Tommy T. Thomas said the people around him when he was growing up in Hahira taught him a strong work ethic, strong spiritual values, and the importance of serving his community and country.

Thomas assumed the duties of deputy under secretary of defense for military community and family policy in May. In this position, he is responsible for policy, advocacy and oversight of all community support to service members and their families.

When asked what it is like working at the Pentagon, he said, “It is probably one of the most fascinating places you will ever work.”

The Pentagon isn’t new to Thomas. He spent three tours there while on active duty. He said his position is the civilian equivalent of a three-star position in the military.

“I grew up in Hahira with a mother and father who were basically hard-working people and in a community that taught me a strong work ethic, spiritual values and serving a higher calling. The positive people in the community taught me to do the right thing and to do the best at whatever I took on,” he said.

Thomas received a bachelor of arts degree in mass communications from Valdosta State College, a master of arts degree in mass communications from the University of Wisconsin-Superior, and a master of science degree from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He is a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College, Air War College, Industrial College of the Armed Forces and Yale Leadership Course II.

Thomas retired from the U.S. Air Force after 26 plus years. He served as senior executive director of human capital strategy in the private sector from September 2005 through May, providing strategic perspective and consultative guidance on human capital management for the Department of Defense to enable organizations to strategically and effectively accomplish their mission(s), according to his official biography.

Some of his responsibilities include oversight of 191 Department of Defense schools in 12 foreign locations and seven states and two armed forces retirement homes — one in Washington, D.C., with 1,050 residents and the other in Gulfport, Miss. The retirement home in Gulfport was wiped out during Hurricane Katrina but is reopening this fall. It has the capacity to house 500 residents, he said.

Thomas said Michelle Obama has made military families one of her top priorities and he has been working directly with her through her office in the White House on developing policies and defense initiatives that will impact those families. Thomas oversees all military honors and mortuary affairs. He said the person in charge of all dignified transfers at Dover Air Force Base, Del., is fellow Lowndes High School graduate and Valdosta State University classmate Col. Robert H. Edmondson.

Thomas said Sally Black and Hahira’s 4-H Club were instrumental in his success.

“Ms. Black pushed me into doing 4-H projects that were a building block in my social development. She got me into public speaking, which made me well suited for the military. Master Sgt. Ward at Lowndes High School was also one of my primary motivators for going into the military,” he said.

His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit with one bronze oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star, Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with one silver and two bronze oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster, and Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor and three bronze oak leaf clusters.

Thomas still has family in the Lowndes County area and said he hopes to pay a visit before long to family and friends, like his nephew Calvin Thomas, nieces Kelley Thomas and Carla Thomas-Williams, and some of those he grew up with, like Roy Copeland, Adverse Ponder, Otis McCann, and Marshall Ingram.

To view his official biography, visit http://tinyurl.com/mvsjhc