“I’m honored to have the opportunity to visit the brave troops of the 116th Air Control Wing,” said Governor Perdue, himself a former Air Force captain. “I hope all Georgians who are at home with their families over this holiday will pause to remember these men and women who are sacrificing so much to fight the war on terror.”

The 116th Air Control Wing (ACW), based at Robins Air Base in Warner Robins, Georgia, is the first “blended wing,” a mixture of both air national guardsmen and active-duty personnel under one commander. More than 2,000 active duty Air Force personnel and 1,100 Air National Guard personnel comprise the unit. Prior to his election as Governor, Perdue represented the Warner Robins area in the state Senate.

While in the region the Governor also visited with members of the 4,500 member 48th Brigade Combat Team, helping to serve them thier Thanksgiving meal. Members of the Brigade represent approximately 30 communities spread across Georgia.

The 116th ACW is also the only Air Force unit operating the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS), considered the most advanced ground surveillance and battle management system in the world. Joint STARS detects, locates, classifies, tracks and targets ground movements on the battlefield, communicating real-time information through secure data links with U.S. Forces command posts.

Prior to leaving for the region the Governor met with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Peter Pace.

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