J-3 OPERATIONS AND GOV'T

Lieutenant Colonel Bryan B. Tolar began his military career in 1991 at Ft. Benning, GA. He joined the South Carolina Army National Guard and graduated Officer Candidate School from the Palmetto Military Academy in 1994. Tolar earned a BS from the University of South Carolina, an MBA, and completed various military courses including Military Police Transition Course, Joint Staff Operations Course, and Air Defense Transition Course.  Throughout his career, Tolar served in multiple leadership roles, including as an Infantry Company Commander and Battalion Commander. He deployed four times: to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Afghanistan, Kosovo, and Washington, DC. His service earned him several honors, including a Bronze Star Medal and Combat Infantry Badge. Tolar also served as an Operations Officer at the Joint Operations Center for the South Carolina Emergency Management Division. Tolar's final military role was as Inspector General of the 263rd AAMDC, appointed by Major General Timothy Sheriff. He retired in August 2022 with 30 years of service. Currently, Tolar works at BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and remains active in veteran support organizations. He continues serving the state through the South Carolina Military Department at the Joint Services Detachment appointed by the Governor.