He continued by highlighting the historic nature of the past year including role played my virtually every Army and Air National Guard unit during 2005 in Global War on Terror as well as the enormous joint efforts shown by Georgia’s Army and Air National Guard in responding to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

“Today nearly 75 per cent of all Georgia Air Guard units and clearly 100 per cent of all Georgia Army Guard units have seen duty in southwest Asia, “ said Poythress. “For example, Georgia’s 116th ACW continues to fly daily missions over Iraq, and Savannah’s C-130s has recently returned from more than four months to Uzbekistan as part of the AEF.

“Of the many criticisms resulting from (Hurricane) Katrina, the National Guard was not one of them,” Poythress noted. “Within a matter of hours after Katrina hit, three Army Guard task forces were on their way to the Gulf; followed in a manner of a few days by Air Guard communications units who established secure and reliable communications links in the area. Within the first week, more than 50,000 National Guardsmen from every state and territory were assisting in the region,” Poythress explained.

Eric Johnson, President Pro Tem of the Senate addressed the commanders saying, “You can readily see tonight from the number of ranking members of the General Assembly in the room with us, how important you are to us and the sincere appreciation we have for each of you who for defending our freedom in Iraq, Afghanistan and throughout the area."

Major General Terry Nesbitt, the only Army Guardsman at the dinner thanked legislators for their support of the Guard but also shared with them the emerging threat to force structure in the National Guard brought on by the soon-to be published QDR, Quadrennial Defense Review.

“We are watching very closely what is happens to the Army after the QDR,” said Maj Gen Scott Hammond, official host for the dinner and Commander of the Georgia Air National Guard . “We could possibly be looking at the significant loss of units and of people throughout the state’, continued Hammond. Noting a slight slump in recruitment, Hammond told legislators, “if you have a suitable candidate, send them our way and we will give him something interesting to do.”

Through the years, this annual Air National Guard legislative dinner has gone beyond just one of many social obligations for many legislators during the session, to a night of introduction and information.