U.S. Army Soldiers with the Marietta-based 78th Troop Command and 78th Aviation Troop Command, Georgia Army National Guard, conduct the Combat Water Survival Training event during the 2026 78th Troop Command and 78th Aviation Troop Command Joint Best Warrior Competition at the Cobb Aquatic Center, Marietta, Georgia, Feb. 19, 2026. The competition demonstrates the readiness and lethality of the 78th Troop Command and 78th Aviation Troop Command Soldiers by testing the competitors with physical fitness assessments, written exams, and other warrior tasks and battle drills. (U.S. Army National Guard video by Sgt. 1st Class James Braswell)
WASHINGTON – General Thomas Carden has been appointed as the first four-star Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau, bringing nearly four decades of experience to the organization that oversees more than 435,000 Soldiers and Airmen.
For Carden, the title 'Vice’ is a familiar one. He explained that, like his previous deputy roles, the position is fundamentally about amplifying the commander’s intent.
“The vice or the deputy doesn’t have his or her own vision for strategy,” said Carden. “They figure out what the chief wants to accomplish in time and space to enable the 54 (states and territories) to do what they do best, and that’s generate readiness, lethality and capability for the joint force.”
Carden’s journey...
02.12.2026 | WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US |
Story by Charles Emmons
A debris clearance team comprised of Georgia National Guard Soldiers from the 878th Engineer Battalion and Georgia State Defense Force personnel clear roads in Habersham County west of Clarkesville. Soldiers and Airmen of the Georgia National Guard are clearing downed trees in throughout northeast Georgia while additional teams are conducting reconnaissance of routes to assist in road clearing efforts. Photo by Command Sgt. Major John Ballenger.
The Georgia Department of Defense (DoD) is preparing to assist the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA/HS) and other state and local authorities as a winter storm is predicted to affect northern parts of Georgia on Saturday and Sunday.
The Georgia Department of Defense is in the final stages of recovery support for the historic Winter Storm Fern that moved through the northern part of the state over the weekend.
