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Governor Bill Lee praises new troopers, highlights half‑billion‑dollar training academy at Tennessee Highway Patrol graduation
Summary
At the Tennessee Highway Patrol Class 95 graduation, Governor Bill Lee and senior officials praised recruits, highlighted a planned half‑billion‑dollar training academy, and administered pinning and the oath of office for the new troopers.
More than a dozen recruits completed Tennessee Highway Patrol Class 95 on Friday, where state officials praised the new troopers’ commitment, performed a pinning ceremony and administered the oath of office.
Captain Christy Wallace, director of training, opened the ceremony and congratulated the graduates for finishing an "11 weeks" program she described as among the department’s most demanding. "On behalf of the entire training staff, I want to say how proud we are of you," Wallace said, thanking families and institutional supporters for their role in the cohort’s completion.
Colonel Matt Perry welcomed attendees and recognized the role of state officials in supporting the patrol. "That support makes moments like this possible," Perry said, thanking members of the Tennessee General Assembly and the governor for backing the agency and its training staff.
Commissioner Jeff Long introduced Governor Bill Lee and told the recruits the administration had expanded patrol staffing. "During his administration, he has provided us with over 300 additional troopers," Long said.
In his remarks, Governor Bill Lee framed the graduates’ service as central to public safety and emphasized state investment in training infrastructure. "It's why I'm real excited about the new law enforcement training academy that we have underway right now. Half a billion dollar facility that will uh serve highway patrol and many others," Lee said, urging the troopers to "answer" Tennessee's call and to serve with integrity. He told the troopers, "You are the line between chaos and order. You are the line between danger and safety."
The ceremony continued with a pinning of individual troopers — announcers named graduates and their home counties — followed by Commissioner Long administering the oath of office. Recruits repeated the pledge to support the constitutions of Tennessee and the United States and to "perform the duties imposed upon me as a member of the Tennessee Highway Patrol to the best of my ability."
A benediction closed the program, and organizers thanked attendees as the event concluded.
The ceremony publicly highlighted two operational points: the administration's account of increased staffing for the patrol and the state's plan to open a major, half‑billion‑dollar training facility intended to serve the patrol and other law enforcement agencies. The event did not include a formal vote or policy decision; officials presented the training academy as an ongoing capital project and celebrated the recruits’ graduation.
