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James Terry, Senior Vice President and Superintendent

Lieutenant General (Ret) Terry, a native of Chatsworth, Georgia, is an alumnus of Murray County High School. He graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and Management from what was then North Georgia College, now the University of North Georgia. During his time at ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ, he was a member of the Cadet Corps, a Distinguished Military Student, and a Distinguished Military Graduate, commissioned into the Infantry Branch upon graduation in 1978. He holds a Master of Arts in Business Administration from Webster University and a Master of Science in National Security Strategy and Policy from the U.S. National Defense University.

Throughout his distinguished military career, Lieutenant General Terry commanded at every level from Rifle Platoon Leader to Theater Army. He has led Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines from multiple nations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. After retiring from the U.S. Army in January 2016 at the rank of Lieutenant General, he transitioned to the U.S. Defense Industry, serving as Senior Vice President for Strategy and Business Development at Cubic Defense since August 2016.

Bryan G. Kirk, Associate Vice President and Chief of Staff, Cadet Leadership Academy

Colonel (Ret) Bryan G. Kirk retired as a special forces officer with over 27 years of U.S. Army. He is a graduate of Campbell University (North Carolina) where he commissioned and earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. He holds Master of Science degrees in Strategic Studies (Army War College), National Security and Strategic Studies (Naval War College), and a Master of Arts in Liberal Arts (LSU).

His previous experiences include ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ Professor of Military Science, and service in Special Operations units and deployed worldwide, including commands in 3rd and 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), and as Director of Operations for the Theater Special Operations Command in Tampa, Florida.

Lieutenant Colonel (Ret) James Thomasson

Lieutenant Colonel (Ret) James Thomasson is a native of Columbus, Georgia. He graduated from the University of North Georgia in 2002 and received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Field Artillery Branch. He is a graduate of the Marine Expeditionary Warfare School, Army Command and General Staff College, and holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership from American Military University.

James has deployed several times to Afghanistan and Iraq with the 82d Airborne and 101st Airborne (Air Assault) Divisions. His previous experiences include Course Director and Military Science Instructor at the United States Military Academy at West Point, several Field Artillery staff positions, and concluded his active duty service as the G-5 Planner for the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).

Brandon Knox, Director of Cadet Recruiting

brandon.knox@ung.edu
Dahlonega

Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Knox graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 2007, and served as an Army infantry officer in the 82nd Airborne Division, the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), the 101st Airborne Division, the 75th Ranger Regiment, and several Special Operations Task Forces deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan several times. As an Army Reservist, Brandon serves as a Current Operations Action Officer on the military’s joint staff in the Pentagon, and he is pursuing a Ph.D. in organizational leadership. LTC Knox also previously served as an Assistant Professor of Military Science at the University of North Florida, the Vice President for Student Affairs at Riverside Military Academy, and as a highly successful project manager in the corporate world in the fields of energy and logistics.

Ed Bankston, Professor of Military Science

Colonel Ed Bankston is a native of Decatur, Georgia. He graduated from the University of North Georgia in 2002 and received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Engineer Corps, then transferred to the Infantry. He holds a Master’s in Adult Education from Kansas State University, a Master’s of Operational Art and Science, and a Master of Arts in Strategic Studies from the School of Advanced Military Studies.

Colonel Bankston served in a number of engineer, infantry, and staff positions, and commanded the 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment from March 2019-March 2021 in 2nd Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division. He is a veteran of several deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq in combat units and in high level staff positions. Among his many awards are the Silver Star for valor and the Purple Heart.