9 minute read
Always on Guard
Southwestern alumnus leads Georgia’s Army National Guard
By Stephen Snyder
Soldiers, when they join the armed forces, sign a blank check to give everything up to their life to preserve and defend freedom and the constitution.
These are the words of Col. Thomas Carden, Jr., Commander of the Georgia Army National Guard, as he gave the keynote address at Andersonville National Cemetery’s annual Memorial Day Observance earlier this year. Appointed by Governor Nathan Deal on Jan. 8, 2015, Carden is a 1992 graduate of Georgia Southwestern State University. Whenever he gets the opportunity, Carden communicates why the sacrifices of service members – full or part-time – are so important.
A Day in the Life
“I call it a 15-7-2 rotation,” said Carden, Commander of the Georgia Army National Guard. “That’s 15 hours of work, seven hours of sleep and two hours of PT (physical training)… every day. If you can log seven hours of sleep in one night, you’re knocking it out of the park.”
For someone who worked 48-hour weeks as a 20-year-old, married college student, this regimen is not all that alarming. And each minute is invested with the purpose of assuring that the Georgia Army National Guard is ready to respond when necessary.
“There is a competition for resources,” Carden said, “and we want to bring those resources, those jobs, those capabilities to the state. When our state Commander-in-Chief – the governor – calls on us, we want to have what he needs. Our best case for getting what we need to Georgia is having quality soldiers in formation.”
Growing up in Sumter County
Carden enlisted in the Guard as an infantryman in 1986. He was a senior in high school at the time. He was raised on a farm on the county line where faith, family and work ethic were paramount. Serving in the Guard provided a way for him to advance his education and, ultimately, his career.
“Growing up on a farm in southwest Georgia was not a ‘Fortune 500’ upbringing,” he quipped. “So, to put myself in a position to go to college, I needed a mechanism to do that. Coming out of high school, academics were not my strong suit. Essentially, it came down to the military and the GI Bill.”
Because of proximity, cost-of-living and similar factors, Carden chose Georgia Southwestern to earn a Bachelor of Science in history.
“If I wanted a college education, the military offered me - like it does so many young people – an opportunity to serve a purpose much larger than myself,” the Colonel added. “In addition, I was always a non-traditional student. It was not ‘in vogue’ in 1986 to cater to the non-traditional students, but Southwestern had so many of them that it had to. The faculty and staff – who understood nontraditional students – made accommodations for not only my military service but my work schedule.
“I worked 48 hours per week guarding prisoners at the Sumter County Correctional Institute at night. There were times when I would get off work at 5 a.m. and have an 8 a.m. class,” he said.
Carden recalls many examples of faculty helping him succeed as a student while at GSW. Dr. Harold Isaacs, professor emeritus of history, particularly stands out. They visited briefly this year.
“I was fortunate enough to run into Dr. Harold Isaacs when I was on campus earlier this year,” Carden said. “He was a huge influence not only for me but for countless students that attended Southwestern. I was a history major, so I had a number of classes under his leadership. He was just a tremendous educator and leader.”
Permanently on Guard
Carden continued guarding prisoners after graduating from Georgia Southwestern in 1992 when he transitioned into a role as a probation officer, still serving the National Guard part-time. He joined the Guard full-time in 1996.
“For the 11,000 plus soldiers in the Guard, about 14 percent of us are full-time,” he said. “The other 86 percent are what we call ‘traditional Guardsmen.’ I was part of the 86 percent for a long time.”
“While I was at Southwestern, I didn’t have an opportunity to participate in the ROTC program they had at that time because of my work schedule, but I went to officers candidate school (OCS), and that is where I achieved my commission in ’89.”
After joining the Guard full-time, Carden went on to earn a master’s degree in strategic studies from the United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pa. and a master’s in human resource management from Webster University in St. Louis, Mo.
Leadership Development
What is the secret to success as a leader?
“The secret to success is that there is no secret,” said Carden. “To lead, you’ve got to be willing to serve a purpose larger than yourself. If you help people around you achieve their full potential in the context of your organization’s mission, it’s very hard not to move forward.”
That is exactly what Carden has done.
In his nearly 30-year rise within the Georgia Army National Guard, Carden has held many key positions. Most recently, he served as the chief of staff and previously worked as the deputy chief of staff for operations. He also commanded the 560th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade and the Guard’s Recruiting and Retention Battalion, to name a few. Some of Carden’s military decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Parachutist Badge and the Combat Infantry Badge.
Though impressive, Carden makes clear that his list of accolades and successes are not his own doing. “I have been fortunate to have a family that has supported me throughout my career,” he said.
Carden and his wife, Charlene, have been married 26 years. She has been his greatest supporter. Attributing his work ethic and personal ethos mostly to the strong foundation his family provided, Carden also credits coaches in high school and spiritual leaders for character building.
“My family, close friends and pastors have challenged and continue to challenge me to be a better person,” added Carden. “As humans, we have got to be in the ‘get better every day’ business.”
The Mission for Georgia
Readiness, relevancy and global engagement are Carden’s primary objectives for the Guard.
“The National Guard is unique in that it has two missions. One mission is what we call Defense Support to Civil Authorities,” he said. Carden explained that when a disaster exceeds the response capacity of civil emergency agencies, emergency management directors may request Guard assistance. “The governor, at that point, could engage National Guard assets to augment the local emergency management director…to alleviate suffering, save lives or restore order. That is a mission the Georgia National Guard can do, and we do it often.”
Carden added that the Guard’s other mission has been out in front for nearly a decade and a half.
“We have deployed every unit in this formation, with the exception of the 116th Army Band, overseas in support of our Federal mission to fight and win America’s Wars,” he said. And while the services of the National Guard are essential for American citizens to experience many of the freedoms we enjoy, leaders like Col. Carden do not take their duties for granted.
“In terms of being relevant, America is in a financially constrained situation, so we have to prove our worth every day to make sure that the American tax dollar is spent and used as efficiently as possible,” added Carden.
“We’ve got to have the best soldiers our state has to offer. We have to train them on cutting edge equipment. And, to a large extent, they have to be ready to be deployed at home or abroad with little or no notice.”
At one point last year, the 48th Brigade – headquartered out of Macon – had soldiers deployed in four countries (Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Afghanistan) all at the same time. In all, the Army National Guard has six major subordinate commands in Georgia. Among Georgia’s units are aviation, infantry, intelligence, engineering, artillery, combat service support, water purification and now cyber protection. Georgia was picked as one of the first three National Guard states to field a cyber protection team. “This was very competitive process,” Carden said, “and it is a testament to the kind of soldiers that we have in our organization.”
In Carden’s view, there is not a finer group in the U.S.
“I know I’m a little biased, but I think we are the best Army National Guard in the country,” he said. “We are the most ready, the most relevant and the most globally engaged unit out there and it’s important to note that it’s not because of me. It’s because of the quality people in our communities that support us and join the Guard.
“It’s a solemn profession, and it’s serious business,” he added. “We take it seriously.”
