Members of the Georgia State Defense Force sharpen their emergency medical skills during a mass casualty exercise at Annual Training 2003. Photo by SDF 1st Lt. Jerry Nosin

April Busy Time for SDF Volunteers

Georgia State Defense Force spent the second week in April briefing the state’s top military officers on support issues regarding weapons of mass destruction and conducting its annual training.

Col. John Harvey and Maj. William McShane of the SDF Weapons of Mass Destruction Team met April 9 with Maj. Gen. David B. Poythress, Maj. Jeffrey Allen, commander of the Georgia National Guard’s 4th Civil Support Team; Col. Owen Ulmer, director Joint Operations; and Col. Mike McGuinn, Defense Force chief of staff as well as Col. Dick Lockert, commander, SDF Headquarters Support Group to discuss the SDF assets, capabilities and specific response options.

Complimentary of the contributions made by the State Defense Force and its WMD team, Maj Allen explained that the Guard uses the team’s 10 members as a “brain trust and resource” since many of them are senior chemists, doctors and first responders in their civilian jobs.

Later in the week the SDF’s 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th brigades attended Annual Training 2003, with assistance from the Georgia Air National Guard. More than 100 Defense Force volunteers spent April 12 and 13 at Middle Georgia College in Cochran sharpening their skills in search and rescue procedures, medical evacuation procedures and helicopter landing operations. They also participated in radio communication, land navigation and emergency medical training.

Volunteers from Marietta’s Company C, 1st. Battalion, 171st Aviation assisted in annual training.

Col McGuinn, who visited with the brigades during this event, emphasized that training such as this is critical now that so much of the Georgia National Guard has been deployed. “The State Defense Force has to look forward to taking far greater responsibility for homeland security issues,” he said. “What our soldiers do here today is one of the best ways to build group cohesiveness and meet our mandate regarding mission essential tasks.”

State Defense Force volunteers train on the proper way to set up a landing zone for the evacuation of casualties by Black Hawk helicopter. Assets of the Georgia Army National Guard's Company C, 1st Battalion, 171st Aviation. Photo by SDF 1st Lt. Jerry Nosin

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