---
title: SR 654. Carden, Lieutenant General Thomas M.; recognize
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sr654
cite_as: SR 654, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr654
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr654.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr654/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72601
date: 2026-02-02
status: passed
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr653.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr655.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 94
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr654.md?full=1
bill_number: SR 654
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: resolution
status_date: 2026-02-02
last_action: Senate Read and Adopted
sponsors:
  - Freddie Sims
  - Carden Summers
  - Kay Kirkpatrick
  - Sam Watson
  - Chuck Hufstetler
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR654/2025
upstream_id: 2102314
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - military honors
  - National Guard
  - Georgia Senate resolutions
  - veterans recognition
---

# SR 654. Carden, Lieutenant General Thomas M.; recognize

## Text

Senate Resolution 654
By: Senators Sims of the 12th, Summers of the 13th, Kirkpatrick of the 32nd, Watson of the
11th and Hufstetler of the 52nd
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing and congratulating Lieutenant General Thomas M. Carden; and for other
purposes.
WHEREAS, Lieutenant General Thomas M. Carden is a distinguished son of Georgia and
a proud constituent of Senate District 12 whose life of service exemplifies courage,
leadership, and unwavering dedication to the United States of America; and
WHEREAS, commissioned through Officer Candidate School in 1989, he has devoted more
than three decades to the defense of this nation, rising through the ranks by merit, integrity,
and steadfast commitment to the soldiers and citizens he has served; and
WHEREAS, throughout his career in the Georgia Army National Guard and the United
States Army, Lieutenant General Carden has held many leadership positions including
command at the company, battalion, brigade, and state levels; key operational and staff roles
both domestically and abroad; deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in
Baghdad, Iraq, and Operation Joint Forge in Bosnia; and service as Deputy Commander of
the NATO Multinational Division Southeast in Bucharest, Romania; and
WHEREAS, from 2019 to 2024, Lieutenant General Carden served as The Adjutant General
of Georgia, where he oversaw the Georgia National Guard's response to domestic
emergencies, natural disasters, and global missions, while ensuring the readiness and welfare
of Georgia's citizen soldiers and airmen; and
WHEREAS, in May 2024, he was selected to serve as Deputy Commander of United States
Northern Command at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, where he played a vital role in
anticipating and responding to threats to North America and overseeing defense support to
civil authorities; and
WHEREAS, in January 2026, 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 first officer ever to hold that rank in the position and
marking the first time the National Guard has had two four-star generals simultaneously; and
WHEREAS, only those with great strength, discipline, and a firm resolve achieve positions
of such status, and Lieutenant General Carden has brought great credit to himself, his family,
this state, and this nation through his outstanding performance and dedication; and
WHEREAS, his selfless and heroic actions stand as a shining tribute to the strength of human
spirit and willpower, and it is abundantly fitting and proper that the outstanding
accomplishments of this remarkable and distinguished Georgian be appropriately recognized.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that 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.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed
to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Lieutenant
General Thomas M. Carden.

## Summaries written by Georgia Commons

The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary.

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.

### Plain-language summary

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 it 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.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2026-02-02)
- Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-02-02)
- Sponsors: Freddie Sims, Carden Summers, Kay Kirkpatrick, Sam Watson, Chuck Hufstetler
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72601

> The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr654.md?full=1