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Governor Visits Troops in Southwest;
Praises Their Accomplishments
Georgia National Guardsmen deployed along
the Mexican border in New Mexico are making a significant dent in the
number of illegal immigrants attempting to enter the country. That was the
message that Border Patrol agents told Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue when
he visited the Soldier recently. “I wanted to make sure our National Guard
troops are making a difference,” said Governor Perdue during his visit.
“And based on the Border Patrol agents in the sector and based on the
Adjutant General of New Mexico, they are making a difference.”
Full Story
Newest OCS Graduates
Join Officer Ranks
Thirteen Georgia
Army Guard enlisted Soldiers recently joined the organization’s
officer ranks. Members of Officer Candidate classes 45 and 46
stood proud and tall before a large, exuberant crowd of family,
friends and fellow Guardsmen during ceremonies at Atlanta’s
Grand Hyatt hotel. “You have worked hard for this moment, for
this day,” Lt. Gen. David B. Poythress, Georgia’s Adjutant
General, told the graduates. “You have certainly earned the
right to feel proud of who you are and what you have
accomplished.
List of new
officers and full story
Georgia Jumpers Attend
Annual Competition
Past and present members of Georgia’s Long Range Surveillance Company
recently took to the air and participated in the Rhode Island National
Guard’s annual Leapfest parachute competition. The four-man team was
among the more than 52 national and foreign teams who filled the New
England skies above Kingston, R.I., and jumped into a postage
stamp-size drop zone. The Georgians placed 15th in the competition. A
special operations team from Germany took first place.
Full Story
Program Aims to Strengthen
Family Bonds
The final renewal of wedding vows were made, spouses kissed and
couples left the final Georgia National Guard Stronger Bonds retreat
in Savannah, Ga., August 13, with tools to help them to better
communicate and strengthen their relationships. The retreat, sponsored
by the Guard's Chaplain’s detachment, was aimed at helping families of
Guard members who recently returned from deployments as they made
their transition from full-time.
Full Story
138
Graduate From Ft. Gordon YCA
The Georgia National Guard Youth Challenge Academy at Fort Gordon held its
fall graduation ceremony at the Augusta Bell Auditorium for 138 cadets who
finished YCA’s 22-week program in August. The cadets were first honored at
a morning awards ceremony prior to the commencement. Among the
awards given were those for participation in organized sports, community
service and military exercises as well as academic and physical fitness
achievement.
Full Story
Family Support Foundation
Gets Big Help from AT&T
Georgia’s National Guard Family Support Foundation has gained more
funds intended to help it assist Georgia-based troops and their
families recently got a boost from a national benefactor. Harriet
Morgan, foundation administrator, announced that the AT&T
Foundation, philanthropic arm of AT&T Inc., is contributing an
estimated $50 thousand to the cause. The grant supports a
campaign initiated by Gov. Sonny Perdue and the Georgia Chamber of
Commerce to give $1 million toward the support Georgia Guardsmen and
their loved ones.
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JSTARs Hits Milestone, Saves Lives
A routine mission for a 16th Expeditionary Air Command and Control
Squadron aircrew turned into history as they helped the Joint
Surveillance Target Attack Radar System platform pass the
20,000-combat-hour milestone recently. The sortie was the 1,756th combat
mission flown by the JSTARS crews who have been rotating to southwest
Asia from the 116th Air Control Wing at Robins Air Force Base. “The
milestone is a fitting tribute to the outstanding performance,
dedication and attention to detail demonstrated by all the JSTARS crews
that have taken to the skies of Afghanistan and Iraq over the past four
years,” said Lt. Col. Laszlo Veres, 16th EACCS director of operations.
Full Story
LTC Fisher Assumes
148th FSB Command
Georgia Army National Guard Lt. Col.
George Fisher assumed command of the 148th Forward Support Battalion from
Lt. Col. Jeffery Edge. The ceremony took place at the 148th’s
Armory before a large audience of friends, family and fellow Guardsmen.
Fisher previously was logistics officer for Headquarters Company, 48th
Brigade Combat Team in Macon. Edge, the out going commander, now takes on
duties as the mobilization readiness officer at Joint Force Headquarters
in Ellenwood near Atlanta.
Full Story
North Georgia's 'Deployed Cadets'
Welcome Home by Governor
North Georgia College and
State University students deployed with the Georgia Army National
Guard’s 48th Brigade Combat Team were honored at a welcome home
ceremony on the campus in Dahlonega. More than 60 members of the school’s Corps
of Cadets served in Iraq and returned home in May. A majority of them
re-enrolled in classes, which began Aug. 23. “To our returning
veterans, we thank you for upholding the grand tradition of service to
the nation that has characterized North Georgia for more than 130
years,” said NGCSU president David Potter. “We’re delighted you have
back. All of us hope to learn from your experience.
Full Story
Georgia Teams Take Honors In Air Guard Softball
Tourney
Team Georgia took the championship recently in three divisions at the 41st
Air National Guard National Softball Tournament in Knoxville, Tenn. The
men’s open division "number one" team dominated New Jersey with 42 runs in
the championship game. Team One went undefeated through the bracket to bring
home their fourth championship since 2001. The co-ed team also went
undefeated for its first ever title in the division by beating the
defending champs from Arkansas. Full Story
108th's King Receives Prestigious Award from El
Salvador
Georgia Army National Guard Lt. Col. John King was recently presented
the El Salvador armed forces gold medal for distinguished service. “It
was a great honor to receive such recognition,” he said. “But I accept
in on behalf of the entire battalion. It wasn’t an individual effort,
but what all our Soldiers did that brought this award to us.” The
award was given to King, who commands the 1st Battalion, 108th Armor,
in recognition of a partnership between his unit and the Cuscatlan
Battalion, an El Salvadoran unit that served alongside his during six
months of joint operations in Iraq. Full Story
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Deployment Update |
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116th Air Control Wing
Security Airmen Return Home
Families and friends of 116th Air Control Wing security force troops
were on hand at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in
early Septemver to welcome home their heroes. The Airmen spent seven
months in Iraq
manning
sentry towers and gates, providing mobile patrols and off-base combat
patrols both on foot and in vehicles.
Full Story
221st MI Awards Purple
Hearts
During Iraqi Deployment
Specialist Eugene Bachman from the 221st
Military Intelligence Battalion, receives his Purple Heart award
during ceremonies in Iraq recently from Lt. Col. John Rudio, the
unit's commander. Bachman was injured in July during an IED explosion
near Al Asad. More than 125 soldiers of the 221st, which is
headquartered at Fort Gillem, are expected to return home later this
year. |
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A look at what happened in
September
in Georgia National Guard history:…
1944 -
The 179th Field Artillery, a Georgia National Guard regiment
federalized for WWII, was attached to the active Army’s 4th Armored
Division in the European theatre. The following account by John W.
Meeler, a member of the regiment, is of the 179th’s action in France
during September, 1944:
“After taking Nancy, the enemy was pushed into
prepared positions along the Delme Ridge overlooking the small village
of Fresnes-EnSaulnois.
The 179th fired mission after mission on many
targets for several days. Just after the break of light on the morning
of the second day, in a dense fog, the sergeant of the 2nd Gun
Section, “B” battery, lit the gas stove placed on the trail of his gun
to start cooking breakfast for the section. This gave just enough
light for a Panzer tank that had come up on the reverse slope of the
ridge during the night to fire one round.
At the sound of the gun, the
sergeant and the stove hit the ground as the round exploded just in
front of his piece. The one round, however, was just a prelude to the
continuous firing which the unit endured thereafter.
For five days the
German gunners bombarded the 179th’s position. All batteries sent
their machine gun and bazooka sections to the ridge to await the
anticipated enemy attack. A request was made for an air strike, but
the overcast conditions gave little hope for it. The enemy continued
to shell, to mass and to prepare for an attack, then as expected they
began to move toward us, rumbling and roaring as they came.
Suddenly
the clouded sky opened and a squadron of P-47 Thunderbolts poured
through strafing and bombing the Panzers as our guns also roared away
at the Germans. Soon the Panzers were destroyed and the 179th was
relieved.”
1950 -
Governor Herman Talmadge announced that Georgia Air National Guards
units were being alerted for a call to active duty in October for the
Korean War. Airmen in these units were advised not to quit their
civilian jobs until after taking the Armed Forces physical exam.
Georgia’s units were among the nation’s first Air National Guard
elements to be called to active dutyons.
Complied by Gail Parnelle,
GaARNG Historical Section |
Historical Society Conference
To Feature
Deployment Panel
A forum examining the good, the bad and the ugly of deployments will be
the featured presentation at tannual conference of the 2006 Historical Society of the Georgia National Guard. Slated
for Nov. 4, at the Macon Conference Center at the Holiday Hotel at Riverside Drive and I-75, the forum will feature Georgia
Army and Air National Guardsmen in a round-table discussion on topics
ranging from public affairs, air and ground operations, to family issues.
Cost of this year’s
conference, which includes a catered lunch, is $20. For more information
contact: John Hardwick or
B. I. Diamond.
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