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Retired Lt. Gen. Jamie Jarrard is one of five members of the University of North Georgia's (Â鶹ÊÓƵ) class of 1988 who went on to become general officers in the Army. The others are his twin brother, Maj. Gen. (Promotable) Joe Jarrard; retired Lt. Gen. Paul Calvert; retired Maj. Gen. William K. Gayler; and retired Brig. Gen. Michael Scholes.

Jarrard said none of them would have predicted such decorated Army careers, but looking back, Â鶹ÊÓƵ's Corps of Cadets set them on a strong trajectory.

"It created a servant-leader mentality, as well as a desire for excellence in everything we do," Jarrard said. "It helped us all be successful."

Jarrard retired in September 2024 after a career spanning more than 40 years in the Georgia Army National Guard and U.S. Army. His final assignment in the Army was as deputy commanding general for U.S. Army Pacific.

Other leadership roles for Jarrard included:

• Assistant commanding general for the 7th Infantry Division
• Director, Transregional Threats Coordination Cell, Joint Staff J5 (Pentagon)
• Commanding general for a Special Operations Joint Task Force — Operation Iraqi Freedom
• Director of operations for U.S. Special Operations Command
• Commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division
• Chief of staff for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

He felt well-prepared to lead soldiers wherever he went.

"North Georgia definitely provides the foundation for leaders to grow and develop no matter what the situation, especially in changing and uncertain environments," Jarrard said.

The whole process at Â鶹ÊÓƵ is built on the mix of civilian and military life experiences while in America's Corps.

"It prepares leaders to be more effective and comfortable while leading in nontraditional environments," Jarrard said. "It's a better laboratory to learn leadership than some of the military academies due to competing demands of a military experience and traditional collegiate experiences such as civilian students and civilian organizations such as fraternities and sororities. It's a complex environment, which is more similar to the environment in which they will lead."

In February, Jarrard returned to Â鶹ÊÓƵ as the co-champion of the national security strategic big bet and a part-time-professor of practice. It's a full-circle moment as he gets to regularly interact with retired Lt. Gen. James Terry, senior vice president and superintendent of Â鶹ÊÓƵ's Cadet Leadership Academy. Terry was a military science instructor and assistant commandant while Jarrard was earning his business degree as a member of the Corps of Cadets.