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: Edie Rogers
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
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."
