Cutlines

PHOTOS BY MAJ. WILLIAM CARRAWAY

MARIETTA, Ga. – Kevin Hamm, Director of the Joint Staff of the Georgia National Guard, was promoted to brigadier general during a Clay National Guard Center ceremony.

A resident of Clay County, Hamm’s military career has spanned four decades and four continents.

Hamm’s military career began in 1991 when he joined the Florida National Guard while attending college as a Reserve Officer Training Corps cadet. In 1993 he was the Distinguished Military Graduate of the University of West Florida and commissioned into the Regular Army. After completing field artillery branch training, Hamm deployed to Haiti in support of Operation Uphold and Restore Democracy as the fire support officer for Company B, 3rd Battalion 15th Infantry Regiment. He served in Korea with the 6th Battalion 37th Field Artillery Regiment from 1996-1997.

Hamm joined the Georgia Army National Guard in 2002 and began a long association with the historic 1st Battalion, 118th Field Artillery Regiment in Savannah. One of the oldest units in the US Army, the 118th perpetuates the lineage of units that predate the American Revolution and is one of a handful of National Guard units with a campaign streamer from the War of 1812. Hamm deployed to Iraq with the 1-118th from 2004-2005 as the assistant plans officer and to Afghanistan from 2009-2010 as the battalion’s executive officer.

On September 30, 2012, Hamm assumed command 1-118th, succeeding Lt. Col. John Gentry, who relinquishing command on April 15, 2015.

Hamm served in key staff positions, first as the operations officer for the Georgia Army National Guard and then as the joint plans officer for the Georgia National Guard.

Hamm assumed command of the 648th Military Engagement Team, an element of the Fort Benning-based 648th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade in August 2017 with Command Sgt. Maj. Jeff Logan, the current State Command Sgt. Maj. of the Georgia Army National Guard, is his senior enlisted leader. Comprised of officers and senior noncommissioned officers from 14 military career fields, the MET mobilized in support of operations throughout the Central Command area of operations. The MET conducted military-to-military engagement with regional partners in multiple countries to build relationships and build partner capacity. Engagement teams from the MET worked with military and government officials in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Tajikistan, Oman and many other nations. During their duties, MET Soldiers conducted more than 172,000 miles of travel within the Central Command area of operations.

On July 15, 2018, Hamm assumed command of the 648th MEB, succeeding Col. John Gentry. During his command tenure, Hamm directed the response of the 648th MEB to hurricanes Michael and Dorian in 2018 and 2019 while serving as the Georgia National Guard’s joint taskforce commander during response operations. Hamm led the brigade through the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Following a successful brigade command tenure, Hamm returned to the Georgia National Guard’s Joint Force Headquarters in Marietta and served as Chief of the Joint Staff. He was appointed director of the Joint Staff in March 2023.