Brig. Gen. John T. Gentry, Jr. ’91 will retire at the end of this month after serving his country for more than 30 years.

Last weekend, Gentry was honored following a change of command ceremony at Clay National Guard Center in Marietta, Ga., where he relinquished command of the 78^th Troop Command to new commander, Brig. Gen. Theodore R. Scott III.

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Tom Carden, the adjutant general of the Georgia National Guard, opened the ceremony with remarks about the culture and legacy of Brig. Gen. Gentry’s career.

Carden called the decision to elevate Gentry to command the 78^th a “no-brainer.”

“If you walk out the door and walk a few steps down the road, you’ll come to our headquarters,” Carden said. “You’ll see a memorial wall there. There are 43faces on that memorial wall. I can tell you that Brig. Gen. John Gentry and his family have bent the odds in favor of us winning the next fight and reduced the odds in making sure we never put another face on that wall.”

Gentry’s career began with his commission in 1991 as a second lieutenant in U.S. Army through the Reserve Officer Training Corps’ Highlander Battalion at PC, where he also earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. His military career in field artillery led to positions of increasing responsibility, including service as the firing battery commander at 1st Battalion, 214th Field Artillery, commander of the 1st Battalion, 118th Field Artillery Regiment, and commander of the 648th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade.

Gentry has earned numerous awards and decorations, including the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, and the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal.

Last fall, Gentry earned PC’s highest alumni honor – the Alumni Gold P Award.

At the ceremony, the former Wysor Saber winner and member of the Highlander Battalion ROTC Hall of Fame, said PC’s ROTC program provided him at first a way to pay for college that included what he thought would be a brief six-year commitment. More than 30 years later, Gentry said he understand more than ever the important of service to others.

“I’m proud to be among those that have volunteered to be a part of the PC ROTC program,” he said. “We have a hidden gem in this program here. I hope we continue to support it, to promote it, celebrate it, and send future leaders of our army to represent us and live by our motto, ‘While We Live, We Serve.’”