Commander, 48th Separate Infantry Brigade (Mechanized)Brigadier General Robley S. Rigdon is commander of the 48th Separate Infantry Brigade (Mechanized), headquartered in Macon, Georgia. He commands nearly 4,000 soldiers serving in more than 38 hometown units across Georgia. In February 2001, General Rigdon became Georgia's first General Officer to ever be deployed overseas when he led a 1,200-member National Guard Task Force to the Balkans. The force led by General Rigdon was the largest National Guard combat force deployed overseas since World War II. There they served as part of the SFOR-9 peacekeeping force in Bosnia-Herzegovina. As part of this mission, elements of the 48th Infantry Brigade were integrated with the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized). General Rigdon acted as the Assistant Division Commander for Multi-National Division, North.
The general began his military career in 1968 as a field artilleryman and was commissioned a second lieutenant from Georgia's OCS program in 1971. General Rigdon's military career spans more than thirty-three years. During that time he has served in a number of key command and staff positions. Four months after assuming command of 'Hickory's Howitzers,' 1st Battalion, 230th Field Artillery, General Rigdon and the battalion were mobilized for national service during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Prior to his current assignment, General Rigdon served as the Deputy Commander for Georgia's 78th Troop Command.
1968 Bachelor of Business Administration, Georgia Southern College, Statesboro, Georgia
1971 Georgia Military Institute Officer Candidate School (Honor Graduate and Distinguished Graduate)
1987 Certificate-Graduate School of Banking, University of Wisconsin, at Madison
1995 United States Army War College
1. Sep 1971 - Oct 1974, Forward Observer, 2nd Battalion, 214th Field Artillery, Georgia Army National Guard, Savannah, Georgia
2. Oct 1974 - Jan 1975, Fire Direction Officer, 2nd Battalion, 214th Field Artillery, Georgia Army National Guard, Savannah, Georgia
3. Jan 1975 - May 1976, Executive Officer, 2nd Battalion, 214th Field Artillery, Georgia Army National Guard, Savannah, Georgia
4. May 1976 - Aug 1977, Training Officer/Senior Tactical Officer, State Officer Candidate School, Georgia Army National Guard, Milledgeville, Georgia
5. Aug 1977 - Dec 1982 -Commander, Battery B, 2d Battalion, 214th Field Artillery, Georgia Army National Guard, Savannah, Georgia
6. Dec 1982 - Jun 1984, Counterfire Officer, 118th Field Artillery Brigade, Georgia Army National Guard, Savannah, Georgia
7. Jun 1984 - May 1990, Operations and Intelligence Officer, 118th Field Artillery Brigade, Georgia Army National Guard, Savannah, Georgia
8. May 1990 - Sep 1993 Commander, 1st Battalion, 230th Field Artillery, Georgia Army National Guard, Waycross, Georgia (includes unit command during active duty federalization during Operation Desert Shield/Storm)
9. Sep 1993 - Oct 1994, Operations and Training Officer (S3), 48th Separate Infantry Brigade (Mechanized), Georgia Army National Guard, Macon, Georgia
10. Oct 1994 - May 1995, Military Personnel Officer, Georgia Army National Guard, Atlanta, Georgia
May 1995 - Jan1999, Chief of Training, Georgia Army National Guard
11. Jan 1999 - Jul 2000, Deputy Commander, 78th Troop Command, Georgia Army National Guard
12. Jul 2000 - Feb 2001, Commander, 48th Separate Infantry Brigade (Mechanized),
Georgia Army National Guard
13. Feb 2001 - Oct 2001, Assistant Division Commander, Multi-National Division,
North
14. Nov 2001 - Present, Commander, 48th Separate Infantry Brigade (Mechanized),
Georgia Army National Guard
Meritorious Service Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Cluster)
Army Commendation Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster)
Army Achievement Medal
Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal (with seven Oak Leaf Clusters and 2
M-Devices )
National Defense Service Medal (with Star)
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal
Army Service Ribbon
Air Assault Badge
NATO Medal for the Former Republic of Yugoslavia
Deputy Commissioner for the Mortgage Division, Georgia Department of Banking and Finance, Atlanta.
Black Belt Karate, Certified Open Water Diver, School Trained Mountain Climber, School Trained Skydiver, Certified Financial Examiner, Certified Examination Manager.
2LT ARNG 4 Sep 71
1LT ARNG 3 Sep 74
CPT ARNG 12 Nov 76
MAJ ARNG 7 Jun 84
LTC ARNG 27 Jun 90
COL ARNG 25 Oct 94
BG (Line) ARNG 19 Jul 00
(Current as of August 2002)
The date of publication indicated on this biography reflects the most recent update. It does not necessarily reflect the date of printing.