Reginald A. Centracchio spent 48 years in the Rhode Island National Guard, the last 10 as its adjutant general. And anybody who comes across his campaign for lieutenant governor knows that.

Centracchio is extremely proud of his time in the military and has built his campaign around it -- even dedicating it to the nation's soldiers.

When he opened his campaign office this month, he asked supporters to "take a deep breath" and breathe in the air of freedom. An American flag that flew in Baghdad was passed around.

"Take it, hold it and let's hope that's the closest you'll be to the war on terror," he said.

Even though he has been retired since September, Centracchio still shows up every time troops head out or come back from a mission. He says it's "a commitment that I made."

"It doesn't matter if I'm campaigning. I will be at every deployment and every homecoming," the Republican candidate said. "I would like to see the entire state of Rhode Island at every homecoming and deployment."

Many people working and volunteering on his campaign have ties to the military. Across from his desk hangs a poster-size photo of himself in uniform.

Even some fundraising letters play to his base: Centracchio is seeking donations from adjutant generals in other states.

Centracchio recently visited Quonset Air National Guard Base for the annual Diversity Day, a celebration he started as general 10 years ago to showcase the guard's diversity.

Wearing a maroon blazer, Centracchio, 66, and his wife, Linda Felici, stood at the head of an impromptu receiving line. It was no longer his event, but it was hard to tell that. Everybody in the room knew him and there were plenty of salutes, handshakes and hugs.

"It's all celebrity," said his campaign manager Jacques Dextradeur II, who served in Kosovo and Iraq.

The event included Indian melodies, Irish step dancing and a mix of ethnic food.

(Centracchio passed on the Guatemalan and Thai food, favoring instead the ravioli, Buffalo wings, ribs and fried chicken.)

The campaign has also taken Centracchio to a family day barbecue for a reserve unit, a picnic for Korean War veterans and a military parachuting event.

Centracchio grew up in West Warwick, his father a contractor who built hundreds of houses in Coventry, West Warwick and Warwick. Centracchio said in those days power tool meant a horse. His mother was a homemaker, who worked from time to time at various local mills.

He graduated high school in 1958. Centracchio had considered work on designing the infrastructure of houses, but in his junior year decided to pre-enlist in the National Guard. His uncles had served in World War II and his older brother had been drafted into the Army.

"I decided to join rather than being drafted," Centracchio said.

He graduated from Officer Candidate School and two decades later got a bachelor's degree in public administration from Roger Williams University.

As adjutant general, he was not just in charge of the guard but also the state's Emergency Management Agency.

After retirement, Centracchio spent a lot of time debating whether he would run. He said leaders from both parties had courted him and at one point he considered running for Town Council, in his hometown of Scituate.

In his spare time, he likes to restore classic cars. He takes particular pride in a 1966 Mustang convertible and a 1928 Model A, both of which he plans to use as he campaigns.

He also plays the trumpet with a big band jazz orchestra and a swing orchestra. In between campaigning, he finds time for two to three gigs a week and hands out campaign materials between sets.

Centracchio has been playing music since his adolescence. His older brother played the saxophone and that got him interested in playing an instrument.

He wants to get children involved with music because playing in an orchestra builds team skills.

"Kids need to understand that they're part of a larger thing and that's called society," he said.

A conversation about the trumpet and the importance of rehearsing together as a band quickly shifts to homeland security and the need to be prepared for any emergency.

Centracchio says his Guard experience has taught him a lot about small businesses and their needs. He also wants to make Narragansett Bay "an incubator" for port security technology firms. He supports the war in Iraq and is opposed to amending the state Constitution to allow a casino in West Warwick.

"I know what it's like," he said, "to have a kid raise his hand and say he supports the United States Constitution and the Constitution of the State of Rhode Island."

One in an occasional series of articles looking at the candidates campaigning for statewide office.

smayerow@projo.com / (401) 277-7513