Major Gen. Terry Nesbitt (right), Georgia’s Adjutant General, and Gov. Sonny Perdue hold up the proclamation declaring Mach 11, 2008, as National Guard Day. Nesbitt, Maj. Gen. Scott Hammond, commander Georgia Air Guard, and Brig. Gen. Maria Britt, commander Georgia Army Guard, visited the House and the Senate which honored the Guard and the Georgia State Defense Force for their commitment to serving the state and to the nation, in peace and in war. (Georgia National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Roy Henry)

Governor, legislators honor Guard, SDF

By Staff Sgt. Roy Henry
Georgia National Guard
Public Affairs Office

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ATLANTA – More than 200 Soldiers and Airmen representing the Georgia Army and Air National Guard and the Georgia State Defense Force filled the north wing of the state capitol, Tuesday, March 11, 2008, to hear Gov. Sonny Perdue praise the professionalism, integrity and sacrifice of of the National Guard.

In addition to an array of Georgia legislators and everyday citizens, the ceremony also was attended by Maj. Gen. Terry Nesbitt, Georgia’s Adjutant General; Maj. Gen. Scott Hammond, commander Georgia Air Guard; and Brig. Gen. Maria Britt, commander Georgia Army Guard.

“Today, we gather here to thank the men and women who wear the uniform for their commitment to their communities, to their state and their nation,” Perdue told the crowd at the mid-morning ceremony. “In these times of uncertainty, they serve with a dedication and professionalism that upholds the highest ideals of who we are as Georgians and as Americans.

“They, the Soldiers and Airmen of our great state, have been, and continue to be, the epitome of their motto, ‘Always ready, always there,’” he added.

In fulfilling that motto, Perdue went on, many a Georgia Guardsman has stepped up to the challenge of not only serving at home in support of homeland defense and in times of disaster, but also abroad in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. In doing so, he said, many have made the ultimate sacrifice.

“It is for them, for the loved ones they leave behind and for all who serve, that I proudly proclaim this National Guard Day,” Perdue said.

Earlier in the day, Nesbitt, Hammond and Britt spent time in the House and Senate. Not an easy thing to accomplish, they agreed, with both chambers up against deadlines to get bills passed.

Soldiers, Airmen and Defense Force personnel in the galleries stood at one point to resounding standing ovations by the state’s legislative bodies.

Nesbitt told legislators, “Overseas, we have had people deployed since the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq began, and we continue to take the fight to the enemy. Here, we maintain our capability to defend the home land, whether it’s against a foreign enemy or against man-made and natural disaster.

“It says volumes about the patriotism of our citizens when they acknowledge with pride and respect the commitment and sacrifice that our Soldiers and Airmen make on their behalf,” he said.

Nesbitt went on to thank members of the House and Senate for their continued support, and the support of Georgia’s employers of the Georgia National Guard, their families and the Georgia State Defense Force.

  

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