First Friday briefing [June 2, 2000]

GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FIRST FRIDAY BRIEFING June 2, 2000
Dennis to Assume Position of GA ARNG Command Sergeant Major
Sergeant Major James H. Dennis will assume the position of Command Sergeant Major for the 9,000-member Georgia Army National Guard at formal military ceremonies at STARC on Saturday, June 3. Dennis, a 31-year veteran of the Georgia Army National Guard replaces command from Command Sergeant Major John Lane.
Dennis, a full-time employee of the Georgia Army National Guard since 1975, most recently was the command sergeant major for the 4,000-member 48th Infantry Brigade headquartered in Macon.
Enlisting the Georgia Army National Guard in 1968, Dennis has served in many levels of command rising to his current position with the 48th in 1997. He is a graduate of the Advanced Non-Commissioned Officer's Course, the First Sergeant's course, and the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy.
A holder of many awards and decorations, CSM Dennis has been awarded the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, the National Defense Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Georgia Commendation Medal, the Georgia Special operations Medal, the NCO Professional Development Ribbon, and the Georgia Humanitarian Medal and the Georgia National Guard Service Medal with a 20-year device.
CSM Dennis in married and has two daughters.
Georgia's Third Annual "Turkey Shoot" Showcases Skills of America's Bomber, Fighter Pilots

While the name "Turkey Shoot" brings forth images of hunters taking aim on a huge gobbler in a remote area of the woods, Georgia's "Turkey Shoot" takes that image many degrees greater. The Georgia National Guard's version of the "Turkey Shoot" is wave-after-wave of aerial "hunters" flying sophisticated combat fighter aircraft against targets at the remote Townsend Bombing Range in Southeast Georgia. This annual aerial competition called the "Turkey Shoot," and this year's competition was on May 25, co-sponsored by the Governor's Military Affairs Coordinating Committee and the Georgia Air National Guard. Theevent, which attracted more than one hundred spectators, is organized by the Guardsmen of the Townsend Bombing Range, a part of the Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC) in Savannah, and provides spectators with a glimpse of the awesome firepower that today's combat fighters can put on a target.
"It's a chance for today's pilots to hone their weapons delivery skills, " said Range Operations Director Capt Dave Miller, who helped coordinate the attacks of more than ten separate fighter units participating in the competition.
Fighter pilots speak highly of the capabilities at the Townsend Range for scoring the performance of participating fighter. Through high-tech methods of trianglization, Townsend Range Guard technicians pinpoint the precise point of impact of the small inert bombs dropped from the aircraft. Spectators, positioned more than 2,500 yards from ground zeros, viewed a small white positioning charge, followed simultaneously by a large spray of dirt as the bomb buried itself into the target.
Five different types of aircraft including Georgia's B-1Bs participated in the daylong competition. Several of the fighter units also took the opportunity to strafe an enormous 'bulls-eye' target positioned in the middle of the range. At treetop levels, the approaching fighters zeroed on the target before unleashing bursts of machine gun fire that startled even that most seasoned range watcher. At the end of the day, F-16 Air Guard pilots from Alabama who have won Georgia's "Turkey Shoot" competition twice, surrendered their title to Air Guard pilots from Willow Grove, PA flying the A-10 Warthog.
The 3rd Annual "Turkey Shoot" attracted approximately 50 spectators from Atlanta with another 75 joining the group at the range. Media from Atlanta and Savannah covered the event with special features on the "Turkey Shoot" being aired throughout the Memorial Day weekend.
165th Medical Squadron Doctors Deploying to Peru
For more than 35 medical personnel from the 165th Medical Squadron in Savannah, the Amazon jungle and the native people of Ayachucho, Peru will be their local community for fifteen days of active duty. The Savannah based unit will deploy one hour from Lima to a remote village in the Amazonian highlands to care for the indigenous population in the first South American humanitarian mission for the 165th Medical Squadron.
"We first applied for an overseas European tour for our summer AT," said Msgt July Jones. "But when none became available National Guard Bureau suggested a humanitarian tour to South America." The Savannah physicians will be the first National Guard unit visiting the remote village although active Air Force doctors have visited the remote village several times before.

Three schools, one more than one hour away from the main village, will be the locations where 165th doctors and nurses will be treating local population. For security reasons, a six foot wall surrounds each location.
"We expect to see numerous cases of skin diseases because of the high humidity, gastro-intestinal problems, diarrhea due to the poor sanitation and dental problems," said Jones, who visited Ayachucho during pre-site visits in December. To address these problems, the Savannah team includes a surgeon, several dentists, a general practitioner, several physician assistants, nurses, an internist, a pharmacist and several administrative persons. Five of the team members speak Spanish. The Savannah medical team will also take along more than 5,000 eyeglasses received from a local community group for distribution to the villagers.
Once in Ayachucho, the team will not be alone. Two 20-person security details will shadow the movement of the medical personnel throughout their stay because of serious security concerns heightened recently by local elections. The team will be staying in a former Peruvian military compound with no electricity or plumbing.
All food and water will have to be brought with the team. Two 165th C-130s will transport the team and all its supplies for the next fifteen days directly from Savannah, through Puerto Rico and then on to Ayachucho.
"This will be real world training for our people," said Jones. "Altitude will be a major fatigue factor for our people since the village is 12,000 feet above sea level, in addition to the fact that it is winter in Peru and in the high mountains it will be cold."
MPs and Maintenance Company visits the Midwest for AT
In the first two weeks in June, Georgia's military police companies, the 178th in Monroe and the 190th in Kennesaw, are traveling to Fort McCoy in Wisconsin for Annual Training. In the same time frame the 277th Maintenance Company, also based in Kennesaw, will travel to Camp Dodge in Iowa for AT.
The 277th will work in the National Maintenance Training Center. The NMTC fills maintenance orders for the NTC, JRTC and other Guard Bureau centers. The 277th will be evaluated for leadership, and managing and fulfilling maintenance orders.
Meanwhile the MP companies will support "Badger Triad" at Fort McCoy. This is an exercise with Wisconsin's STARC and the 88th RSC, a reserve unit based in Minnesota.
The 190th will run an enemy prisoner of war camp while the 178th will provide combat support such as battlefield circulation.
LRSC Jumps Into and Out of AT

With the help of the 165th Airlift Wing, members of Company H, 121st Infantry, also known as the Long Range Surveillance Company, jumped into annual training at Fort Stewart. It is the first time that the infantrymen have jumped from a 165th aircraft.
The 165th flew three C-130's. Two were loaded with supplies and infantrymen and the third with supplies only. These are known as "heavy drops" because several supply pallets were deployed from the air. The pilots made three passes over the drop zone one for the supplies, then two for the jumpers.
The LRSC is scheduled to return from AT soon, when they do they will jump out of AT and into civilian life once again.
Plans Complete for 52nd Annual NGAGA Convention at Jekyll
The annual convention of the National Guard Association of Georgia is scheduled for June 9-11 at Jekyll Island. Plans are now in place for an exciting convention including informative speakers, and an abundance of fun events throughout the weekend.
Conference registration begins at noon through 5:00 p.m. on Friday, June 9 at Convention Headquarters at the Clarion Resort, and continues into Saturday morning. The traditional Capt Ronnie Griffin Golf Tournament will kick off the weekend on Friday at the Pine Lakes Golf Course and will be followed by the traditional low country boil at 7:00 p.m. at the Clarion Resort.
The morning business sessions will begin Saturday at the Clarion Resort's Main Deck starting at 8:30 a.m. through 11:30 p.m. Spouses will enjoy a brunch in the Buccaneer Room at the Clarion. The afternoon will be taken up with a beachside cookout and the opening of units' hospitality suites as well as numerous activities for children and spouses. Saturday night will be the formal banquet with remarks by General John Hendrix, Commander, U.S. Forces Command. Dancing with music provided by Grapevine will follow the banquet.
Air Guardsman Return from Mombassa, Kenya
Twelve Georgia Air National Guardsmen from Brunswick's 224th Joint Communications Support Squadron returned from Africa on Thursday after 30 days in Kenya. The Guardsmen participated in a joint exercise with Special Operations Command called " Natural Fire."
The Guardsmen, under the command of Capt. Rene Blake, were responsible for establishing reliable command and control communications and support from the Headquarters of the exercise in Mombassa. Georgia Guardsmen transported with them to the African exercise several TSSRs (Tropo Super Sideband Radios) to facilitate communications.
This is the second "Natural Fire" exercise supported by the 224th JCSS. The exercise was under the control of the Special Operations Command based at Hurlburt Field, Florida. Arriving during Kenya's the rainy season, Georgia Guardsmen spent many hours digging trenches to

funnel the constant deluge of water.
All was not work, however, for the twelve Georgians. Many took the unique opportunity while in the bush country to participate in their first safari, capturing many a wild beast on film rather than with weapons.
Georgia Ranks Among Lowest in Selective Service Registration
While its been over two decades since the military draft, young men who turn 18 are still required by law to register with the Selective Service. However, eligible young men in Georgia are not receiving this message according to a recent report from Selective Service officials in Washington. The report sites Georgia among the lowest states in the nation in the percentage of young men registering by the time they turn 20.
"Georgia is the fastest growing state east of the Rockies and that poses some real challenges in reaching the young men who move into our state," said Colonel William Thomas, of the Georgia Army National Guard and commander of the Selective Service System's Georgia Detachment.
Failure to register carries with it important consequences.
"One of the most important consequences of not registering is the loss of eligibility for Hope Scholarships and Pell Grants, " said Col Thomas. By registering, young men maintain their eligibility for federally funded loans and grants, job training and federal jobs, as well as many Georgia state and local government jobs. Additionally, but not commonly prosecuted, failure to register is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250.000.
Currently, 79 percent of young men in Georgia have registered with the Selective Service, ranking it among the lowest twenty percent in the nation. Other states facing challenges in registering eligible young men include Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina and Louisiana.
Thirteen Air Guardsmen Deploy to Saudi
Georgia's 202nd Electronic Installation Squadron will deploy thirteen Guardsmen to Saudia Arabia in June in support of the US Air Expeditionary Forces in Southwest Asia. The 202nd EIS is the lead unit in the exercise that will also involve EI squadrons from Chattanooga, St. Louis and New Orleans. Each unit will participate jointly in the three-month rotation. The Macon-based unit will be providing engineering support and installing communications upgrades for the rotation and will coordinate all logistic and project management support for CENTAF.
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