Georgia Guard transitions to Joint Staff;
Establishes new DSCA directorate

The new year is bringing some significant organizational changes for the Georgia Department of Defense and National Guard headquarters, and as he enters his first months as Georgia’s 41st Adjutant General Maj. General Terry Nesbitt has announced a number of appointments and structural changes.

Among his priorities is completing the transition to a joint headquarters staff and establishing a new Directorate of Defense Support to Civil Authorities.

“Over the last decade we have raised the bar of excellence, efficiency and quality,” said Gen. Nesbitt. “Yet, we are a dynamic organization, and change is the only way we can ensure that the bar continues to rise and the future continues to afford us opportunities.”

Introducing his vision for the Georgia National Guard, Gen. Nesbitt said that the focus must remain on three fundamental priorities: 1) be prepared to defend our state and nation; 2) continue the significant support we’ve provided to the Global War on Terrorism; and 3) continue to transform and modernize.

“These priorities are not new,” explained the new TAG. “They are consistent with the way we have operated at every level of the Georgia Department of Defense over the past several years.”

One of the most significant changes will be implementation of a Joint Staff that will assimilate the individual staffs of the Army National Guard, the Air National Guard and the Georgia State Defense Force into a single, joint organization. It also will absorb the functions of the Directorate of Workforce Development (DOWD), the Joint Operations Staff (JOPS) and the Organizational Development Office (ODO). It will support the commanders of all three components as well as being the TAG's Joint Staff.

 “Most of our Soldiers and Airman in units in the field will continue to interact with their staff contacts as they have past -- and many times with the same individuals,” explained Gen. Nesbitt. “The only change will be that those staff sections will now be part of the Joint Staff.”

Another major change is establishing a new Defense Support to Civil Authorities (DSCA) office. “During my tenure as the state’s Director of Homeland Security we developed great synergy between the Georgia DOD and other state and federal partners. I want to continue that close connection with the interagency community,” explained Gen. Nesbitt.

Maj. Gen. Larry Ross has been appointed director for this new directorate and will maintain a senior-level relationship with other agencies involved with homeland security operations including the Department of Homeland Security, Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA), Georgia Department of Agriculture, Georgia Division of Public Health, and others. He will also coordinate closely with the units and functions with significant homeland security responsibilities including JTF 781st CERFP, the National Guard Response Force, 4th Civil Support Team (WMD) and the Counter Drug Task Force.

To support the new structure, Gen. Nesbitt has outlined several significant leadership changes for the new joint-headquarters organization: 

• Brig. Gen. Maria Britt, formerly Chief of Staff of the Georgia Army National Guard, has replaced Gen. Nesbitt as Commander of the Georgia Army National Guard.

• Maj. Gen. Larry Ross, formerly Commander of 78th Troop Command, assumed the position of Assistant Adjutant General for Defense Support to Civil Authorities (ATAG-DSCA) on January 6, 2008.

• Brig. Gen. Larry Dudney, formerly Commander of the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team has taken over as Commander of the 78th Troop Command.

• Col Bobby Shannon, formerly Inspector General for Headquarters, Georgia Air National Guard, is assuming the position of the Director of the Joint Staff. He will have oversight of the Joint Staff and will maintain a strong liaison with National Guard Bureau (NGB), as well as our federal and active duty partners

• COL Tim Britt, formerly the Director of Military Support and Chief of the Joint Staff, will be Chief of the Joint Staff and will have responsibility for the staff’s day to day operations.

• Primary staff positions are:

• J-1: Personnel and Administration: COL Steve Joyce

• J-2: Intelligence and Security: COL Joe Wells

• J-3: Operations and Training: COL Woody Radcliffe

• J-4: Logistics: COL Alan Dent •

• J-5/7: Exercises and Planning: COL Tim Romine

• J-6: Communications Services: Col Bill Day

• J-8: Financial Management: Col Ricky Poppell

“These are positive changes, said Gen. Nesbitt. “They reflect our ongoing transition to a joint environment in which the Georgia DOD leadership, staffs and units can work together to plan for and execute joint missions in support of domestic operations.”

He explained that this structure also increases the opportunities for components to support each other in preparing for federal wartime missions. The Joint Staff will “flatten” our structure and eliminate the need for multiple separate staffs. Also significant, the Georgia State Defense Force will become an increasingly key player in this joint environment..