Decorated military general speaks at NPGA Propane Expo

Maj. Gen. Thomas M. Carden Jr.

Maj. Gen. Thomas M. Carden Jr. spoke during the opening ceremony of the 2019 National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) Southeastern Convention & International Propane Expo.

Carden was appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp in January 2019 as the 43rd adjutant general of the Georgia Department of Defense. He is responsible for directing, coordinating, organizing and stationing the Army and Air National Guards of the State of Georgia, the Georgia State Defense Force, and federal and state civilians, ensuring their readiness to perform state and national missions.

Carden also holds a master’s degree in human resource management and spoke about recruiting veterans to the propane industry. He emphasized not only shared business interests but shared values between veterans and propane professionals. Of the qualities that Carden believes makes veterans a good fit for the industry is their commitment to “not quitting when things get hard.”

Carden spoke on behalf of Vets2Techs, a program that helps veterans transition to civilian life by connecting them to careers in the oil and propane industries.

Carden’s military decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, the Combat Infantry Badge and the Parachutist Badge.