Dr. Charles T. Muse, Class of 1968, was recently appointed by Governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina a Colonel in the State guard of South Carolina. Dr. Muse was appointed because of his vast experience in logistics and organizational restructuring during his 31 years of active and reserve duty in the U.S. Marine Corps.
The Military Department of S.C. consists of the S.C. National Guard, a part of our nation's military, and the State Guard, an all-volunteer state organization. The commander-in-chief of the State Guard is the governor. When serious natural or man-made disasters strike the state, members of the State Guard quickly respond to protect people and property and to help communities recover. The State Guard enjoys a rich history that stretches back to the volunteer citizen-militia which was formed at Charles Towne with the first settlers in 1670. During the most recent flood disaster over 500 State Guard members supported the state with over 22,000 hours of disaster relief support.
Colonel Muse will serve as a Special Advisor to the State Guard Commander, Major General Thomas Mullikin and as the Commanding Officer of the 3rd Brigade which supports the coastal counties of South Carolina. The State Guard is currently structured as an Infantry Division which is not an appropriate structure to respond rapidly to future disasters. As the Commanding Officer, Colonel Muse working in conjunction with MG Mullikin will restructure the current infantry brigade organization into two Rapid Response Teams (RRT) and one Community Service Battalion. New teams within the RRTs will be organized, trained and deployed in times of emergencies. For example, Water Rescue Teams will be organized and trained in water rescue to include specialized SCUBA diving training.
Dr. Muse is very active in the Catawba College community currently servicing as the Vice Chair of the Board of Visitors, Chair of the Advisory Board of the Ralph Ketner School of Business, a member of the Board of Trustee’s Academic Quality Committee and active in other Catawba events to include “Mock Interviews” for juniors and seniors in the fall and spring semesters.
Dr. Muse is currently an online adjunct faculty member and Competency Base Education Specialist for the School of Business at Brandman University in Irvine, CA a division of Chapman University. He is married to the former Susan Hutchins. They have three adult sons, Thomas an associate with the Justice Works of Conway, South Carolina; Alex an Inspector for the North Carolina DMV who is currently deployed to Cuba with the North Carolina Special Detachment of Military Police, and Matthew, a 2012 American Idol contestant and actor who has worked on many productions in North Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia to include Under the Dome, Sleepy Hollow, Turn, Secrets and Lies, Legends and Lies and The Longest Ride.
