Skip to Main Content Skip to Main Navigation Skip to Footer
UNG Logo
  • Info For...
    • Accepted Students
    • Current Students
    • Parents & Family
    • Faculty & Staff
    • Alumni
    • Business & Community
    • International Students
  • Quicklinks
    • Directories
    • myUNG
    • Academic Catalogs
    • Athletics
    • Banner
    • Bookstore
    • Calendars
    • Campuses & Maps
    • Continuing Education
    • D2L
    • Employment / HR
    • IT Service Desk
    • Libraries
    • UNG Foundation
  • Admissions
  • Corps of Cadets
  • Academics
  • Cost & Aid
  • Student Life
  • News & Events
  • Athletics
  • About Us

Find the most up-to-date information on the Presidential Search site.

Newsroom
  • All Articles
  • Media Relations Contact
  • Expert Guide
  • Points of Pride
  • Magazine
  • Social Media
    1. UNG
    2. News

    Corps alumni named to leadership positions in Georgia State Defense Force

    February 8, 2019
    Two recent graduates, 2nd Lt. Nathan Baker, left, and 2nd Lt. John Baxter, right, have commissioned into leadership positions in the Georgia State Defense Force.

    Article By: Staff

    Two recent graduates from the University of North Georgia (UNG) have commissioned and been appointed leadership positions in the Georgia State Defense Force (GSDF), an all-volunteer component of the Georgia Department of Defense that supports the Georgia National Guard.

    2nd Lt. Nathan Baker, a native of Dallas, Texas, who grew up in Kennesaw, Georgia, will serve as the aide-de-camp to GSDF Commander Brig. Gen. Thomas H. Blackstock Jr. Baker earned a bachelor's degree in international affairs with a concentration in Eastern Europe and commissioned into the GSDF in August. He currently works as a recruiter in UNG's Office of Cadet Admissions.

    "I am incredibly blessed to have an opportunity to continue serving in uniform," Baker said. "Having been medically ineligible to pursue a commission in the U.S. Army from UNG, I expected that my time wearing a uniform would end with my graduation. However, in finding the GSDF, I have also found an organization that allows me to both support the Georgia National Guard, as well as Georgia's citizens and communities in ways that I had not originally thought would be possible."  

    2nd Lt. John Baxter of Winder, Georgia, earned a bachelor's degree in biology in May 2018. He is pursuing a Master of Business Administration and plans to begin dental school this summer. Baxter was an S-STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Scholarship recipient and served in numerous leadership roles while in UNG's Corps of Cadets. At the GSDF, Baxter is assigned to the operations unit at Headquarters and Headquarters Company.

    Baker and Baxter credit the foundation of leadership learned and experienced at UNG as key to preparing them for their GSDF roles.

    "I have always had a willingness to serve, and the GSDF provided me that opportunity," Baxter said. "The leadership training I received at UNG will be extremely valuable in the GSDF, and my role as a staff officer in my last semester in the Corps has prepared me for my new position as a G3 assistant."

    Contact the Author

    Biology professor,  student win awards

    Biology professor, student win awards

    Dr. Cathy Whiting, a UNG professor of biology, won the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society's Gail Jenkins Teaching and Mentoring Award, and her student Juliza Abrego also won an award from the group.
    First cadets study  abroad in Lithuania

    First cadets study abroad in Lithuania

    UNG cadets Andrew Garner and Ian Priour are the first participants in a military academy exchange in Lithuania, and faculty member Dr. Raluca-Viman Miller is teaching in Romania this semester.
    Four students earn  Boren scholarships

    Four students earn Boren scholarships

    UNG students Justin Heintz, Mia Libosada and Emily 'Gracie' Ragon won Boren scholarships in spring 2023 to support their language and cultural learning experiences. One student who won the Boren wishes to remain unnamed.
    Event highlights impact of Cumming Campus

    Event highlights impact of Cumming Campus

    UNG hosted its inaugural Cumming Campus Backyard Bash on May 11. The event showcased the campus's impact and offered the community a chance to see progress on the campus expansion.

    UNG Logo
    • Contact Us
    • Request Information
    • Quick Facts
    • Campus Maps & Directions
    • Student Consumer Information
    • Campus Safety
    • Emergency Information
    • Employment/HR
    • UNG Policies & Procedures
    • UNG Alumni Association
    • UNG Foundation
    • Ethics & Compliance Hotline
    • Human Trafficking Notice
    • Equal Empl. Opportunity

    © 2023 The University System of Georgia and the University of North Georgia.

    UNG follows the section 508 Standards and WCAG 2.0 for web accessibility. If you require this content in another format, please send an email to the ADA Coordinator.

    Use of military-themed imagery does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Department of Defense.

    • Accreditation
    • Accessibility
    • Privacy Policy
    Establishing Connection...
    AskNigel