Georgia CommonsSR 654: Carden, Lieutenant General Thomas M.; recognize
Last action February 2, 2026 · Senate Read and Adopted
A Georgia Senate resolution recognizes and congratulates Lieutenant General Thomas M. Carden of Senate District 12 on his promotion to Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the resolution and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Enrolled version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
This resolution is a formal statement from the Georgia Senate honoring Lieutenant General Thomas M. Carden, a Georgia National Guard officer with more than three decades of service. It recounts his career, including command roles, deployments in Iraq and Bosnia, service as The Adjutant General of Georgia from 2019 to 2024, and his 2024 assignment as Deputy Commander of United States Northern Command. The resolution notes that in January 2026 the United States Senate confirmed him as the 12th Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau, a four-star general position. The Georgia Senate resolves to recognize him, congratulate him on the promotion, and wish him continued success. It also directs the Secretary of the Senate to send him a copy of the resolution. The measure does not change any Georgia law.
What the bill does
- Formally recognizes and congratulates Lieutenant General Thomas M. Carden on his promotion to Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau.
- Recounts his military career, including service as The Adjutant General of Georgia from 2019 to 2024.
- Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Carden.
- Creates no new law, funding, or regulation, serving only as a ceremonial statement from the Senate.
Who it affects
The resolution directly names and honors Lieutenant General Thomas M. Carden. It does not impose duties or effects on the general public, though it reflects on the Georgia National Guard and the Georgia Senate as the recognizing body.
Why it matters
The resolution has no practical legal effect on Georgians; it is a symbolic honor. It documents the Senate's formal acknowledgment of a Georgia National Guard officer's promotion to a historic four-star general position within the National Guard Bureau.
Key provisions
- The resolution's preamble details Carden's career, including combat deployments and his 2019-2024 tenure as The Adjutant General of Georgia.
- It notes his January 2026 confirmation as the 12th Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau, the first officer to hold that rank in the position.
- The resolving clause states the Senate recognizes and congratulates Carden and wishes him continued success.
- A further clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute a copy of the resolution to Carden.
From the bill
“the United States Senate confirmed Lieutenant General Carden as the 12th Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau, a historic appointment that elevated him to the rank of four-star general”
“the members of this body recognize Lieutenant General Thomas M. Carden, congratulate him upon his promotion, and extend sincere best wishes for continued health, happiness, and success”
Status timeline
- Senate Read and Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Freddie Sims (D, SD-012)
- Carden Summers (R, SD-013)
- Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-032)
- Sam Watson (R, SD-011)
- Chuck Hufstetler (R, SD-052)
Topics
- military honors
- National Guard
- Georgia Senate resolutions
- veterans recognition