The Georgia National Guard, in coordination with more than a dozen other federal and state emergency agencies and local first responders, conducted a major statewide homeland defense exercise on Saturday, July 12, 2003.

While the most visible portion of the drill was at the Port of Savannah's Ocean Terminal, National Guard soldiers also responded nuclear Plants Hatch and Vogtle, as well as a number of other locations around Georgia.

The operation, which represented one of the largest combined homeland defense exercises conducted in the state, took place over several hours on Saturday morning and concluded early Saturday afternoon. The purpose of the exercise was to refine, rehearse and validate homeland security plans for providing military support for civil authorities. Full Story

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Since their deployment to Fort Hood in February the aircraft and crews of Winder’s 148th Air Ambulance Company have flown more than 100 Medevac and search-and-rescue missions at Hood, Fort Bliss, Fort Sill and Fort Carson.

Flying its missions out of Fort Hood Army Airfield, the 148th will be deployed for up to a year. It’s replacing the post’s active-duty Black Hawk air ambulance company, which is on duty in the Middle East.

Staff Sergeant Martha Beckett of the 117^th Air Control Squadron has made Georgia Air National Guard history recently as the first Black female to retire with over thirty years of military service. 

Beckett was recognized for her distinctive military career and service to the 117^th Air Control Squadron during retirement ceremonies in June at Hunter Army Airfield.  At her retirement ceremonies, Beckett was presented the Meritorious Service Medal by Lt Col Byron King, acting  Commander of the 117^th ACS.

The Savannah native began her long career in June 1973 as a Food Service Craftsman and later Services Journeyman at the 165^th Airlift Wing in Savannah where she was responsible for preparing meals for more than 800 guardsmen each month. Sergeant Beckett was the senior food systems specialist for the 117^th throughout the unit many transitions of location food preparation systems.  In spite of the where the unit moved or deployed, Guardsmen of Savannah’s 117 ACS could be secure in the fact that the dining hall would be the best that Ssgt Beckett could make. Full Story

Georgia Guardsmen and Reservists employed by The Home Depot Corp. received renewed support recently from the company for their service at home and abroad in the U.S.-led war on terrorism.

Robert Nardelli, Home Depot’s chief executive officer, chairman and president, publicly reinforced the organization’s ongoing commitment to those employees during a ceremony at the corporation’s Atlanta headquarters. Nardelli said he "proudly credits these individuals with being instrumental in making the home improvement retailer a success." Full Story

Georgia State Defense Force Staff Sgt. Joseph Spavone was presented the Georgia Medal for Valor for an act of heroism that saved the life of a child in March while on duty at Macon's Cherry Blossom Festival.

Spavone, who is with the operations and training section of the SDF’s 2nd Brigade, received the medal from Maj. Gen. David B. Poythress, Georgia’s Adjutant General, during a ceremony at the state Department of Defense complex. Spavone, a tall and unassuming orthopedic technician from Newnan, gave a humbled smile and said, "I just did what any one of us would have done, sir," as he saluted General Poythress. Full Story

Everyone knows that a good education can be an advantage to the person willing to put forth the effort to go after it. However, an education, like other things in life cost money and paying for school isn’t always easy, or at least until now.