The nation's primary military adviser to President Obama will be in the state this week to honor a cancer-stricken officer of the Minnesota National Guard at a ceremony in the Twin Cities, officials said Tuesday.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is scheduled to visit Thursday with soldiers and airmen at the National Guard Training and Community Center in Rosemount.

Receiving awards during the "End of Service Award Ceremony" will be Army Lt. Col. Mark Weber, whose Stage IV gastrointestinal cancer was diagnosed two years ago. Weber, 41, is the Minnesota Guard's director of strategic communication.

"We want to recognize his contributions to the organization and with General Dempsey presenting these awards, it will demonstrate how much we value his service to our state and nation," said Army Maj. Gen. Richard C. Nash, the Minnesota National Guard's adjutant general.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482