WENATCHEE — Karl Horst, a 1973 Wenatchee High School graduate, was promoted to the rank of Major General in November.

Horst, the son of Frank and Lyonne Horst of Wenatchee, is the commander of the U.S. Army Military District of Washington and Joint Force Headquarters for the National Capital Region.

The promotion moved Horst from brigadier general to the two-star major general, the third-highest rank in the Army. He enlisted in June 1973 and graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1978.

Horst has held the Washington, D.C., command post since June. The post puts him in charge of Washington, D.C., Army happenings and ceremonial activities.

His mother said that the new command post came with the second star. “They put him on a list that comes out about once a year (in October). After that, it has to go to Congress and be voted on. It’s kind of a lengthy process.”

As for the new rank, “This is something he’s worked for,” said Horst. “He wants to be in a position where he can make changes. He wants to make a difference. ... It’s more than a job to him.

Horst was picked as the grand marshal of the 2009 Apple Blossom Festival Grand Parade, but was prevented from attending because he was undergoing treatment for prostate cancer and was transitioning to the new assignment. The major general said in a the May article that he agreed “in principle” to serve as grand marshal for the 2010 Festival.

Rochelle Feil Adamowsky: 664-7153

feil@wenatcheeworld.com