Lt. Col. Brandon Knox, director of Cadet Recruiting at the University of North Georgia (UNG), took command of the 3rd Battalion, 323rd Regiment (Basic Combat Training) in the Army Reserve on Nov. 16.

"Selection for battalion command in the U.S. Army is determined by future potential to serve at increasing levels of responsibility," retired Lt. Gen. James Terry, senior vice president and superintendent of UNG's Cadet Leadership Academy (CLA), said. " That future potential is based on demonstrated performance, and selection is a monumental career step for any Army officer."

Being selected to command an Army battalion is an honor that only a small percentage of lieutenant colonels are offered the opportunity to have. Knox is grateful for his newest assignment.

"I've been at the Pentagon the past couple of years. I was in a high-level role where we were looking at the world in real time and making recommendations," Knox said. "It's really good to be back around soldiers and their families and be able to take care of them."

Knox's command role is another chance to lead a group of people with a wide variety of day jobs who serve part time in the Army Reserve.

"I'm looking forward to learning from the men and women I'm serving with. I'm also looking forward to hopefully being a good mentor. A good commander tries to identify young leaders who are our future," Knox said. "I look forward to learning from seasoned leaders and mentoring our future leaders."

Knox leads UNG's efforts to recruit cadets into the Corps of Cadets, and a new initiative he led recently was the launch of the Cadet Leadership Preparatory Program at UNG's Gainesville Campus. The new program provides a small number of freshmen with military science courses with the opportunity to potentially become members of the Corps of Cadets at the Dahlonega Campus as sophomores.

The lieutenant colonel sees parallels between his Army Reserve role and recruiting UNG cadets.

"Command is all about how I can best serve soldiers and their families," Knox said. "I definitely try to take that into recruiting. How can we serve families and future cadets?"

Knox has served multiple Army combat tours leading soldiers. He served 10 years on active duty and has served for seven years in the Army Reserve. He is also an ordained minister and serves as a part-time minister at a church in Gainesville, Georgia. 

UNG President Michael Shannon recently presented Knox with the Defense Distinguished Service Medal for his recent completion of two years of service in the National Command Center at the Pentagon. Knox shared that he enjoyed working alongside UNG alumnus Lt. Col. Kevin Bernhardt in that assignment. Knox expressed gratitude to Shannon and Terry for their support in his new command role.

UNG is the Military College of Georgia and commissions roughly 100 second lieutenants annually into the Army, Georgia Army National Guard and Army Reserve. In summer 2024, UNG created a unified operation to oversee all cadet operations under the CLA with an eye toward the strategic big bet of delivering the Corps of the future.