Dr. Jarquez M. Payne, CPT, JC ’14
2026 Emerging Young Alumni Leader Award
Since graduating from Georgia Military College in 2014, Dr. Jarquez M. Payne has distinguished himself through a career defined by leadership, service, scholarship, and a sustained commitment to developing people and strengthening organizations. His journey reflects the enduring value of a GMC education: the discipline to pursue excellence, the resilience to overcome challenges, and the responsibility to use one’s talents in service to others.
During his time at Georgia Military College, Jarquez was deeply engaged in the life of the institution. A varsity cross-country athlete, Student Council member, and member of the Paintball Team, he earned All-American honors while developing the discipline, endurance, accountability, and perseverance that would become defining characteristics of his professional life. He credits his experience as a student-athlete with teaching him that meaningful achievement is rarely the product of talent alone, but rather of consistency, preparation, and the willingness to exceed perceived limitations.
Following his graduation and commissioning as a U.S. Army officer, Jarquez progressed through increasingly complex leadership and operational assignments at the platoon, company, battalion, brigade, and division levels. His assignments have included Company Commander, Echo Company, 40th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division; Brigade Logistics Planner, 4th Security Force Assistance Brigade; Battalion S-4, 1st Battalion, 4th Security Force Assistance Brigade; and Currently the Battalion Executive Officer (XO), 1st Battalion, 361st Brigade Support Battalion, 5th Armored Brigade.
Throughout his military career, Jarquez has distinguished himself not only through organizational leadership, but also through his ability to build relationships and integrate diverse teams toward common objectives. His assignments have provided opportunities to support multinational operations, exercises, and security cooperation with NATO partners from Poland, Japan, Canada, the Philippines, and Thailand. He has worked alongside the Polish 18th Mechanized Infantry Division, Royal Thai Army, Canadian Armed Forces, and other international partners, while also supporting collaborative efforts with the 10th Special Forces Group and Canadian Special Operations Regiment. A graduate of the Army’s Air Assault and Pathfinder courses, he has developed extensive expertise in logistics, sustainment, operational planning, and leader development.
Jarquez has further contributed to the military profession through scholarship and professional writing. His publications include Advising Sustainment in Large-Scale Combat Operations and The Lost Art in America’s Economic Ecosystem: Rebuilding America’s Capacity to Grow, Make, Move, and Innovate. Through these works, he has sought to capture professional knowledge, examine complex organizational and economic challenges, and contribute to the continued development of leaders and the profession he serves.
His commitment to lifelong learning has remained equally deliberate. Since graduating from GMC, Jarquez has continued his education through multiple institutions, pursuing advanced academic study while simultaneously meeting the demands of military leadership and professional service. His academic and professional development reflect a philosophy that effective leadership requires intellectual curiosity, continual self-improvement, and the humility to remain a student throughout one’s career.
Behind these accomplishments is the family Jarquez identifies as his greatest source of motivation and support. For him, professional success is not measured solely by titles, assignments, or achievements, but by the opportunity to create a stronger future for his family, invest in the development of others, and demonstrate through his example the transformative power of perseverance, education, service, and leadership.
From a GMC student-athlete to an Army leader, scholar, author, and mentor, Dr. Jarquez M. Payne exemplifies the enduring impact of a Georgia Military College education. His career reflects not only how far a GMC graduate can go, but also the responsibility to reach back, develop others, and leave every organization stronger than he found it.
Georgia Military College is honored to recognize Dr. Jarquez M. Payne with the 2026 Emerging Young Alumni Leader Award.
