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More
than 3,600 Georgia Citizen Soldiers Now
on Duty
With
Operation Iraqi Freedom just over two weeks old, and estimated
more than 2,500 Georgia National Guard members are either in the
theater of operation, or enroute.
While
details of contributions by Georgia Guardsmen to the warfight
are still sketchy, several units are playing integral roles and
making major contributions to the efforts. The 3rd Infantry
Detachment is at the "tip of the spear" with the
Army's 3rd Infantry Division, while elements of the 221st
Military Intelligence Battalion are beginning to pick up
missions. The Georgia Air Guard's 116th Air Control Wing is flying
JSTARS missions while the 165th Airlift Wing is flying missions
throughout the theater.
As of the beginning of April, nearly
2,700 Army
National
Guard soldiers from Georgia have either been mobilized or have
been assigned mobilization dates, and 300 more have been
alerted
for possible mobilization.
In
the Air National Guard, units from Savannah and Brunswick have
rotated Guardsmen into the theater of operations, while some 300
airmen, both National Guard and active duty, have been deployed
from the "combined" 116th Air Control Squadron.
Additional, nearly
110 Air Guard Security Police remain on duty providing force
protection at Robins AFB and in Savannah.
Stories
and Photos of Unit Departures
Both
Air Guard Wings Pull Duty ‘In Country’
Georgia Airmen on the Frontline
 Georgia’s
116th Air Control Wing and 165th Airlift Wing have been deployed
in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom bringing the number of
Georgia Air Guardsmen serving in the Persian Gulf to more than
700.
Members of the 116th received a second
activation order in early March adding them to the more than 400
Robins-based J-STARS personnel already in the region. The 116th
received initial activation orders in early January and deployed
to the area early in the Iraqi conflict.
J-STARS aircraft continue to coordinate much of the
ground operations in Iraq as coalition forces move closer than ever to
the capital city of Baghdad. The modified Boeing 707 jets, which have
highly specialized sensors and communications equipment, provide
guidance to ground commanders as they move their troops across the
battlefield. Full
Story
Georgia
Guard's 3rd Infantry Detachment
In the "Thick" of Iraqi Freedom
 Editor's
note: The Georgia Army Guard's 3rd Infantry Detachment is
assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division from Ft. Stewart, which is
one of the Army's lead unit in Iraqi Freedom. The following
story is from the Hinesville Coastal
Courier Online and was published about a week before the
ground war began.
Talk
about a tent city that never sleeps.
Camp
New York, a sprawling mass of tents, vehicles, equipment and men
across the Kuwaiti desert, was home to most of the 3rd Infantry
Division, until a few days ago. There are still plenty of the
division's troops here, but probably not for long.
Running
the rear operations of the 3rd falls to the 3rd ID Detachment,
Rear Operations Center. They are National Guardsmen with the
special task of following the division wherever it goes.
"We
handle rear area security, terrain management and work directly
for (Brig. Gen. Harry) Weber and his staff," said Capt. Reg
Neal, a Hinesville native whose parents live in Allenhurst.
"It never sleeps. It's a 24-hour operation supporting the
infantry division on the ground. It is not 9-to-5. We're always
receiving and sending out assets."
Full
Story
Douglas
Guardsmen Conduct Terrorism,
Mass Casualty Exercise
 While
the war with Iraq continues the U.S. remains at a
"high" state of alert in response to possible
terrorist attacks on its soil.
Because such acts of aggression can happen
anywhere and at any time, Douglas’ Company C, 648th Combat
Engineer Battalion conducted Operation Resolve 2003, an
anti-terrorism, mass casualty exercise. Soldiers of the unit
worked along side emergency responders at the city, county and
state levels to subdue a group of "terrorists" who
threatened the lives of Douglas’ residents.
"Should such an incident ever happen,
this exercise will have taught us lessons that we and the local
authorities can use to better our overall response to the
situation," said Capt. John Davis, Company C’s
commander." Read
More on the Web
Web
Photo Gallery
Guardsmen,
Vehicles Part of Annual Auto Show
 The
Georgia Army National Guard’s Demonstration and Recruiting
Team, along with the Guard’s Orange Crush and Patriot
recruiting Humvees participated in the March 2003 Atlanta
Journal Constitution Auto Show’s "Salute to American
Heroes."
Also making an appearance at the show was Car
No. 54, the Army National Guard’s Ford Taurus NASCAR racer.
Helping make the event a success were members of the Georgia
Army National Guard’s marketing team.
Full
Story
Web
Photo Gallery
Savannah
Facility Director Makes Moves
Joyce Takes over as Safety Director
 In
an informal, but somewhat emotional ceremony March 28 at Hunter
Army Airfield, Lt. Col. Steve Joyce said "so long" to
the soldiers of Savannah’s Detachment Company F, 131st
Aviation.
Joyce, who was the full-time director of Army
Air Support Facility No. 3 since September 1997, is now the
safety and occupational health director at Headquarters STARC.
He replaces Col. Charlie Martin who has assumed the duties of
director of information management. Full
Story
HRT Members Honored
for Efforts
Thirty-five Receive Commendation Medals
Members of the Georgia Department of Defense
Human Relations Team received medals during the team’s
quarterly conference in March for their efforts in helping the
Georgia Department of Defense win its first national diversity
award.
Maj. Gen. David B. Poythress, Georgia’s
Adjutant General, presented the medals to 35 team members for
their collective efforts in the state winning the first-ever
National Diversity Award in December 2002. Army members of the
team received the Air Commendation Medal, while their Air Guard
counterparts received the Army Commendation.
"Each of you played a special role in the
state being recognized for its pioneering efforts in promoting
diversity," General Poythress told the group. "And
each of you deserves our thanks for your commitment to Georgia’s
diversity goals." Full
Story
Georgia
Students Awarded North Georgia Scholarships
 A
group of Georgia high school seniors were honored in March full
four-year scholarships to North Georgia College and State
University at a ceremony the school’s Dahlonega campus.
Guard officials, those with the college and
the Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC), which administers
the scholarships. On hand to help make the presentations were
Gov. Sunny Perdue and the state legislatures who nominated each
of the 39 students.
This is the 23rd year the North Georgia
Scholarship has been given. At least 550 students, so far, have
benefited from the program. This year’s recipients were chosen
from more than 60 applicants. Total cash value of the awards
exceeds $7.5 million. Full
Story
Read
More on the Web
Historical
Society Holds Annual Meeting
Board to Hear Presentation on Museum
Board members of The Historical Society of the
Georgia National Guard hold their annual Spring directors
meeting this month.
Guest speaker at the meeting is Dorothy Olson,
director of the State Capitol Museum. Olson will up-date the
board on plans for a State of Georgia History Museum and what
role the National Guard may play in those plans.
The Historical Society of the National Guard
is an organization dedicated to preserving the heritage of the
Georgia Guard, as well as educating the public about the
organi-zation’s history. Anyone interested in more information
on the society may contact John Hardwick at 404-624-6451; or
Beryl I. Diamond at 404-624-6065.
Course to
Offer Lessons in Leadership
Present and future leaders of the Army and Air
National Guard are invited to participate in Organizational
Development’s second annual Leadership Skills Enhancement
Course.
The course is set for July 22-25 at Macon’s
202nd Engineer Installation Squadron. There’s no cost to
attend but participants who live outside Macon should be in a
training status to help them cover the cost of lodging and
meals. Full
Story
New
Program Offers Assistance to Separating Guardsmen
Soldiers and airmen looking for a career with great pay and
benefits that puts a market value on their military skills after
they leave the military may want to check out a new
federally-funded program called "Helmets to Hardhats."
Information about the program can be found at http://www.helmetstohardhats.org/
or by calling, toll free, at 1-866-741-6210 to learn more about
the program and to register. Full
Story
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Photo
Spotlight
(Click on
photos for larger image)
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 |
 |
| The
Cordele and Valdosta armories are the latest to be
completed in the armory renovation project. In
March the two were re-dedicated during ribbon
cutting ceremonies. Pictured above, in Cordele,
Maj. Gen. David B. Poythress, is joined by Howard
Rainey, a former Georgia Army Guardsman and
retired state representative of District 135; and
Emmett Walker Jr., retired command sergeant major
of the 48th Infantry Brigade. |
With
more than 7,500 members of the reserves mobilized
from Georgia - including some 3,600 Guardsmen -
Governor Sonny Perdue made a major statement by
signing a letter of support for the Employer
Support of the Guard and Reserve. The Governor
saluted the Guard and Reserves during a
presentation at the Capitol in March. |
In
addition to signing a statement of support for the
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserves in
March, Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue honored Coy
Short for his dedication and support to Georgia's
military communities. Short is past ESGR State
Chairman and a longtime friend to the Georgia
National Guard. |
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