On left,
Spec. Rachel Dryden is congratulated by Col.
Harold Kerkoff, RTI commander, on her Soldier of
the Year honor. On right, Sgt. James Smith, the
Georgia Army Guard's NCO of the Year. |
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Story by Sgt. Roy Henry
Georgia National Guard
Public Affairs Office
Two Georgia Army National Guardsmen have
been named the organization’s Soldier of the Year and
Noncommissioned Officer of the Year for 2003.
Guardsmen Spc. Rachel Dryden and Sgt.
James Smith were honored in a ceremony held, Saturday, March 13,
at the Guard’s Regional Training Institute in Macon. Both go
on to compete in the active Army’s Forces Command Soldier of
the Year competition later this year. Should they win in their
respective categories, Dryden and Smith will then vie for the
Army Soldier and NCO of the Year awards. Read
full story
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Governor,
General Assembly Laud Guard
During '2004 Day' at State Capitol
Governor Sonny
Perdue signs a proclamation and lauds the Georgia
National Guard during the annual "National
Guard Day" at the State Capitol Photo |
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Governor Sonny Perdue and the
Georgia General Assembly proclaimed March 12, 2004 as
"National Guard Day in Georgia" recognizing the more
than 11,000 Georgia National Guard citizen soldiers currently
serving in the Georgia Army and Air National Guard, State
Defense Force, and DoD. The Governor
and the General Assembly specifically acknowledged the more than
4,000 Georgia National Guardsmen who were involved the nation's
war on terrorism over the past year.
On the steps of the Capitol's
north wing, Perdue read a proclamation to the Georgia National
Guard recognizing the historic involvement of Georgia's citizen
soldiers in actions in Southwest Asia.
Appearing before the Georgia
Senate and House of Representatives, Maj. Gen. David Poythress,
Georgia's Adjutant General, lauded the professionalism, duty and
devotion of Georgia's citizen-Soldiers. His remarks and his
introduction of the Georgia Guardsmen in attendance received a
standing ovation in each chamber.
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Lieutenants
Earn Gold Bars Through Accelerated OCS Program
Georgia Army
National Guard’s newest second lieutenants take
the oath of office Saturday March 27. From left to
right are 2nd Lt. Timothy Williams of Lithia
Springs and the 166th Maintenance Company; 2nd Lt.
Donald Venn III, Norcross and the 221st Military
Intelligence Battalion; and 2nd Lt. Edward
Meztista, of Mobile, a member of the 1-171st
Aviation Regiment. |
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Four new Georgia Army
National Guard officers were sworn in recently during a
ceremony at the Alabama National Guard Training Center at
Fort McClellan in Anniston, while smiles beamed from the
faces of their families and friends.
The Army
Guard’s newest second lieutenants are Edward Meztista, 22,
a Mobile, Ala., native; Donald Venn III, 34, of Norcross;
and Timothy Williams, 39, of Lithia Springs. Staff Sgt
Jeremy Hill, 25, an Army Guard recruiters, is the fourth
member of the group. Hill, who lives in Conyers, will wait
to pin on his gold bar until an Active Guard and Reserve
position for a second lieutenant can be found for him.
“Always
remember your soldiers are volunteers," Lt. Col. Bruce
Chick, commander of 3rd Battalion, 122nd Regiment the Regional
Training Center in Macon, told the graduating new lieutenants.
"You need them more than they need you and always, always
lead from the front, they will follow." Read
full story
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Georgia
Air Guardsmen Receive Bronze Stars
At
State Capitol Ceremony
Governor Sonny
Perdue awards one of the 10 Bronze Stars to
Georgia Guardsmen during ceremonies at the State
Capitol Photo
Gallery |
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Ten Georgia Air National
Guardsmen were presented Bronze Stars by the Governor Sonny
Perdue during the "National
Guard Day in Georgia" ceremony
in March. The awardees earned the honors while deployed in
support of Global War on Terrorism.
Receiving the distinctive honor
were Lt. Col. Rainer Gomez of the 165 Airlift Wing, Major George
Cooper, Major Steve Turner, Technical Sgt. Alvin Freshwater,
Staff Sgt. Kevin McManus, Staff Sgt. Ryan Baker, Staff Sgt.
Brent Kernes, Staff Sgt. Trevor Kernes, Master Sgt. David
Wilburn and Chief Master Sgt. Chris Cooke, all of the 165th Air
Operations Support Squadron in Brunswick.
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Scholarship
Winners Headed For Georgia National Guard
Ashley Beard,
daughter of Lt. Col. Don Beard, commander of the
118th Field Artillery Bn., is one of 39 Georgia
Military Scholarship winners. Photo
gallery |
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Thirty-nine students bound for
North Georgia College & State University were honored at the
Georgia Capitol on March 24 for receiving the Georgia Military
Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded annually to students who
commit to serve in the Georgia Army National Guard while in
college and serve four years as a National Guard officer after
receiving a degree. It pays the full cost of education for four
years.
Gov. Sonny Perdue individually
congratulated the future
university students, who will enter NGCSU in August. State
legislators were also on hand to meet with the students they
nominated for the scholarship.
The recipients and their families
attended a luncheon in their honor where Brig. Gen. William
Nesbitt, commander of the Georgia Army National Guard spoke,
along with NGCSU President Nathaniel Hansford. Full
Story and complete list on winners
117th
ACS
Plays Host to
Active Airmen
The Georgia Air National Guard's
Savannah-based 117th Air Control Squadron played host in late
March to members of the 325th Training Squadron stationed at
Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. The group of 10 active-duty
airmen were at the 117th conducting Ground Tactical Air Control
System (GTACS) and Modular Control System (MCE) familiarization.
Officials with the Georgia squadron said the group is on its
first assignment, assisting in the training of new air battle
managers. Members of the 117th helped their active-duty
counterparts familiarize themselves with the types of equipment
and operations they can expect when they travel to their next
duty assignments.
Historical
Society Finds Home for French 75mm at
Army Guard HQ
Then and now - At
left is how the French 75 looked when it was found
at Anniston Army Depot. On the right is the
restored cannon now on display at Oglethorpe
Armory. |
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After several years and several
thousands of dollars, a French 75mm, painted in colors used by
Georgia soldiers on the Western front in 1917-1918, went on
permanent display in Oglethorpe Armory in early March. The
Historical Society of the Georgia National Guard, Inc., claimed
the shambles of the almost unrecognizable gun from Anniston Army
Depot in the late 1990s.
Members of the Society, with help
from Georgia Guardsmen on weekend drill helped position the gun
on a pedestal in its new home. Displays depicting the history of
the gun and Georgians in the World War will eventually be
installed to enhance the piece More
about the the French 75mm cannon
Skycrane
Receives Second Life After a Decade of Obscurity
A new lease on life
has been gained for an aging CH-54A Skycrane once belonging
to the Georgia Army National Guard. The helicopter which was
once used in transporting equipment of the Georgia’s 117th
Air Control Squadron in a deployment to Norway in 1992 and
then ‘stashed away’ waiting a second chance on life for
more than a decade.
The aircraft has been redeemed
from its once permanent resting-place at the 117th ACS at
Hunter Army Airfield. The huge Skycrane helicopter, known to
many as the ‘praying mantis,’ was purchased recently by
Evergreen Helicopter, Inc. of McMinnville, Oregon. The company
plans for the oddly-shaped aircraft to be used in
fire-fighting operations in the nation’s northwest.
Maintenance personnel arrived at Hunter on March 24 to begin
to dismantle the aircraft and on March 26, the aircraft was
loaded onto the back of a flatbed semi tractor trailer for the
road trip to its new home in Oregon.
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Women's
Military Roles Highlighted In Oglethorpe Ceremony
State Rep. "Able" Mable Thomas and Brig. Gen. Terry
Nesbitt are joined by several women Citizen-Soldiers for a group
photo shortly after Thomas' rousing speech during the Guard's
Women's History Month and women in uniform program. (Georgia
National Guard photo by Pfc. Heather McLemore)
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State Rep. “Able” Mable Thomas of Atlanta
joined soldiers at State Area Command Headquarters (STARC) in
Ellenwood in honoring the women of the Georgia National Guard as
part of National Women’s History Month, Sunday, March 7.
The theme of this year’s celebration is
“Women…Inspiring Hope and Possibility.”
Standing before an audience of about 100
Guardsmen, Thomas said that, “women have waited for so long to
be recognized for the important contributions they continue to
make to the world around them.”
“To you,” she said with a sweeping motion
of her left hand across the audience, “the women who wear the
uniform, I salute you for your commitment to your country, to
your communities and to your families.” Read
full story
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Clyde Fulton,
Former 202nd Commander Dies
Lt Col Clyde E. Fulton, former commander of the
Macon
’s 202nd Engineering Installation Squadron, passed away
Saturday, March 27 at his home in
Macon
.
Fulton
battled cancer for the last five years of his life.
Fulton
commanded the Georgia Air National Guard unit from 1993 - 1998
and was the Detachment Commander for the 202nd from 1975-1998.
During this period,
Fulton
led the unit to three Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards. A
memorial service will be on Tuesday, April 6 at
2pm at McCullough Funeral Home. Visitation will be at 1pm
at the funeral home.
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