legion by-laws with administering the policies and mandates of the national convention and the National Executive Committee.

Daniel S. Wheeler is the national adjutant of The American Legion, a post he has held since October 2008. Prior to becoming national adjutant, he served as executive director of National Headquarters in Indianapolis (1995-2008). He joined the National Headquarters staff in 1979, during which time he served as The American Legion Magazine assistant editor (1979-1980), managing editor (1980-1981), assistant publisher/editor (1981-1985), publisher/editor in chief (1985-1995) and (2001-2007).

From 1994-2009, Wheeler also served as president of the Citizens Flag Alliance, devoting significant time to managing and administering this not-for-profit, nonpartisan coalition of civic, fraternal, veteran, business and labor organizations. The Citizens Flag Alliance's goal is to pass a constitutional amendment returning to Congress the power to protect the U.S. flag from intentional acts of physical desecration.

Wheeler was a U.S. Navy sonarman and journalist during the Vietnam War. His previous professional positions include staff writer for the U.S. Navy magazine All Hands; editor of the Navy Editorial Service; and staff member of Direction magazine.

Wheeler, a native of Richmond, Va., lives in Indianapolis with his wife, Kathy. He is a past president of the Veterans Day Council of Indianapolis, and a member of American Legion Post 137 in Virginia, the Indianapolis Rotary Club, and Mensa. 

 

Shawn T. Long, CPA, National Treasurer

Shawn T. Long, Certified Public Accountant, was appointed national treasurer of The American Legion on Oct. 16, 2019, during the annual Fall Meetings at National Headquarters in Indianapolis. The national treasurer serves as the chief financial officer of The American Legion, and is responsible for the custody and management of the assets of the organization.

Long had served as American Legion finance director since October 2008, and had additionally undertaken the supervision of the Purchasing Department and the Information Technology Division.

Long is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, and a member of American Legion Post 252 in Greenwood, Ind. He earned a BS in accounting from Indiana State University in 1995; an MBA from the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, in 2007; and a CPA license in 2000.


Mark Seavey, National Judge Advocate 

Mark Seavey was appointed national judge advocate of The American Legion on Oct. 7, 2021. A member of Mathews American Legion Post 83 in Virginia, Seavey began his career with the national organization 27 years ago. In The American Legion's Washington, D.C., office he served as an appeals representative where he represented veterans with claims pending before the Board of Veterans Appeals, and as an assistant director and grassroots coordinator in the Legislative Division. Upon his return home from a deployment in Afghanistan, Seavey moved to the National Headquarters office in Indianapolis where he served as a war reporter and military blogger in the Media & Communications Division.   

Seavey served on active duty in the U.S. Army, the Army Reserve, and the Virginia Army National Guard. As an infantry squad leader with the Virginia Army National Guard, he was activated for service in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1997 as part of the first callup of National Guard combat arms units since the Vietnam War. In 2004, he deployed to Afghanistan for one year where he performed a variety of tasks. He served as squad leader on combat patrols, monitored presidential elections, and provided security for Afghans. Seavey is a recipient of the Combat Infantryman's Badge, two Armed Forces Expeditionary medals, the NATO medal, two Army Achievement Medals, and other medals from his military service. 

Seavey is a graduate of The Citadel, the military college of South Carolina, and a graduate of George Mason University of Law where he received a Juris doctorate degree. He has been a member of the Indiana State Bar Association for 12 years, and lives with his wife and three young children in Brownsburg, Ind.

 

 

Mark Antal, National Chaplain

Mark Antal was appointed national chaplain of The American Legion on Sept. 1, 2022, at the organization's 103rd National Convention in Milwaukee.

Antal is a resident of Apple Valley, Minn., where he moved to after retiring from full-time ministry.  He is a graduate of Valley City State College in North Dakota and the Association Free Lutheran Bible School and Seminary in Plymouth, Minn.

A veteran of the U.S. Army, the Army Reserve and National Guard, Antal served in various chaplain positions throughout his 26 years of military service. He also served as chaplain for the Department of North Dakota for seven years and is a member of Post 156 in Edinburg, N.D.

Antal is an American Legion Rider and has traveled on motorcycle to all U.S regions, totaling more than 250,000 miles. He enjoys traveling, fishing and swimming.

Mark and his wife Ruth have four children and 11 grandchildren.

 

Deborah "Deb" A. Davis, National Historian

Deborah "Deb" A. Davis was appointed national historian of The American Legion on Sept. 1, 2022, at the organization's 103rd National Convention in Milwaukee. Born and raised in the Denver metropolitan area, Davis joined the Army in 1975 and retired in 2001 from the Army/Army Reserves. She received a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Colorado in 1997.  She is a past commander of the first all-female American Legion Post 206 in Colorado where she also has been the adjutant, finance officer and historian.  She is the Auxiliary DEC for District 6 and historian for Leyden-Chiles-Wickersham Unit 1 in Denver.

As a 2017 National American Legion College graduate, Davis served as secretary for the National Association of Department Historians of The American Legion, and chair of the Department of Colorado Female Veterans Action Committee and Centennial Committee. Davis is involved in the United Veterans Coalition of Colorado Legislative Committee and is a is a peer mentor for the 1st Judicial District of Veterans Treatment Court – Drug and Alcohol Convictions.

Her hobbies include researching family's ancestry; she has traced maternal family back to 1700's Germany and paternal family to 1810 Ireland.  She also enjoys day traveling and touring with local community recreation centers.

 

Michael T. Byrnes, Sergeant-At-Arms

Michael T. Byrnes was appointed sergeant-at-arms of The American Legion on Sept. 1, 2022, at the organization's 103rd National Convention in Milwaukee.

Byrnes is a member of American Legion Post 859 in Suffern, N.Y. Byrnes served in the U.S. Navy (1980-89) and was trained as a nuclear propulsion engine room supervisor, serving aboard the USS Scamp SSN-588, USS Trepang SSN-674 and USS Fulton AS-11. He is a 2019 graduate of the National American Legion College who has served as post commander, county vice commander, district membership chairman, and department membership vice chairman. And he was appointed to the National Americanism Council and the Veterans Employment and Education Commission.

He holds a Bachelor of Technology degree from Excelsior College and a Master of Science degree from Stevens Institute of Technology.