RICHMOND, Va. –
Brig. Gen. John M. Rhodes of the Mississippi Army National Guard has been selected to serve as the 29th Infantry Division deputy commanding general for operations, according to an announcement made Oct. 26, 2018, by Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia. Rhodes succeeds Maj. Gen. John M. Epperly who served as the DCG prior to taking command of the division, and his effective date in the position was Sept. 12, 2018.
“Brig. Gen. John Rhodes brings a wealth of experience to his new leadership role with the 29th Infantry Division, and he was selected after a highly-competitive national search,” Williams said. “He has served in command and staff positions at every level, successfully led Soldiers in combat in two different conflicts and he has extensive experience with domestic operations. We are extremely fortunate to have a leader of his caliber to help take the division forward to the challenges that lay ahead.”
Rhodes was commissioned a second lieutenant, Infantry in May 1987 through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at Mississippi State University. He has served in command and staff positions at every level of command. He recently served as Mississippi National Guard Assistant Adjutant General – Army and the commander of the 66th Troop Command. As commander of 66th Troop Command, he was responsible for commanding a major subordinate command within the Mississippi Army National Guard. He also commanded a Joint Task Force under the direction of the Mississippi Adjutant General in response to natural and man-made contingencies in support of homeland security and defense operations. He also served as the commander of the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team.
His combat assignments include mortar platoon leader for the 6th Battalion, 6th Infantry Battalion, 1st Armored Division during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, commander of 1st Battalion, 155th Infantry Regiment during Operation Iraqi Freedom III in 2005, and deputy commander of 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team during Operation Iraqi Freedom 9.2 in 2009-2010.
His military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, the Meritorious Service Medal with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, the Army Commendation Medal with three Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Achievement Medal, the Combat Infantry Badge with one Bronze Service Star, the Expert Infantry Badge, the Parachutist Badge and the Air Assault Badge.
Rhodes earned a Bachelor of Business Education from Mississippi State University in 1987, a Masters of Business Administration, Military Management from Touro University International in 2003 and Master of Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College in 2010.
In his civilian career, Rhodes is the general manager of the City of Corinth Gas and Water Department in Corinth, Mississippi. His responsibility is to protect the public health and welfare of over 7,500 customers by providing a safe, reliable, and sufficient supply of water and natural gas with quality service at a reasonable cost using effective management and sound business practices.