Georgia
Guardsmen Continue to Support
Iraqi Freedom, War on Terror
More than 4,000 Georgia Army and Air National
Guard members remain mobilized in support of Operation Iraqi
Freedom and other operations on the US War on Terror. That
number includes more than 3,000 deployed to the Middle East.
Here's a brief look at some of the events of the past several
weeks....
LRSU
Soldiers Wounded
Six
Long Range Surveillance soldiers of Georgia’s Company H, 121st
Infantry Regiment, were involved in action inside Iraq toward the
end of June that resulted in four of Guardsmen being wounded.
Company
H, stationed at Fort Gillem In Ellenwood, has been on deployment
with the 221st Military Intelligence Battalion since March. The
unit is expected to be overseas for up to a year.
Capt.
Matthew Smith, Company H commander, reported in a recent e-mail
home that three of the seven received minor shrapnel wounds, while
the fourth suffered minor first-degree burns to one of his hands.
The soldiers, Sgt. 1st Class Colin Thompson, Staff Sgt. Robert
Garrison, Sgt. Logan Corse and Spc. David Giammoa, had their
wounds treated and were released from a short time later from the
medical facility that treated them, Smith stated. Sgt. William
Hughes and Sgt. John Lara, the two other squad members, were
“lucky enough to escape injury,” he added.
The
LRSU soldiers came under attack by enemy fighters while escorting
a convoy to a base north of Baghdad, Smith wrote. He stated that
during the trip, the military vehicle the group was riding in was
hit by debris from an explosive device that was detonated by enemy
combatants along side the highway on which the convoy was
traveling.
“Our
paratroopers reacted exactly as they have trained,” Smith
recounted. “They immediately regained control of their vehicle
after the explosion, and they took the appropriate action in
response to the threat and then continued on with their
mission.”
48th
Brigade Completes AT 2003; Train Up For 2005 NTC Rotation
Continues
 Georgia's
48th Enhanced Brigade has moved another step closer to its
rotation to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif.,
with the completion of annual Training 2003 at Fort Stewart.
More than 2,000 members of the 48th occupied
Stewart's piney woods and swamplands for two weeks. There they
sharpened their individual and combat skills in anticipation of
the Brigade's deployment to the NTC. Before going to fort Irwin,
the 48th will travel next year to Fort riley, Kans., where the
Brigade will conduct a Mission Readiness Exercise (MRE). Full
Story
 There have been several changes of command within
Georgia’s 48th Enhanced Brigade recently. New commanders have
stepped up and taken the reins of at three brigade elements.
These were:
-
648th Combat Engineer Battalion in Statesboro –
Lt. Col. Tom Blackstock took command of the battalion
from Lt. Col. Randy Postell.
-
2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment
headquartered in Albany – Lt. Col. Harry S. McCorkle is the
new commander, replacing Lt. Col. Scott Carter.
-
1st Battalion 121st Infantry Regiment in Lawrenceville
– Now under the command of Maj. (P) Ben Sartain. Sartain replaces
Lt. Col. Reed B. Dunn.
Guard
band Helps Honor Carter, King
 Soldiers
of the Georgia Army National Guard's 116th Army Band participated
in an event recently that honored the lives and works of
President Jimmy Carter and the late Dr. Martin Luther King.
Band members provided a variety
of melodies for the ceremony during which exhibits about Carter
and King were unveiled to an audience of more than 60.
Full
Story
Enlistee
Participates In All-Volunteer Ceremony
 The
newest soldier to the Georgia Army National Guard's ranks was
one of ten people inducted into military service as part of the
30 anniversary of the day America dropped the draft and adopted
the "All-Volunteer Force."
Active duty, Guard and Reserve officials were
among the guests honoring the enlistees and the accomplishments
of today's volunteer military during a ceremony at Fort Gillem's
Military Entrance Processing Station in Ellenwood. Full
Story
Citizen-Soldiers
Participate in July 4 Activities
 Georgia Guardsmen were among the more than 2,000 active
duty, Guard and Reserve and Department of Defense civilians
supporting Independence Day celebrations across the nation.
Soldiers assigned to the Army National Guard’s
Demonstration and Recruiting Team (DART), for example, were at
Six Flags over Georgia during the week leading up to the July 4
holiday. Team members then joined the WSB Salute 2 America
pre-parade show on the fourth.
DART’s Patriot and Orange Crush Humvees, along with a
tactical Humvee assigned to Kennesaw’s 190th Military Police
Company and the Guard’s Sgt. Hooah were among those traveled
the parade route. As
the parade progressed, three UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from
Marietta’s 1st Battalion, 171st Aviation Regiment flew
overhead. Full Story
165th's
Westgate Takes On New Position
 Col. Steve Westgate, who
commands Savannah’s 165th Airlift Wing, has been named deputy
director of mobility forces (DM4) in the Southwest Asia Area of
Operations (AOR). During his 90-day deployment
overseeing mobility operations throughout Southwest Asia, it is
his task to coordinates air assets used throughout the theater
of operations.
The seven-day-a-week,
eight-hour workload leaves him little time except to work, run,
eat and sleep and then to start the routine over again, Westgate
said. But he quickly added, “What I do doesn’t hold a candle
to what our soldiers and airmen are doing everyday in the
field.”
As deputy director of mobility
operations, Westgate is working out of U.S. Central Command at
Al Udeid AB, Qatar. Full
Story
Date
Set for Next ‘Fast Track’ OCS Class
Georgia’s
Accelerated Officer Candidate School Orientation will be
conducted, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sept. 6, at Macon’s Regional
Training Institute. Interested and qualified soldiers are
encouraged to attend this event, They should remember,
however, that direct coordination through unit or major command is
required. Soldiers attending this orientation will be in a split
drill status and placed on Individual Duty (IDT).
Training travel orders for this event by their
unit.
OCS
accession packets can be obtained from the State Recruiting
Office by calling 404-675-5269 or by e-mailing Capt.
Josie Johnson as well as from unit commanders.
Full Story
and Requirements
Annual
Family Readiness Workshop Set
Georgia
will conduct a combined Family Readiness Workshop, Army and Air
Senior Leaders’ Conference Aug. 15 to 17 at the Crowne Plaza
hotel near Hartsfield International Airport. Each Army and Air
National Guard unit is authorized, and encouraged to send
two volunteers to attend the workshop.
The
workshop and conferences are combined this year to accomplish
fiscal savings, and because of the increased “operational
tempo” of Army and Air Guard. Key leaders will gather
to discuss leadership issues and meet with family
readiness volunteers, commanders, senior noncommissioned officers
and Family Readiness volunteers attending this groundbreaking event.
The
conference will have joint and separate sessions. Tentative
plans include service specific breakouts planned by Air, Army
and Family Readiness. Events
are planned for Friday through noon Sunday.
A “no-host” social and awards banquet will be held
Saturday evening.
Registration
will be conducted Friday morning and will consist of two
different fees. Military members will pay a reimbursable $60
registration, while all other attendees will pay a
non-refundable $30 registration fee.
Those
planning to attend should make reservations directly to the Atlanta
Crowne Plaza at 404-768-6660 or 1-866-896-8937 for a rate of
$112.00 per night and ask for the GA National Guard Conference.
For
further information call Lt. Col. Rene Kuhn at 404-624-6454 or
Altamese Finch at 404-624-6420.
Davis
Accepts NGB Post
 Air
National Guard Col. Jimmy Davis, director of human resources for
the Georgia National Guard, has been appointed deputy director
for human resources at the National Guard Bureau in Washington.
He will report to NGB in August.
“I appreciate the
opportunity of being selected for the position of deputy
director,” Davis said in a recent interview with the Georgian
National Guard Public Affairs Office. “This assignment
provides me the opportunity to streamline and improve the human
resource processes at the national level.
“It also allows me assist human resource
officers throughout the United States and its territories” he
said. “I look forward to working on the NGB Joint Staff with
Lt. Gen. Blum and Mr. Stine.” Full
Story
Clean
Air Campaign Offers Commuters Cash
Georgia
Guard and Department of Defense employees can free themselves from
the hassle of Atlanta traffic and earn money for changing the way
they travel to and from work.
The
enormous amount of traffic in the metro area continues to increase
pollution problems, which also causes a rise in pollution related
illnesses and stress. Those who participate in Atlanta’s clean
air campaign can receive $180 for finding alternatives to driving
their personal vehicles.
Guardsmen
and DoD civilians who anticipate taking advantage of the program
have until Sept. 30 to register. They can do so by contacting Joy
Drummond, environmental awareness coordinator, at 404-624-6539
or sending e-mailing to her.
Registration
forms for the Commuter Cash program can picked up at the
Environmental Office in Building No. 21 at the Confederate Avenue
complex. They can also be found on the Web at cleanaircampaign.com
Participants with questions can call Drummond or 1-877-CLEANAIR.
Workshop, Conference Mark Historical Society Plans
The
Historical Society of the Georgia National Guard continues
planning for its annual conference and Guard historian’s
workshop. Society members have scheduled the event for Oct. 24 and
25 in Forsyth.
Conference
organizers have said a panel of former Georgia Army and Air
Guardsman, including Charles Shepard and John W. Meeler will talk
about their service in the Guard before, during and following
World War II. Historical Society officials have said other Guard
veterans who served in the Pacific during the war are being sought
for the panel.
Hosting
this year’s conference is retired Brig. Gen. Paul Jossey,
Forsyth’s mayor and a former Army Guard chief of staff.
Events
planned for the Saturday conference, which normally kicks off in
the morning, include a luncheon. The annual conference of the
Historical Society is open to the public. Cost and event details
will become available as time for the conference draws near, said
society president John Hardwick.
Some
of the issues and projects Society members are involved with
include the restoration of several artillery pieces, the
conservation of Guard unit guidons and flags, and the publication
of a anthology detailing events in Georgia Guard history
The
Workshop, to be held the Friday before the Saturday conference, is
especially significant this year, said Staff Sgt. Gail Parnelle,
who works with the Georgia's Army National Guard History Section.
Preserving, recording and maintaining the history of the past
year, she said, is crucial because of the many mobilizations and
deployments that have occurred. "We need to capture that
history so the generations of Guardsmen who come after us will
know who we were and what we did," Parnelle explained.
The
Historians Workshop is the only annual conference during which
historians of all branches come together and discuss mutual issues
and problems.
Georgia
DoD Customer Survey Continues
Georgia’s Organizational Development Office continues its Internet-based
survey to determine the level of satisfaction among our
employees/members.
To find the survey go to (http://websurveyor.net/wsb.dll/12894/2003GADODSURVEY.htm)
.
There
will be no paper surveys mailed out this year.
Officials with the office are conducting the survey to find out how
satisfied the DoD family is with the assistance they receive
from a variety of offices.
The survey was released May 1 and will be available through July 17. This
assessment of services measures only a person’s opinion and
perceptions, so there are no right or wrong answers. Data from
the survey will be compiled as a group.
This is Organizational Development’s first Internet-hosted survey.
Commanders and supervisors are asked to ensure their people have
access to the Internet for maximum participation. Full-time
employees/members have been asked to answer the questions based
on their full-time experiences.
Governor
Lauds Guard During NGAGA Meeting
 Governor
Sonny Purdue and wife Mary were among the dignitaries to express
their gratitude for the dedication and selfless service offered
up by Georgia’s citizen-soldiers during the 2003 National
Guard Association of Georgia (NAAGA) conference.
More
than 200 NAGA members, some accompanied by their spouses,
listened intently as the commander-in-chief and first lady
heaped praise upon them for the professionalism that
citizen-soldiers continue to show while taking on state and
federal missions.
This
year’s three-day conference took place in late June at St.
Simons Island. Also present this year were senior members of the
Enlisted National Guard Association of Georgia, whose conference
was cancelled because of mission and personnel commitments to
the homeland security and the U.S.-led war on terrorism.
Horse Camp Draws
Enthusiastic Youths
 Nine
dependents of Georgia National Guardsmen attended the second
annual youth Horse Camp sponsored by the North Star Equestrian
Center.
During the weeklong camp, the
youths learned horse safety, grooming,
saddling up, basic riding (start out in an arena), feeding and
stall cleaning, and classes on shoeing and English riding.
Also included are activities such as swimming, fishing,
archery, and golfing.
Full Story
At
left: Jason Rogers leads "his horse Charlie". Rogers'
partner, Jamiah Aguabella waits his turn at the 2003 horse camp.
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Photo
Spotlight
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Captain
D's Officials Receive Recognition
From Left: Jesse
Spaulding, Jim Kite, and Buddy Uncapher pose with
their Georgia Commendation Medals. Georgia Army
National Guard commander Brig. Gen. Terry Nesbitt
presented the awards in a special ceremony.
The Captain D's managers donated food, supplies
and labor in April to support the State Area
Command's Family Readiness Group which raised more
than $400. The Readiness Group helps support
National Guard soldiers' families in times of
need. Austin Gipson, a Captain D's area director
also received the award, but was unable to attend.
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Maj.
Gen. Poythress Completes Course
Air Guard Capt. Tiffany
Sneed congratulates Maj. Gen. David B. Poythress,
Georgia’s Adjutant General, who recently
completing a shortened version of Leadership
Skills Enhancement Course. Set for July 22 to 25,
the complete course takes place at Macon’s 202nd
Engineer Installation Squadron. Sneed, who works
with Organizational Development, said there are
two slots unfilled for the course, and those who
may want to participate should check with their
chain-of-command to get authorization. More
information can be obtained by calling
678-655-4187 or sending an e-mail to tiffany.sneed@ga.ngb.army.mil.
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Senator
Hill Receives Recognition
State
Senator Jack Hill receives a Minuteman Award from
Col. Tom Lynn, commander of the 116th Air Control
Wing. Sen. Hill, a retired member of the Air
National Guard, received the award in
recognition of his lifelong dedication and service
to the Georgia National Guard.
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