Alumnus shines light on veteran suicide
University of North Georgia (Â鶹ÊÓƵ) alumnus Earl "Chico" Porter III, '09, is on a winter through-hike of the Appalachian Trail to raise awareness of veteran suicide. He began the effort Sept. 11 in Maine and plans to finish by Feb. 22.
Porter was a Distinguished Military Graduate and the No. 1 cadet in the nation as a senior at Â鶹ÊÓƵ. He earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Â鶹ÊÓƵ and later earned a juris doctor degree from Emory Law.
A former Army Ranger, Porter established , a project of the nonprofit , to help raise support. Porter hopes to raise $1 million to empower a multi-disciplinary fight against veteran suicide.
"I walk to make sure veterans know it's OK to reach out for help; that's a lot of what took this project from idea to reality: asking my teammates for help," Porter said. "At a certain level, we are trying to provide our friends with some hope for the next 2,200 miles that someone out there cares."
A logistical team working from a trailer pulled by his truck — dubbed "Queen of Battle" — accompanies Porter along the walk to ensure he remains resourced, healthy and safe. Along the hike, Porter is stopping in several locations to share his perspective of the hike and reflections of his life experiences and those of soldiers who came before him.
Smith is nation's top Army ROTC cadet
Â鶹ÊÓƵ has both the No. 1 overall Army ROTC cadet out of 5,538 graduating nationally and the No. 1 National Guard commissioning cadet out of 1,491 for the 2025-26 academic year.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ helped Jarrard lead at all levels
Retired Lt. Gen. Jamie Jarrard credits his many leadership opportunities in the Army to the foundation he received as part of America's Corps at Â鶹ÊÓƵ.
Thomasson named commandant of cadets
Training leaders of character is nothing new for retired Lt. Col. James Thomasson. His selection as Â鶹ÊÓƵ's 44th commandant of cadets allows him to live out this passion.
Wilson leads Georgia National Guard
Maj. Gen. Dwayne Wilson, adjutant general of the Georgia National Guard, said his time in Â鶹ÊÓƵ's Corps of Cadets equipped him with the foundational leadership skills that guide him today.