By: Maj. William Carraway
Maj. Gen. Randall Simmons, former commander of the Georgia Army National Guard, retired during a ceremony at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia on March 25, 2023. The ceremony served as a homecoming for Simmons, who enlisted in the Georgia National Guard unit for Statesboro and later earned his bachelor’s degree from GSU.
Simmons enlisted in the 2nd Battalion, 214th Statesboro Field Artillery in 1989 as a Soldier and subsequently received his commission from the Georgia Military Institute Officer Candidate School. From 1992 to 2006, Simmons served in various assignments with the 1st Battalion, 118th Field Artillery Regiment in Savannah, a unit whose history predates the American Revolution. Simmons deployed to Iraq in 2005 as executive officer of 1-118. He commanded the Calhoun-based 1st Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment in Afghanistan from 2009-2010 and the Macon-based 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team from 2013-2015. During this time he served as the commander of Task Force Volunteer in Kabul. Simmons served as Chief of Staff of the Ga. ARNG from 2015 until his appointment as commanding general of the Ga. ARNG in 2017.
Simmons’ service as commander of the Georgia Army National Guard spanned three years, during which the organization grew in strength and capability, adding nearly 300 personnel and new units such as the 1st Battalion, the 54th Security Forces Support Brigade, and the 265th Chemical Battalion activated. During the same period, the Georgia Army National Guard met an unprecedented demand for overseas service and support for domestic operations. Nearly 3,000 Soldiers representing the Georgia Army National Guard’s five brigades were deployed to all six regional combatant commands. In addition, the National Guard of the Georgian Army conducted several notable training missions abroad in Georgia, Romania, Germany and other places.
During the first month of Simmons’ command, the Georgia Army National Guard was called out to respond to Georgia counties affected by Hurricane Irma. The following October, more than 900 soldiers from 38 units were mobilized across the state in response to Hurricane Michael.
The COVID-19 crisis that erupted in 2020 prompted an unprecedented domestic response from the Georgia Army National Guard. Georgia Guardsmen developed unique response capabilities, including medical support teams supporting regional hospitals and infection control teams deployed to long-term care facilities across the state to provide life-saving preventive care to vulnerable populations. While still responding to COVID-19, the Georgia National Guard has been called out to assist law enforcement in Atlanta and surrounding communities following civil unrest. Simmons led the Georgia National Guard’s Joint Task Force for both missions until the end of his tenure as commander.
In the final months of Simmons’ command, Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen, Director of the Army National Guard, presented Georgia with the 2020 Director’s Award for Excellence. The award recognized the quality of service provided by more than 11,000 Georgia Army National Guard Soldiers for their efforts over the past year.
Simmons relinquished command of the Georgia Army National Guard in October 2020 and assumed command of Joint Task Force North, based at Fort Bliss, Texas. Joint Task Force North is made up of active duty, reserve and guard soldiers and assists law enforcement agencies in identifying and eliminating threats from transnational criminal organizations. In December 2022, Simmons turned over command of the joint task force to Maj. Gen. Matthew Smith, who, like Simmons, was a former commander of the Georgia Army National Guard’s 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
During the ceremony, Maj. Gen. Thomas Carden, adjutant general of the Georgia National Guard, presented Simmons with the Oglethorpe Distinguished Service Medal in recognition of his 33 years of military service. Simmons wife Yetive Simmons was presented with the Georgia Commendation Medal for her outstanding service to the Georgia National Guard and the US Army. Callie and Luke, the Simmons’ children, were also recognized for their dedication and support during the ceremony.
In his farewell speeches, Simmons expressed his appreciation for his family, Maj. Gen. Carden, and the service members of the Ga. ARNG and Joint Task Force North, with whom he had served for more than three decades.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve in this army of ours, this great military of ours and this country,” Simmons said. “It was indeed the greatest professional honor and privilege of my life.”
