Mullikin named commander of State Guard
July 2, 2014
COLUMBIA, SC – Brig. Gen. Thomas Stowe Mullikin – a global expedition leader, attorney, and former U.S. Army officer – has assumed command of the S.C. State Guard (SCSG).
“This is a great honor and opportunity for me as we build on this historic all-volunteer military organization’s 344-year heritage and traditions, taking the Guard and its traditions to the next level,” said Mullikin during the SCSG’s change-of-command ceremony last month. “We are – and will be – ready to protect the people of S.C., mitigating the impact of any and all potential natural and man-made disasters.”
The SCSG is part of the S.C. Military Dept., which oversees the S.C. Army National Guard, the S.C. Air National Guard, the Emergency Management Division and other elements. State Guardsmen – many of whom have prior federal military service (including service in aviation, medical, legal, law enforcement, engineering, and special operations units) – serve in support of the S.C. National Guard, and various law enforcement and emergency response agencies in the event of a statewide disaster.
An author, film producer, Army Master Fitness Trainer (graduate of the U.S. Army Physical Fitness School), self-defense instructor (holding a black belt in Karate), and Special Deputy and Rescue Diver on the Richland County (S.C.) Sheriff’s Department Underwater Recovery Unit; Mullikin is a Master Diver (PADI) with recorded dives in all of the Earth’s oceans including certification as a polar diver for his ice dives in the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans. He also is an accomplished mountain climber having climbed many of the world’s highest mountains, including Europe’s (Mt. Elbrus), Africa’s (Mt. Kilimanjaro), Australia’s (Mt. Kosciuszko) and South America’s (Mt. Aconcagua) as well as mountain ranges across North America while studying the world’s fragile ecosystems.
Mullikin previously served as deputy commander/chief of staff for SCSG. He assumed duties as deputy commander SCSG in April 2012 after serving as deputy director of the Legal Directorate of the Joint Services Detachment, S.C. Military Dept. In April 2013, his duties expanded to include the post of chief of staff, SCSG.
As the new SCSG commander, Mullikin replaces outgoing commander, Maj. Gen. Richard Eckstrom.
The S.C. Military Dept. is commanded by Maj. Gen. Robert E. Livingston, S.C. Army National Guard, the adjutant general of S.C.
