Florida National Guard Gets Its First Black General Officer

Posted Sep 21, 2011 by Howard Altman

Updated Sep 21, 2011 at 03:57 PM

Col. Michael Calhoun, currently serving as commander of the Tallahassee-based 83rd Troop Command, will become the Florida National Guard’s next brigadier general and the first African-American promoted to the rank of a general officer in the Florida National Guard, according to the guard.

According to a media release:

Calhoun enlisted into the Florida National Guard in August 1977, and received a direct appointment into the Medical Service Corps in July 1989.

He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy from Florida A&M University and a Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. His latest assignments include command of the 856th Quartermaster Battalion (Water); the 53rd Infantry Brigade’s Special Troops Battalion; the 211th Regiment Regional Training Institute (RTI-FL); and commander of the 50th Area Support Group.

Calhoun is a resident of Lake Worth, Fla.