Georgia Department of Defense First Friday Briefing, October 2001 
Georgia Units Tapped for Homeland Security 
Four Georgia National Guard units - three Air and one Army - have been activated for duty in Operation Noble Eagle, the nation's homeland security measure. 
All are part of the Presidential Selective Reserve Call-up that comes in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. 
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld announced the mobilization of an estimated 230 members of the 117th Air Control Squadron in Savannah and the 260 airmen of 224th Joint Communications Squadron in Brunswick Sept. 22. The 117th and the 224th have since been deployed to undisclosed locations. 
On Oct. 2, the 190th Military Police Company in Kennesaw received its activation orders. The 117 Army Guardsmen are to report for duty at Fort Benning in Columbus. 
At least 44 members of the 165th Security Police Squadron in Savannah have received a warning order for possible activation. 
So far, more than 600 Georgia Guardsmen have been activated. They can be called up for as long as two years under the Presidential Selective Reserve Call-up. The total National Guard and Reservists being placed on active duty has surpassed 20,000, representing individual augmentees, 115 units, 43 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. 
Factoid: 
There are an estimated 1,250,000 members of the reserve forces. Those potentially affected by a partial mobilization of the Ready Reserve include 871,256 members of the Selected Reserves (drilling) and 353,374 members of the Individual Ready Reserve and Inactive National Guard. 
Guardsmen Called to Reinforce Airport Security 
Georgia Army and Air National Guardsman are among the more than 5,000 National Guard troops called to duty to enhance security at the nation's airports and to restore confidence to America's flying public. 
 
 The Guardsmen will provide a highly visible and armed deterrence at security checkpoints in the airports where they have been assigned. 
Gov. Roy Barnes responded to President Bush's request to strengthen existing security by calling up more than 100 Georgia Guardsmen. 
The soldiers are augmenting security operations in the state's nine major commercial airports. Each has volunteered for this mission, which is expected to last four to six months. 
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is coordinating National Guard security operations. This allows the federal government time it needs to establish a new federal law enforcement capability responsible for aviation security nationwide. 
Training for the Guardsmen began Tuesday at the Georgia Air Guard's Combat Readiness Training Center in Savannah. The FAA designed and delivered a comprehensive two and a half day course that includes legal and operation considerations at airport checkpoints; courteous and efficient screening; screening techniques and equipment; safe handling of deadly or dangerous items; and incident management. 
More than 60 Georgia Guardsmen will be positioned at Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport. Augusta's airport will have 12 people on duty. Savannah will have six Guardsmen while the other six airports in the state will each have three. 
The Air Guard has been assigned security operations in Savannah, Brunswick and Macon, with all other airports being assigned to members of the Army National Guard. 
All Guardsmen will be on a Title 32 status with the federal government paying the cost of the National Guard operation. 
Dates for Site Visit Confirmed 
Nov. 1-5 are the dates set for an eight-member Oglethorpe Award team to visit Georgia Department of Defense facilities. 
This is the next phase of the Oglethorpe Award process. 
DoD received a site visit last year when it applied for the award. Getting such a visit is considered a considerable accomplishment for a first-time applicant. 
This year's team leader is Eric Smith of Delta Airlines. Working with him as customer process advocate (the liaison between DoD and the site visit team) is Victoria Taylor. 
Smith's team is a group of trained assessors who will spend a week looking at every aspect of the Department of Defense organization. 
During its visit, the site team will interview a cross section of the DoD organization. Maj. Gen. David B. Poythress, Georgia's Adjutant General, and other senior leaders will be interviewed, as well as members of the team that prepared the Department of Defense 55-page application. Assessors will also talk to individuals at all levels of the organization including several National Guard units and departments. 
The Oglethorpe evaluation process is highly respected in private and public sectors across the state and region. It uses the same criteria as the national Malcolm Baldrige Award to recognize organizational performance. 
Assessors evaluate organizations in six key areas: leadership, strategic planning, customer focus, information and analysis, human resource focus and 
 
 process management. A seventh category called "business results" links the other six and shows how organizations measure the effectiveness of their key processes. 
Department of Defense and National Guard personnel are invited to read the five-page Organizational Profile that was part of the 55-page application. All senior and mid-level managers and supervisors are encouraged to read the entire application. 
For individuals who are on the Department of Defense network, the application is available on the Intranet. The address for those with access to the Intranet is: \\Intranet\Strategic Planning Oglethorpe Award. (Note: Do not click on the highlighted hyperlink, it won't work. Open your browser first then type in the entire address listed above.) 
Anyone who isn't logged onto the network and doesn't have access to the Intranet, can request a hardcopy of the application from Organizational Development at 404-624-6727. 
Maj. Gen. David B. Poythress, Georgia's Adjutant General, has videotaped a message to Department of Defense and National Guard employees. In his message he addresses the issue of preparing for the Georgia Oglethorpe Award site visit. Copies of the tape are being distributed for commanders and supervisors to present at staff meetings and unit assemblies. Click to read a transcript of the TAG's address 
283rd in Egypt for Bright Star 
An estimated 60 Air National Guardsmen from the 283rd Combat Communication Squadron based at Dobbins Air Reserve Base have arrived in Egypt for the Operation Bright Star, which begins Oct. 8. 
Bright Star is the largest and most significant coalition military exercise conducted within the United States Central Command. It involves military forces from not only the U.S. but also France, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Spain and the United Kingdom. 
Georgia's Air Guardsmen represent the lead combat communications squadron for Bright Star, with augmentees from Rhode Island's 282nd Combat Communications Squadron and the 263rd CBCS from North Carolina. 
The 283rd will provide strategic communications and satellite reach-back capability for Cairo West Air Base through its Theatre Contingency Communications Equipment-Central Area mission (TCCE-CA). The TCCE-CA is a Central Command controlled communications asset that consists of 12 communications nodes - six of which are operated by the U.S. Army 11th Signal Brigade and six operated by the Air National Guard's 218th Combat Communications Group. 
These services include secure and non-secure Defense Switching Network telephone services, unclassified and classified Internet, email services, video conferencing and text messaging service. The group is responsible for establishing these stateside based telecommunication services in the forward-deployed theatre of operations, such as those at Cairo West Air Base. 
The 283rd CBCS will participate in Operation Bright Star in three-week deployments. 
"Bright Star is an example of the total force concept practiced in everyday military activities, " Maj. Thomas Dixon, deployed expeditionary combat communications squadron commander said. "The Air National Guard and active duty Air Force communications squadrons worked together to bring reach-back services." 
Dixon added that the Air Guard handles more than 75 percent of all combat communications. The 283rd Combat Communication Squadron is expected to 
 
 return in late November. 
Searcy Promoted to Major General 
Georgia Air National Guard Brig. Gen. William N. Searcy of Savannah received Congressional confirmation for promotion to the rank of Major General. 
General Searcy is the commander of the nine-unit, 3,100-member Air Guard. 
A native of Moultrie, he graduated of the University of Georgia with a bachelor degree in economics. General Searcy also earned a law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law, and from Washington University Law School. 
His military education includes Squadron Officers School, Air Command and Staff College and the Air War College. 
General Searcy received his commission as a second lieutenant in 1968 while a member of the 165th Military Airlift Group based in Savannah, and successfully completed Air Force undergraduate pilot training. He returned to the 165th Military Airlift Group and flew the C-124 on many worldwide missions, including Southeast Asia from 1969 until 1974. 
General Searcy has been a C-130 aircraft commander since 1974. He has participated in a number of missions, exercises and deployments including Desert Shield and Provide Promise. 
In March 1996 General Searcy became the 165th Airlift Wing commander. He then moved to State Headquarters as director of operations, and later chief of staff, before assuming command last year of Headquarters, Georgia Air National Guard. 
Nesbitt to become Army Guard commander Oct. 13 
Brig. Gen. William "Terry" Nesbitt, commander 48th Infantry Brigade (Rear), assumes the duties of Army National Guard commander in a change-of-command ceremony set for Oct. 13. 
Nesbitt will relieve outgoing Army Guard commander Brig. Gen. Michael L. Seely. 
The ceremony is 2 p.m. on Fort McPherson's Hedekin parade field. Duty uniform is required for anyone planning to attend. 
A reception for General Nesbitt and General Seely will follow the change-of-command. 
For more information contact Sandi Lightman at 404-675-5003 or Maj. Beth Thelen at 404-675-5007. 
Joyce takes over 171st Aviation 
Lt. Col. Stephen E. Joyce is the new commander of 1st, Battalion, 171st Aviation Regiment based at Dobbins Air Reserve Base. 
Joyce assumed command of the 171st from its out-going commander Lt. Col. Michael T. Hamil, during a Sept. 9 change of command ceremony at Dobbins. Hamil moves on to become executive officer of the 1st Aviation Group. 
 
 Joyce began his military career in August 1979, and in 1984 attended Warrant Officer Candidate/Flight School. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in April 1985. 
Joyce has held several positions during his career to include section leader for the 1899th CSAC; section leader/executive officer of 5th Battalion, 207th SCT; assistant S-3 for 1st Battalion, 207tth Aviation Regiment; and commander of Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 20th Aviation Regiment. He has worked as executive officer of Company C, 1st Battalion, 223rd Aviation Regiment at Fort Rucker, Ala.; UH-60 helicopter branch chief; aviation safety officer and commander of Company E, 1st Battalion, 171st CSAB; and as the CSAB's executive officer. 
Joyce has also been the aviation LNO for the 48th Infantry Brigade; commanded Detachment 1, Company F, 131st Aviation Regiment and has been the 1st Aviation Group executive officer. 
Hamil received his commission in the active duty Army as a second lieutenant in January 1984. He worked as an aero scout platoon leader; assistant battalion and battalion S-1; attack helicopter company commander; and brigade S-1. 
Hamil joined the Georgia Army National Guard in February 1991. He has served as a medium lift helicopter platoon commander, flight operations officer and company executive officer. 
Hamil has also served as state aviation safety/staff officer, a battalion executive officer, a battalion commander and as an aviation group S-2 and S-3. 
Historical Society to Hold Annual Conference 
Members of the Historical Society of the Georgia National Guard hold their annual conference Oct. 12 to 13 at the 8th Air Force Museum in Savannah. 
A "dinner on your own" is 6 p.m., Oct. 12, in Carey Hilliard's restaurant near the museum. The conference, which costs $20 per person, begins 9:30 a.m. in the museum the following day. 
Cost for the conference also covers entrance into the museum. Lunch is an "on your own" event in the museum cafeteria. 
Everyone is invited to join society members at this year's event, and anyone needing overnight accommodations should call Jameson Inn at 912-748-0017. Ask for military, AARP or other discounts when making reservations. 
For more information call John Hardwick at 404-624-6451. 
Poythress Appointed to NGAUS Position 
Maj. General David B. Poythress, Georgia's Adjutant General, has been appointed TAG representative from Area Three to the National Guard Association of America Executive Council. 
Maj. Gen. Ronald O. Harrison, Adjutant General of Florida, appointed General Poythress. He replaces Maj. Gen. Willie Alexander, Alabama's Adjutant General. 
General Poythress' selection will be confirmed by NGAUS during the council's Nov. 16-18 meeting. This annual winter meeting will be held in the National Guard Memorial building in Washington. 
 
 First Friday Briefing is published monthly for the soldiers, airmen and employees of the Georgia Department of Defense, Georgia Army National Guard, Georgia Air National Guard and Georgia State Defense Force. If you'd like to be added to our subscription list and have the First Friday Briefing faxed or emailed, or you have comments or story submission, call the Directorate of Communications at (404) 624-6060 or DSN 338-6060. Or email burchfieldlee@dod.state.ga.us 
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