|
Ceremony marks TAG
change of command
The 13,000-member Georgia National Guard
welcomed a new leader on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2007, during a traditional
military ceremony at Atlanta’s Fort McPherson. Georgia Governor Sonny
Perdue officiated the ceremonial transfer of command as Major General
William T. (Terry) Nesbitt became the state’s 41st Adjutant General. In
accepting the position Nesbitt thanked the Governor and lauded the
support of his wife, Letha, and family and his fellow Guardsmen.
Full Story
Photo Gallery
Farewell Dinner Slide Show
Lt. Gen. Poythress Reflects
Years as Adjutant General
Issues ranging from the future of the State’s largest air guard unit to
the deployment of largest Guard contingent to a war zone since World
War II were matters over which the outgoing Adjutant General of
Georgia, Lieutenant General David B. Poythress reflected in a
wide-ranging interview last week. Full
Story
Georgia's TAG has Oval Office
Visit with President Bush
Lt. Gen. David B. Poythress, Georgia’s Adjutant
General, was among a small group of military leaders to meet with
President Georgia Bush in October to discuss National Guard issues.
Full Story
Youth Challenge counselor
earns
Customer Service Award
Elaine Lacy, a counselor with the Georgia Guard’s Youth Challenge Academy
at Ft. Stewart, was one of six state employees to be presented an
Excellence in Customer Service Award by Governor Sonny Perdue Oct. 30. Ms.
Lacy received her award on Tuesday at a Georgia World Congress Center.
Full Story
Knowlton, Brown earn 'eagles'
The Georgia Army National Guard pinned two new Colonels in October. Col.
Keith Knowlton received his eagles during a promotion ceremony at
Oglethorpe Armory. Knowlton serves as Director of Information Management.
Also promoted last month is Col. Dennis Brown. He received his promotion
at Fort Meade, Maryland while attending classes at the Defense Information
School where he was pinned by Col. (Retired) USMC Keith Oliver, DINFOS
Academic Director. He will serve as Civil-Military Officer at Joint Force
Headquarters.
|
Durham accepts 48th BCT command
Colonel Lee K. Durham accepted the reins of responsibility of Georgia’s
4,500-member 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team at military change of
command ceremony held in Macon. Durham replaces Col. Lawrence E. Dudney,
Jr. who was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General prior to the command
handover. (See related story below)
Full
Story
Dudney promoted to Brigadier
Colonel Lawrence E. Dudney Jr., director of the Joint Staff, was promoted
in early October to the rank of Brigadier General. Dudney led the brigade
through its recent transition from a heavy mechanized brigade to a light
infantry brigade as part of the U.S. Army's transformation to a highly
mobile expeditionary force.
Full
Story
CERFP gets thumbs up after evaluation
Lieutenant General David B. Poythress signed a memorandum in
early October officially designating the 781st CERFP unit as "ready to
fight". Lieutenant Colonel Jeff Allen, 781st commander, and Major Erik
Andersen, unit operations officer, look on as the General signs the
document. The CERP unit created to aid Homeland Security efforts just
finished several months of training and exercises in order to receive
the combat ready designation.
Army
Guard opens new hangar
at
Hunter AAF
A new home for Army Aviation Support Facility #3, 1/169th Aviation
Regiment and the 935th Aviation Maintenance Detachment is set to open at
Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah on Saturday, November 3, 2007.
Full Story
YCA 'Good Neighboring Day'
“If Sunny can, I can,” was the theme of the morning
lectures that Sunny Park, founder of the Good Neighboring Foundation,
gave to more than 200 Youth Challenge Academy Cadets at Fort Gordon,
near Augusta in mid-October.
Full Story
Guard Credit Union offers
on-line service
The Georgia Guard Credit Union is offers 24-hour access to
account information from home. Online Account Access is a secure site
which allows members to check account balances, inquire on account
histories, transfer funds between accounts, and more.
For information on how to sign-up for Online
Account Access or to become a Georgia Guard Credit Union member, log
onto
www.ggcu.org or
call toll free (888) 999-4428.
The Georgia Guard Credit Union is adjacent to the
Regional Training Institute at 1030 Shurling Drive in Macon. |
|
Deployment Update |
|
'Embeds' head to Iraq to assist nation
of Georgia troops
Seventeen members of the
Georgia Army Guard were given a send-off at the Oglethorpe Armory in
October as they departed for a year long deployment in support of
Operation Iraqi Freedom to serve with soldiers from the nation of
Georgia. The Georgia Guardsmen are currently training at Camp Shelby,
Miss., before leaving in late December for Iraq where they will join
the Georgian 1st Brigade as an embedded training team. Earlier this
year, some 30 Georgia Guardsmen from the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat
Team and other Army and Air Guard units in the state were in Tbilisi,
the nation’s capitol, as part of “Task Force Georgian Sustainment and
Support Program II” to help train the Georgians for the mission. The
Eurasian country is one of the largest contributors to the Coalition
Force in Iraq, behind the U.S. and the United Kingdom. |
Holiday program now open to Guardsmen
This year's Christmas Assistance
Program is now open to all GA Guard members who qualify, said Kimberly
Garret, who coordinating the 2007 program. You may qualify if you are
having financial difficulties due to a life changing event such as loss of
employment, spouse lost employment or an illness in your immediate family.
Full Story
Application
'Chili' was the winner at DOD cook off
It was good food and good fun all for a great cause as the State
Charitable Campaign held a Chili cook-off Wednesday, Oct. 31, on
Confederate Ave. The state employees at Confederate Ave. are trying
to raise at least $1000 to donate to the Youth Challenge Foundation.
Full Story
Chief James bids farewell
after 41 years of service
After 41 years of service, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Robin James retired in
late September from the Army National Guard as the Deputy Chief of Staff
during a ceremony at Joint Forces Headquarters at Ellenwood, Ga. James
began his distinguished military career at 18 years of age by enlisting in
Troop A, 748th Armored Cavalry Squadron, 48th Armored Division in Jackson,
Ga., as a private in 1965 where he was assigned as a grenadier upon return
to Troop A. Full Story
|
A look at
past Georgia National Guard events in November.
In November 1993 members of the Georgia Air
National Guard's 165th Airlift Group participated in the United
Nations-sponsored Operation Provide Promise in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Savannah C-130s began flying food and medicine from
Germany and Croatia to Sarajevo that month.
In a report published on November 25, in the
Savannah News Press, journalists noted the danger of the mission.
"The cavernous C-130, flown by members of Savannah's 165th Airlift
Group, approached the airport at Sarajevo, but it was too early to
land," wrote the reporter. "The United Nations had choreographed the
airlifts and did not want planes arriving out of turn. Because of the
danger of snipers at the airport, they also did not want the planes to
stay on the runway for more than 10 minutes."
The crew had been radioed that airport
conditions were yellow, signifying near-by fighting. Once on the
ground, the 165th's loadmasters reported "down-loaded" in under 10
minutes and Ford began to taxi as he activated the plane's engines for
take-off.
The cargo aircraft carried 25, 000 pounds
of potatoes and flour for the resident of Sarajevo.
Complied by Gail Parnelle,
GaARNG Historical Section |
|
First
Friday Briefing, the Georgia DoD’s monthly online newsletter, is now
available in audio format. L