Major General Reginald Neal, of Ludowici, Georgia, retired after 37 years of military service in the Georgia National Guard and U.S. Army during a ceremony at Georgia Military College in Milledgeville, Georgia, August 16, 2024. Neal began his 37-year tour of duty in 1987 as a GMC cadet and returned to his alma mater to complete his military career.

Lt. Gen. Thomas Carden Jr., deputy commander of the U.S. Northern Command and deputy commander of the U.S. Element of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, presided over the ceremony. Carden and Neal served together for many years in the Georgia National Guard and continued their service at home and abroad with the U.S. Army.

At the GMC’s New Day Center of Leadership, senior military leaders, friends and family gathered to celebrate Major General Neal’s career that spanned five decades and numerous countries. Also in attendance were military officers who served with Neal at posts around the world, from the Pentagon to the Pacific.

Speakers shared aspects of Neal’s service, beginning with retired Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell, president of Georgia Military College, who described the significance of Neal’s accomplishments to Georgia Military College and its students. Maj. Gen. Dwayne Wilson, Georgia Adjutant General, praised Neal’s accomplishments during his many years with the Georgia National Guard. Maj. Gen. Bobby Christine, special assistant to the director of the Army National Guard in the Office of the Judge Advocate General, delivered a speech focusing on his shared experiences with Neal as a cadet in the GMC Class of 1989.

In addition to his long list of awards, Neal received the Georgia Distinctive Service Medal from Lt. Gen. Carden, who also presented Neal with his official retirement certificate and an American flag in honor of his years of service. Neal’s wife, Kim Neal, was honored with the Georgia Commendation Medal on behalf of Governor Brian Kemp for her outstanding support and commitment to the mission, vision and values ​​of the Georgia National Guard. Also recognized was Major General Neal’s daughter, Alexandria, for her unwavering support during her father’s service to Georgia and the United States.

In keeping with military tradition, Neal’s two-star flag was furled by retired Command Sgt. Major Brian Sanders and Sergeant 1st Class Michael Cromer.

Neal was born and raised in Ludowici, Georgia and began his military career at Georgia Military College in Milledgeville. Neal says his experiences at GMC broadened his horizons and opened a world of opportunities he never thought possible. He graduated in 1989 and was promoted to lieutenant. As a field artillery officer with the Statesboro-based 2nd Battalion, 214th Field Artillery Regiment of the Georgia National Guard, Neal underwent a number of deployments, serving in various staff positions and commanding units from the battery to brigade level in the Georgia Army National Guard. Neal has been mobilized overseas in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. From 2007 to 2010, he commanded the historic 1st Battalion, 118th Field Artillery Regiment, Georgia National Guard in Savannah, including its combat deployment to Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010, for which the battalion was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation by the U.S. Army.

After returning from Afghanistan, Neal assumed command of the Georgia National Guard’s Recruiting and Retention Battalion based in Atlanta before beginning a 10-month study program at the U.S. Army War College at Carlyle Barracks in Pennsylvania. After being promoted to colonel, Neal served as the Georgia Army National Guard’s deputy chief of staff for operations before assuming command of the Macon-based 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in 2015.

Neal was appointed executive officer to the chief of the National Guard Bureau and served in that role from 2016 to 2017. In 2018, he was promoted to brigadier general and served as director of the Joint Staff of the Georgia National Guard before assuming command of U.S. Northern Command’s Joint Task Force North at Fort Bliss, Texas. In 2020, Neal was promoted to major general and served as deputy commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific and later as special assistant to the director of the Army National Guard.