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Company H Deploys to Iraq
"Family” was the theme of a bittersweet farewell for
175 men of Company H, 121st Infantry, Long Range Surveillance Company, who
mobilized in early June. It’s the second time the unit has set off
“across the pond” to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. The first occurred
in 2003, not long after American and coalition forces took Baghdad. When the LRS
Company set foot on Iraqi soil in 2003, its mission was the gathering,
interpretation and dissemination of information. It also participated in
security missions at sites across Iraq. This time, Company H will be
working with the Iraqi Army as it moves toward taking over the country’s
security concerns and helping the Iraqi population as it strives to
become a self-governing nation. The unit is
training at Fort Hood and will deploy to Iraq later in the summer.
Full Story
Georgia's First Female
Full Colonel Retires
The Soldier who “forever shattered the glass ceiling” for other women to
seek higher advancement in the Georgia National Guard, and served as an
inspiration to peers of both genders, brought to a close a 30-year
military career in retirement ceremonies attended by family, friends and
colleagues from the civilian and military communities. Col Laura Strange made history
when she became the first female promoted to
the rank of colonel in March 2000 in the Georgia Army National Guard.
Full Story
Seven Graduate From
Army's Sergeant Majors Academy
The Georgia
Army Guard was well represented in the recent class at the U.S. Army’s
Sergeants Major Academy at Fort Bliss, Texas. Seven senior enlisted
Soldiers from Georgia graduated from the course in early July. Pictured
left to right are Georgia Graduates: CSM Anthony Gayton, 1-121 In Bn; SGM
Anthony Weeks, HFHQ R&R CSM Charles Crews. 265th En Gp; SGM
Phillip Stringfellow, 2-121 In Bn; SGM Joseph Recker, HHC 48th
Bde; CSM Jackie Faulkner, 148th FSB; and CSM Cheyenne Fields,
2-121 In Bn.
1/214th Field Artillery Battalion
Gets New Commander
Georgia’s 1st Battalion, 214th Field
Artillery welcomed its new commander and said “so long” to the officer
leaving that position. Family, friends and officials, both local and state,
filled the drill hall of the Calhoun Highway armory in Elberton to welcome Lt. Col. Anthony Abbott
as new commander. Abbott, full-time state training administrator for Joint
Forces Headquarters Plans and Operations, commanded the 170th Military
Police Battalion headquartered in Decatur before taking over the 214th.
Lieutenant Col. Woodrow “Woody” S. Radcliffe, leaves the unit and moves on
to Carlisle Barracks, Pa., where he will attend the Army War College. In
addition to commanding
the 214th, Radcliffe is the former commander of
Savannah’s 3rd ID Detachment, which
deployed to
Iraq in
2003 to support Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Full Story
ESGR Honors Georgia Power
For Its Support to Employees
Georgia
Power has received one of the highest honors given by the Employer Support
to the Guard and Reserve, the Pro Patria Award. Presented during ESGR’s
annual awards banquet, the Pro Patria is
presented to employers who demonstrate exceptional support for our
national defense by adopting personnel policies that make it easier for
employees to participate in the National Guard. Pictured above,
Brig. Gen. Stewart Rodeheaver, commander Georgia’s 48th Brigade, makes the
presentation to Mike Worley (left), Georgia Power's assistant executive
vice president external affairs. Also pictured from the ESGR Georgia
Chapter are Jim Redmond, vice-chairman General Tom Wessels, chairman.
Family Support Foundation Gets
Boost from Jeweler IceLink
The Georgia National Guard Family Support Foundation is getting a boost
from renowned fashion jeweler IceLink Watch. The company has announced
that IceLink’s Charity-Links Campaign will benefit the foundation during
the month of July. The campaign is designed to use IceLink Watch’s new
bicycle bracelet line. During the month of the campaign, a portion of the
bicycle bracelets total national sales go to the Family Support
Foundation.
Full Story
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150 Georgia Guardsmen Head
To New Mexico for Border Duty
More than 400 Georgia National Guardsmen answered the call in late June to
deploy to the 180-mile stretch of land that divides
New Mexico and
Mexico. The first
150 Soldiers deployed only 72 hours after Gov. Sonny Perdue
and Maj. Gen. David B. Poythress,
Georgia’s
Adjutant General announced the mission. The Soldiers boarded buses at
Ellenwood’s Army Guard Headquarters on June
30, and traveled to
Hartsfield-Jackson
International
Airport for the trip to
America’s
Southwest region. They will be gone from four months to one year.
Full Story
4th of July Events Across the State
Honor the Georgia Guard
The Georgia National Guard was at the center of attention at a number
of Independence Day celebrations across Georgia this year. At
events big and small, Georgia's citizens were treated to equipment
displays, personal appearances, color guards and flyovers. In Atlanta,
the 47th Annual Salute-2-America Parade honored Georgia Guard units as
Governor Sonny Perdue affixed battle streamers to the flags of the Army
Guard's four major commands earned during their service in the Global
War on Terrorism. Later in the evening Maj. Gen David Poythress,
Georgia's Adjutant General, and other Guard representatives appeared at
the Lenox Mall celebration.
Full Story.
The Dobbins-based 283rd Combat
Communications Squadron of the Georgia Air National Guard is playing a
role in DOD plans for the creation of a Mobile Air Defense capability
for U.S. skies. In July, Defense officials are set to demonstrate a
rapidly deployable air defense system that could protect high profile
national targets against cruise missiles and other low-flying threats.
The Georgia Guardsmen will provide vital communications links for this
unique test and will deploy for this month-long test scheduled to
occur off the West Coast.
Full Story
Pinkney Earns Prestigious
NGB 'Saucedo Award'
Chief Master Sergeant William E. Pinkney, State
Equal Employment Manager for the 14,000-member Georgia Department of
Defense has been awarded the highest award presented by the National
Guard Bureau for EEO and human relations professionals in the National
Guard. CMSgt Pinkney, a 29-year veteran of the Georgia Air National
Guard, was awarded the prestigious CMSgt Benito Saucedo, Jr. Meritorious
Service Award for individual efforts to promote a highly effective
equal opportunity and diversity atmosphere in the Georgia National
Guard.
Full Story
Heath Retires,
Blackstock Takes 265th Engineers
In an emotionally moving ceremony, Col. John A. Heath, commander 265th
Engineer Group, retired from the Georgia Army National Guard. His
retirement is the culmination of a career that he began 36 years ago as an
enlisted Soldier. “I wanted to leave the Guard on a proud note and this
command has allowed me to do it,” said Heath. Taking the reigns of
leadership of the 265th Engineers is Col. Thomas H. Blackstock Jr., who is
the fulltime director of the Georgia Guard’s Consolidated Facilities
Management Office. (Pictured above, Heath passes the unit's colors to Brig.
Gen. Larry Ross, commander of the 78th Troop Command.)
Full Story
Perdue Encourages, Challenges
Youth Challenge Graduates
Words of
congratulations and encouragement are normal this time of year as
thousands of high school and college graduates parade across stages
throughout the state to receive hard earned diplomas. On June 17, the
words of support for 230 graduates of the Fort Stewart-based were mixed
with words of challenge from Georgia’s Governor Sonny Perdue. The
Governor was the commencement speaker for YCA Class 2006-02 when it
graduated
in June. An audience of close to 1,000 family, friends, and well
wishers crowded the Macon Auditorium on the Fathers Day weekend to
honor the graduates.
Full Story |
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Deployment Update |
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122nd
ROC Returns Following
Year-Long Deployment to
Iraq
Forty-seven members of the
Savannah based 122nd Rear Operations Center returned home in early
July following a year-long deployment to Iraq. Stationed in Mosul, the unit had a high-profile mission and completed a number of
major projects while helping rebuild the war torn country.
Earlier this year the unit conducted a drive that resulted in more
than 400
former Iraqi officers and NCOs being recruited, vetted, screened and
put back into the new Iraqi Army. The 122nd was also instrumental in
forming the first Provincial Reconstructive Team, and recently the
unit
made headlines when it brought safe drinking water to residents of
Airport Village, a community not far from Baghdad International
Airport. This marked the second deployment for the 122nd ROC in the
Global War on Terrorism. The unit deployed to Afghanistan in 2003.
Communities Welcome
Home
Deployed Units
248th Military Intelligence Company - Specialist Tracy Windley
takes every opportunity to dunk her executive officer, 1st Lt. Dustin
Crapse, during the 248th Military Intelligence Company homecoming
celebration in McDonough.
Full Story
Company A, 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry - Members of
Company A were honored in June at the Wild Adventures Theme Park near
Valdosta. On hand to welcome them home were officials from the city of
Valdosta and an organization of businessmen from the area called the
Best Buddies Club.
Company C, 648th Engineers - Douglas, Georgia gave the
Soldiers of Company C a heroes welcome. Pictured above, the engineers
ride on a float during a parade through downtown in their honor.
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A look at what happened in
in Georgia National Guard history:…
1959 - The reorganization of the
Georgia Guard was finalized and went into effect in 1959. The
reorganization, paring the number of ground combat forces, was ordered
by the Department of Defense as part of a nationwide plan to gear
Guard components for atomic conflict. The DOD, under the recent Army
Pentomic Division, had already created “battle groups” made up of a
headquarters and service company, five infantry companies and one
mortar battery. Artillery, tank, signal, and engineer battalions with
conventional and nuclear abilities also joined the battle group. Added
to these units were authorized trains with a transportation battalion,
an aviation company and an administration company. The “battle group”
was to be self-sustaining, designed to survive in a nuclear
environment.
MG George Hearn, Adjutant General of
Georgia, cited several benefits of the reorganization to the Georgia
Guard: Its strength rose from 8,886 to 9,187; troops were to be
retained in all of the 66 Georgia Guard communities; the "Honest John"
rocket, a surface to surface missile capable of delivering atomic
warheads, joined the organization’s arsenal; and the state got its
first missile unit. The reorganization also afforded the state other
new units, among them were signal battalions, a transportation
detachment for aircraft maintenance, an additional anti-aircraft
battalion and armored rifle battalions. Existing tank battalions were
re-designated as medium tank battalions.
The Pentomic Division filled the
concerns of tactical nuclear warfare in the 1950’s however with
Vietnam, defense planners found it unsuitable and eventually replaced
the concept.
Also in 1959, the Georgia Air National
Guard pilots of the 116th Fighter Interceptor Wing flew training
missions over the Atlantic from Travis Field in the new F-86L Saber
Jets, mastering the technique of intercepting and shooting at targets
by radar. During the encampment, the pilots put into practice the
ground school course and a mobile training unit requirement they had
just completed. This training was the last part of the qualification
to fly the Saber Jets.
Complied by Gail Parnelle, GaARNG Historical Section |
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