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.

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."

The Accelerated or “fast-track” Officer Candidate School is structured into three phases totaling eight weeks. The school's winter class runs from January to March, while the summer class is June to August.

Phase I, conducted at Fort McClellan, instructs candidates in the basic leadership skills required of a commissioned officer. Each student is faced with physical and mental challenges designed to develop and evaluate their personal determination and desire to excel. An Army physical training test and land navigation test are the highlights of this phase.

Phase II takes place at Fort Indian Gap, Pa., and it takes candidates out of the noncommissioned officer mindset. It teaches them to think on their feet, to improvise adapt and overcome any situation. During their four weeks in central Pennsylvania, candidates are instructed and tested on leadership, communication, combat service support, military intelligence, the “Objective Force,” field artillery and tactics.

Each candidate is also evaluated by his peers and his instructors on how he does in the classroom and in the field. It is a demanding time, with days starting at 4:45 a.m. and going virtually non-stop to 10:30 p.m.

During phase three, the candidates return to Fort McClellan where all of the skills they have learned are put to the test in a field environment. As a phase three candidate, the Soldiers are tested on their leadership abilities and their ability to work as a team. It is an intense 15-day training mission that hones the skills learned during the first two phases.

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