Nashville, TN – The Tennessee State Guard received a new commander on August 7th, 2016. Brig. Gen. Tommy Baker, Assistant Adjutant General-Army, Tennessee National Guard officiated a formal change of command ceremony at the Armed Forces Reserve Center located on Volunteer Training Site in Smyrna Tennessee. Brig. Gen. Kenneth T. Takasaki relinquished command to Brig. Gen. Craig Johnson, a former Tennessee Guardsman.
Prior to assuming command of the all volunteer force, Brig. Gen. Johnson served with distinction for over 30 years in the Tennessee Army National Guard. In his last assignment he served as Commander, 194th Engineer Brigade, headquartered in Jackson, Tennessee.
Brig. Gen. Johnson holds a Bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University, a Masters of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Tennessee School of Law.
He is a licensed attorney and has been a Circuit Judge in the 14th Judicial District of the State of Tennessee since 1998, where he presides over criminal felony trials and civil jury trials. He is also a graduate of the National Judicial Academy in Reno, Nevada and the Administrative Office of the Courts Tennessee Judicial Academy.
The Tennessee State Guard is the all-volunteer arm of the Tennessee Military Department and is headquartered in Nashville. It consists of approximately 500 personnel and is authorized by Tennessee Code Annotated 58 1-401.
