Army Major General Reginald “Reg” G.A. Neal recently came back home to GMC to share about his life and career with the GMC Corps of Cadets as part of the Leadership Engagement Speaker Series. Please click here to watch a recording of his speech and click here for a special interview with General Neal as well.
General Neal hails from Ludowici, GA. In 1987, Neal left home after high school and arrived to the Georgia Military College campus not knowing what his future would hold. He started out as a Cadet not with a plan to become a high-ranking general in the U.S. Army, but with a goal to just make it through his second semester.
General Neal credits GMC for sparking a drive that has stayed with him throughout his entire life and career. “GMC taught me that I could actually do something,” he states, as earning his associate degree made him realize he could go on to achieve much more than he thought possible. General Neal’s time at GMC opened up a whole new world of educational possibilities.
He graduated from Georgia Military College (ROTC) in 1989, where he was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the Field Artillery. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science from Georgia Southern University, a Master’s of Science from The Citadel and a Doctorate of Education (Ed.D). He is also a graduate of Harvard University’s National and International Security Seminar and the Maxwell National Security Management Course at Syracuse University.
General Neal’s professional military education includes the Field Artillery Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Combined Arms Staff Service School, Command and General Staff Officer Course, Paladin Commander’s Course, Tactical Combat Commanders Course, Maneuver Brigade Pre-Command Course, Army Security Cooperation Course, and the Combined/Joint Forces Land Component Commander Course. He also graduated from the United States Army War College, earning a Master of Strategic Studies.
General Neal’s green-tab assignments include commander of the 1st Battalion, 118th Field Artillery Regiment (Chatham Artillery). While the battalion was deployed to Afghanistan, he served as the Commander of Joint Task Force Kabul. His second battalion command was of a Recruiting and Retention Battalion. General Neal took command of the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in 2015. Prior to taking command of JTF-N, he served as the Deputy Commanding General (National Guard) for U.S. Army South at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas.
General Neal assumed command of Joint Task Force-North on Fort Bliss, Texas in July 2019. He also serves as a dual-hat commander for the Mission Command Element-Southwest Border (MCE-SWB) based at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
General Neal’s key staff assignments include being assigned as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Training for the Georgia Army National Guard, and the Military Personnel Officer for the Georgia National Guard. He also served as the Executive Assistant to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau at the Pentagon before his first General/Flag Officer assignment as the Director of the Joint Staff for the Georgia Department of Defense.
General Neal has worked on numerous strategic-level military planning committees, including the Combat Vehicle Task Force, and the Field Artillery Advisory Council serving as the Battalion Commander Sub-committee chairman. He also is a past-President of the National Guard Association of Georgia. He currently serves on the National Guard Bureau’s Joint Diversity Executive Council and the Joint Officer Management Advisory Council.
General Neal’s awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit (2), Bronze Star Medal (2), Meritorious Service Medal (4), the Joint Service Commendation Medal (Afghanistan), Iraq and Afghanistan Campaign Medals, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Hourglass, NATO Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Meritorious Unit Citation. He is authorized to wear the Combat Action Badge, Basic Parachutists Badge, and Army Staff Identification Badge.
General Neal is a former member of the GMC Alumni Association Board of Directors and since 2017, has been serving as a Trustee for the GMC Foundation. He is a leading example to all GMC students that with hard work and determination to take advantage of the opportunities before you, there are no limits to what you can achieve.
