Lt. Gen. Thomas Carden, a former Georgia adjutant general, has been confirmed by the Senate to serve as the 12th vice chief of the National Guard Bureau.

Carden will receive a fourth star, marking the first time the National Guard Bureau has two four-star generals at the helm and making Carden the first National Guard Bureau vice chief to wear the rank.

Carden was nominated in June 2025 for the position, which had been filled in an acting capacity by Maj. Gen. Tim Rieger since October 2024 when then-Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau Air Force Lt. Gen. Marc Sasseville retired.

In a follow-up statement, the National Guard Bureau said the Senate confirmation made Carden’s promotion to four-star official, and “planning was underway for his ceremonial pinning.”

The vice chief position, which originated in 1988, has historically been held by a three-star general officer, but a provision in the fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act elevated it to four stars, according to a National Guard Bureau release.

As vice chief, Carden will assist Air Force Gen. Steven Nordhaus, who as chief of the National Guard Bureau is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and principal adviser to the secretary of war, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Army secretary and chief of staff, and Air Force secretary on matters relating to the National Guard.

Carden also will assist the National Guard Bureau chief in ensuring the manning, training and equipping of more than 435,000 National Guard soldiers and airmen from the 54 states, territories and the District of Columbia.

Carden, who has been deputy commander of U.S. Northern Command since May 2024, also was vice commander, U.S. Element, North American Aerospace Defense Command at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado.

A graduate of Georgia Southwestern State University with a bachelor’s degree in history, Carden holds a master’s degree in human resource management from Webster University and a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College.

His previous assignments include deputy commanding general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s Multinational Division Southeast, headquartered in Bucharest, Romania, and assistant adjutant general, Georgia National Guard.

In addition to participating in multiple domestic response operations, Carden also commanded the Georgia Army National Guard’s 560th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, deploying to Iraq with the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Bosnia-Herzegovina during Operation Joint Forge.