GMC News

(Milledgeville, GA) August 16, 2005 – In a recent Change of Command Ceremony held at Georgia Military College (GMC), LTC Anthony E. Haager assumed command of the Old Capital Guard Battalion from the MAJ Thomas K. Hall.

The Change of Command Ceremony is a reflection of procedures practiced since the dawn of the nation, and is derived from the US Army\’s first manual of ceremonies, the Blue Book, written by General Friedrich Wilhelm Von Steuben.

The ceremony honored Major Thomas Hall, who served as GMC Professor of Military Science and commanded the Old Capital Guard from 1999-2005, and LTC Anthony Haager, the incoming Commander and Professor of Military Science who assumed command on August 2, 2005.

Major Thomas K. Hall was born in Milledgeville, GA, graduated from Georgia Military College in 1981 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Field Artillery branch in 1983. Prior to his assignment as Professor of Military Science at GMC, he spent 22 years in a variety of command and staff assignments, most recently serving as the Chief of Multiple-Launch Rocket System (MLRS) Division of the Gunnery Department at the Field Artillery School, Fort Sill, OK. Also at Fort Sill, he served as the Executive Officer of the 3rd Battalion, 13th Field Artillery Brigade and Chief of the Fire Support Element, both in III Corps Artillery. MAJ Hall served as the Secretary of the General Staff for the Assistant Commandant of the Command and General Staff College (CGSC), Fort Leavenworth, KS. MAJ Hall commanded the Service Battery, 1st Battalion, 77th Field Artillery in the 194th Separate Armored Brigade at Fort Knox, KY. He holds a Masters of Arts and Science in Military History from the Command and General Staff College. MAJ Hall has attended the Field Artillery Officers Basic Course, the Field Artillery Officers Advance Course, CAS3, and CGSC. His awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal (with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Commendation Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters) and the Change of Command
Army Achievement Medal. MAJ Hall is married to the former Terri Lovell and they have three children, Kevin (16), Garrett (14), and Blair (11).

Lieutenant Colonel Anthony E. Haager is a 1988 ROTC Distinguished Military Graduate from Illinois State University where he earned a commission in the Infantry. His first assignment was with the 1st Battalion 503rd Infantry Regiment in the Republic of Korea where he served as Specialty Platoon Leader and Rifle Company Executive Officer. Upon returning to the United States, he was assigned as a Ranger Instructor to the 5th Ranger Training Battalion in Dahlonega, GA. He served as the Support Platoon Leader, U. S. Army Subject Matter Expert for Military Mountaineering, Battalion S3 Air, Platoon Leader, and Assistant Battalion S4. Following the Quartermaster Advanced Course in 1993, he again was assigned to the Republic of Korea as the Division CL VII Accountable Officer and HHC DISCOM Company Commander. LTC Haager joined the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment in the summer of 1995 as the Regiment’s Support Operations Officer. He was then assigned as Commander of the Airborne Support Detachment in July of 1996, and transitioned as Commander A Company 4/160th SOAR(A). In 1998, LTC Haager was assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency where he served as a Strategic Intelligence Officer, Military Assistant to the Deputy Director of Intelligence, and Chief of the Operational Intelligence Crisis Center (OICC). In 2001, LTC Haager attended the Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, KS, followed by an assignment to the 1st Cavalry Division as the Battalion Executive Officer of the 27th Main Support Battalion. LTC Haager’s latest assignment was as the Brigade Operations Officer for the Division Support Command, 1st Cavalry Division, Baghdad, Iraq, in support of Iraqi Freedom II.
LTC Haager’s military education includes: Infantry Officer Basic Course, Ranger Course, the Quartermaster Officer Advance Course, the Support Operations Officer Course, Joint Planner Course, and Command and General Staff College. He holds a BS degree in marketing and an MS degree in management. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Army Meritorious Service Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Commendation Medal (with silver Oak Leaf Cluster), Army Achievement Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Iraq Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and Joint Meritorious Unit
Change of Command Award (with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster). He has earned the Ranger Tab, Expert Infantryman’s Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Rigger Badge, French Parachutist Badge, and Australian Parachutist Badge. He is married to the former Carol Tenhagen and they have one daughter, Kathleen.

Pictured (Change of Command 1): The battalion colors are passed from COL James Knauff, Senior Commander, 6th Briggade, to LTC Anthony Haager, signifying the passing of command. (Change of Command 2, left to right): LTC Anthony Haager, COL James Knauff, and MAJ Thomas Hall.