Georgia State Patrol graduates its 108th Trooper School

The Georgia State Patrol graduated its 108th Trooper School on Thursday, May 14, at the headquarters of the Georgia Department of Public Safety in Atlanta.  After 32 weeks of intense training, 31 new troopers will report to one of the 52 patrol posts throughout the state.  Instead of the traditional graduation, troopers received their patrol vehicles and were issued the Oath of Office by Governor Brian P. Kemp.  Trooper Cadets spend 20 weeks at the academy and 12 weeks in-field training.  The Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST) requires all peace officers receive a minimum of 400 hours of Basic Mandate Training.  At the completion of Trooper School, these newly graduated trooper cadets received over 1,500 hours of training, including driving, defensive tactics, vehicle stops, Spanish, criminal law and criminal procedure, firearms, accident investigation, and various other training.  The following graduates were recognized for their leadership: Trooper Zachary Pruitt, President; Trooper Shawn Tarpley, Vice President; Trooper Mubin Akhawala, Secretary/Treasurer; Trooper Matthew Edwards, Chaplain; Trooper Malcolm Lemons, Sergeant-at-Arms; and Trooper Kenneth Schlegel, Pennant Bearer, and Trooper Cole Spires; Pennant Base Bearer.  Each commissioned trooper will report to the following assigned post:

TROOPER HOME COUNTY POST ASSIGNMENT
Mubin Akhawala Hall Post 6 – Gainesville
Stephen Boykin Lumpkin Post 37 – Cumming
Zachary Bristol Berrien Post 36 – Douglas
Kevin Coker Gwinnett Post 37 – Cumming
Stephen Donovan, II New York, NY Post 37 – Cumming
Sean Dyar Laurens Post 20 – Dublin
Matthew Edwards Irwin Post 30 – Cordele
Robert Frese Fulton Post 49 – Motor Unit
Brandon George Troup Post 47 – Forest Park
Jameson Glover Upson Post 34 – Manchester
Marguerite Graham-Beadle Jackson Post 6 – Gainesville
Felix Guider Spalding Post 51 – Gwinnett
Ethan Hajnal Gilmer Post 37 – Cumming
Bryan Hill Chatham Post 42 – Rincon
William Hunn, II Fulton Post 47 – Forest Park
Malcom Lemons Bibb Post 44 – Forsyth
Tomorrea McGlocking Franklin Post 6 – Gainesville
Michael Mosley Chattooga Post 38 – Rome
Luke Murray Pickens Post 28 – Jasper
Eric Olvera Spalding Post 51 – Gwinnett
David Peterson Paulding Post 29 – Paulding
Zachary Pruitt Carroll Post 4 – Villa Rica
Aaron Ramirez Bulloch Post 45 – Statesboro
Kenneth Schlegel Dougherty Post 40 – Albany
Preston Schue Wayne Post 23 – Brunswick
Dylan Scoggins Floyd Post 38 – Rome
Michael Spires Dodge Post 16 – Helena
Cole Spires Laurens Post 20 – Dublin
Taylor Stevenson Hall Post 6 – Gainesville
Shawn Tapley Baldwin Post 33 – Milledgeville
Robert Walthour Walker Post 41 – LaFayette