Mullikin named deputy commander of State Guard
April 4, 2012
By W. Thomas Smith Jr.
April 3, 2012
COLUMBIA, SC – Col. Thomas Stowe Mullikin was named deputy commander for operations, S.C. State Guard, during ceremonies in which he also waspromoted to Colonel (0-6), Tuesday.
Mullikin – a Camden, S.C.-based environmental attorney, author,international lecturer, military officer, and global expedition leader – is a former advisor and campaign manager to senior members of Congressand U.S. presidential candidates from both Republican and Democratparties. He is founder and pres. of the Mullikin Law Firm and Global Eco Adventures, a non-profit organization developed and “dedicated tovisiting and studying the Earth’s most fragile ecosystems.”
An avid big-game hunter, mountain climber and SCUBA diver, Mullikin haschalked up multiple dives in five oceans (his most recent offAntarctica). He climbed Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro in 2010. This month,he’ll travel to Washington State where he’ll climb Mount Rainier. InJune, he’ll climb Alaska’s Mount McKinley. And in Aug., he’ll lead asafari expedition to Namibia.
Mullikin’s service in the S.C. State Guard is an extension of his yearsof military service; first as a U.S. Army JAG lawyer (USAR) and attached as an international legal officer to a civil affairs brigade, followedby a stint with the S.C. Military Dept.’s Joint Services Det. (JSD). His decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army AchievementMedal, and the Global War on Terror Service Medal.
The S.C. State Guard has served an important defense role since thewars of the Colonial era, says Mullikin. Today our mission is no lessimportant. Perhaps its necessity and relevance is even greater in thepost-9/11 world. As such – and in my capacity as deputy commander ofoperations – we will continue this proud tradition by training for ourmissions and standing ready to serve our great state during time of need whether it be responding to catastrophic storms, major industrialaccidents, or terrorist threats to the homeland.
Attending Tuesday’s ceremony were members of Mullikin’s family, friends, and fellow S.C. Military Dept. (SCMD) officers, including Maj. Gen.John B. Grimball, commander of JSD; and Brig. Gen. Richard Eckstrom,comptroller general of S.C. and commander of the State Guard.
“Col. Mullikin brings tremendous talent and experience to our StateGuard,” says Brig. Gen. Eckstrom. “As S.C. government grapples withtightening budgets, we know it’ll be turning more and more to the StateGuard, a highly trained organization of nearly 1,000 members, all ofwhom serve our state without pay. Col. Mullikin exemplifies thecommitment and professionalism that characterizes State Guard members.”
The State Guard, which traces its lineage back to the early statemilitia of 1670, is today an all-volunteer state defense-force component of the broader SCMD.
The SCMD is composed of the adjutant general’s headquarters, the S.C.Army National Guard, the S.C. Air National Guard, the S.C. State Guard,the Joint Services Detachment, the Emergency Management Division, andvarious other elements.
– W. Thomas Smith Jr. is a former U.S. Marine rifle-squad leader andcounterterrorism instructor who writes about military/defense issues and has covered war in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. He directs theU.S. Counterterrorism Advisory Team. He is a field-grade officer in theJoint Services Det. (S.C. Military Dept.). He is the author of sixbooks, a New York Times bestselling editor, and his articles appear in a variety of publications. Smith’s website is uswriter.com.
