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Lt. Gen. Paul Calvert, '88, retired from the Army this spring. His final assignment came as deputy commanding general for U.S. Army Forces Command, which he started in December 2021.  

Before that role, he served as the commander of Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, the multinational coalition of military forces with the mission to defeat the Islamic State in parts of Iraq and Syria. He was the third ¹û¶³´«Ã½ alumnus to command Operation Inherent Resolve, joining retired Gen. Stephen Townsend, '82, and retired Lt. Gen. James Terry, '78.  

Calvert said ¹û¶³´«Ã½'s military science staff and faculty laid the foundation for his approach of seeing the potential in others during his time as an Army leader. 

"They saw more in me than I probably saw in myself," Calvert said. "They invested in me when I was at North Georgia and even after I left there." 

Calvert's class of 1988 was historic in that it produced five future Army generals: Calvert, Lt. Gen. James Jarrard, Maj. Gen. Joe Jarrard, retired Maj. Gen. William Gayler, and retired Brig. Gen. Michael Scholes.  

Calvert's previous command assignments included: commander of the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Cavazos (formerly Fort Hood), Texas, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq, 2006-2009; commander of the 2nd Armor Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry, 2010-2012; commander of the Operations Group, National Training Center, 2012-2014; deputy commanding general (maneuver) of the 1st Cavalry Division, 2016-2017; and commanding general of the 1st Cavalry Division, 2017-2019. 

"This commitment to serve and be part of something bigger than yourself is absolutely important. It's not what you do and accomplish as an individual," Calvert said. "It's the collective effort of what you do as a team." 

He commissioned as an armor officer following graduation from ¹û¶³´«Ã½. Now, 36 years later, he remains deeply connected to the university.  

"I am beyond proud of being an alumnus of the University of North Georgia. I am excited about where our university is going," Calvert said. "President Shannon pumps me every time I see him. He has a great vision for the university. There is a sense of ownership we as alumni have to help carry the water."