First Friday briefing [Oct. 4, 2002]

Georgia Department of Defense First Friday Briefing, October 2002
116th Air Control Wing Activated
Members of the Georgia Air Guard's 116th Bomb Wing and the active Air Force's 93rd Air Control Wing closed ranks Sept. 30 and removed their old baseball caps and unit patches. The group then replaced them with those bearing the insignia of the new 116th Air Control Wing.
Air Force officials say it will be the first of several combined units, allowing the military to keep experienced guardsmen more involved and allowing maximum use of Air Force planes.
"What we're doing has never been done before, putting active and National Guard members in one command structure," said Air Force Secretary James Roche.
On many missions, Guard pilots may be flying with crews that include Guard members and active-duty airmen. Their maintenance crews and support squads will also be combined.
The 93rd, which flies converted Boeing 707s known as Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar Systems, known as J-STARS, flew 247 combat sorties over Afghanistan. They gathered intelligence and helped fighters, bombers and ground commanders identify al-Qaida and Taliban targets.
By allowing the Guardsmen to fly the J-STARS, the Air Force can get more flights out of the planes without adding new equipment or bringing crews from elsewhere to Robins, which is about 90 minutes south of Atlanta.
"It's going to be an adventure," said Master Sgt. Walt Downing, one of the J-STARS crewmembers. "There are going to be problems we have to work out, but the Guard and active duty have been working together for years. We're going to make it work."
-- Information for this brief was taken from a story filed Oct. 1 by Associated Press reporter Elliott Minor
Delays Put MPs in Cuba Later Than Expected
Changes in scheduling put the latest group of soldiers with the 178th Military Police Company on the ground at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba three days later than originally planned.
It had been planned for at least 13 members of the unit's Fort Benning Detachment to fly from Benning on Oct. 1 to Guantanamo. Only nine of those individuals are now at Camp Delta where they have joined the 98 Georgia MPs who already are into the third month of the 178th's six-month deployment with Joint Task Force 160.
JTF-160 is responsible for guarding the more than 500 al Qaida and Taliban detainees in the camp.
Chief of Staff Says Goodbye to Guard
Col. James A. Bruno, Georgia Army Guard chief of staff, said farewell to friends and fellow Guardsmen recently at a retirement ceremony held in his honor at Fort Gillem.

Bruno, who has seen more than 33 years of combined service with the active-duty Army and with the Army Guard, officially brought his military career to a close Sept. 30. He will retire from his position as the Georgia Army Guard's full-time command administration officer in the next 30 days, he said.
Col. Don Venn replaces Bruno as chief of staff.
"I have been a Guardsman since 1972, and I have seen a lot of things happen during my career," Bruno said. "And I can tell you that, in my opinion, the Georgia Army National Guard is among the top 10 percent of the 54 Guard organizations across the nation."
Bruno said the one thing he would miss the most about the military, and especially the Guard, is its people. They, most of all, are what made his career the outstanding event of his life, he said.
Two are Confirmed for Next Higher Rank
Col. Bruce E. Beck and Col. Larry H. Ross have received confirmation from the United States Senate of their nominations to the rank brigadier general.
Along with their confirmations Beck and Ross each have received a "certificate of eligibility." When a billet becomes available, they can accept their appointment to their new rank.
Beck is assigned to Headquarters STARC as the new director of facilities. He takes over for Col. Julius Lawton, who is retiring from the Active Guard and Reserve program. Ross is the deputy commander 78th Troop Command, and is at the command's headquarters in Decatur.
200 Sharpen Family Readiness Skills
Army and Air Guard Volunteers of the Year Named
More than 200 Georgia Army and Air National Guardsmen and their family members participated in the annual Family Readiness Workshop, which was held this year in Duluth.
These supporters of the Guard Family Readiness program received instruction on how to be mentally, emotionally and financially prepared when units are deployed or activated for federal service.
Among the courses conference patrons participated in were classes on stress management, maintaining the family readiness group and financial planning. They also attended courses on understanding the "military language" and military customs, courtesies and protocol.
As the conference came to a close, several individuals were recognized for the time and effort they dedicate to family readiness. Named this year's Volunteers of the Year was Angela Beri, for her support of the family readiness group at Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 214th Field Artillery, in Elberton and Mary Hodges for her assistance to the family readiness group at the 165th Security Forces Squadron in Savannah.
Building Named for Former Fighter Wing Commander
Hubbard Honored with Oglethorpe Medal
The 116th Air Control Wing's Operations Building was recently dedicated in the memory of Gen. Don V. Hubbard, former commander of the 116th Fighter Wing at ceremonies at Robins Air Force Base.
Hubbard, who commanded the unit from 1987 to 1991 when it was the 116th Fighter Wing, was posthumously awarded the Oglethorpe Distinguished Service Medal by Maj. Gen. David B. Poythress, Georgia's Adjutant General. Mrs. Hubbard was present to receive Georgia's highest award on her husband's behalf.
"General Hubbard is a legend in the Georgia Air National Guard," General Poythress said. "He is, forever, a warrior, and he represented the very best in us all."

Col. Tom Lynn, commander of the 116th Air Control Wing, also called upon General Hubbard's wife and other members of his immediate family to assist with the unveiling of a brass plaque bearing the general's name. Lynn, who reflected on his service with General Hubbard, said the late wing commander "had the heart and soul of a warrior."
Four former wing commanders of the 116th joined the TAG at the September dedication ceremony.
Aviator Competes in Pentathlon
Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joanna Williamson is one of 10 U.S. service women to have competed in the 2002 NATO Military Pentathlon held this year in Draguignan, France.
Williamson is a UH-1V Huey helicopter pilot with 3rd Battalion, 148th Medical Company (formerly the 126th Aviation Regiment). A traditional Guardsman for the past 12 years, she has competed in the pentathlon for the past five years.
Each year Williamson and others vie for gold in the 500-meter land obstacle course, 50-meter water obstacle course, 10-kilometer to15-kilometer orienteering course and pit their skills against one another in the pistol and rifle marksmanship competition. Each event has its own special challenges, she said, but she likes the land obstacle course because it pushes her physical endurance to its limits.
The NATO Military Pentathlon falls under the Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers (CIOR). Each NATO nation can send up to two three-person women's teams, six three-person men's teams, plus two male and two female alternate competitors.
Each summer the U.S. conducts a two-week training camp and invites up to 50 participants. All of the competitors are members of one of the reserve components of the U.S. armed forces, or they are active duty officers with reserve commissions. This year there were 33 athletes competing for slots on the U.S. team.
SDF Assists Crowd During Storm
Members of the Georgia State Defense Force recently assisted in moving patrons attending an air show to safety during severe weather the event on its first day.
It was during the annual Dixie Air Show at Peachtree City Airport that a violent thunderstorm struck without warning. People visiting the air show, many of them with young children, found themselves running for any cover they could find from the sudden rain, hail and wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour.
SDF officials report that 80 members of the organization's Headquarters Support Group were at the air show assisting with crowd control and security. As the storm worsened, the soldiers repeatedly gathered patrons from potentially dangerous locations across the airfield and moved them to safer, dryer areas. Group personnel also aided an individual suffering from hypothermia and another who had fainted.
When the storm finally ended, SDF members assisted with reuniting family members and returned to their other duties. They also directed buses to the airport's hangars where patrons were picked up and taken back to their vehicles.
Guard, Other Services Honored; Barnes tells troops 'thanks'
Georgia Army and Air National Guardsmen were among the more than 200 military and civilian personnel who gathered recently at Dobbins Air Reserve Base to hear Gov. Roy Barnes proclaim the day Armed Forces Appreciation Day.
"I and the people of Georgia want to thank each and every one of you for your service and dedication to protecting

our freedoms and for keeping us, and our nation, safe," Barnes told the assembled soldiers, sailors, Airmen and Marines. "From the beginning, you have reflected the spirit of cooperation that generated the success that has occurred in the war on terrorism and we thank you for all you do."
Later, Barnes walked among the assembled military personnel, stopping to shake hands and offer them his personal thanks.
Barnes' statement came on the eve of the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York and the Pentagon. The sacrifice made by those individuals who died or suffered injury on Sept. 11, 2001, has only served to strengthen the country's resolve not to let the terrorists' twisted, evil plan succeed, he said.
"Men and women like you, whether you serve in Afghanistan or here at home, you form the foundation of our recovery," Barnes added. "You have brought us healing in our time of need, you have continued to bring hope for a safer future and you bring us pride in our best values."
Unit Shows its Appreciation to Employers
Gaining and keeping the support of civilian employers is always important to the Georgia National Guard. Without that support, traditional Guardsmen would find it hard, if not impossible, to keep their skills sharp and answer their country's call to duty at moment's notice.
That's why the soldiers of Detachment 1, Company F, 1st Battalion, 131st Aviation at Hunter Army Air Field in Savannah hosted more than 50 civilian employers, civic leaders and other guests during the unit's annual Employer Support Appreciation day.
During the event, Guardsmen including Maj. Vernon C. Atkinson, the detachment commander, briefed guests on the unit's purpose and its goals. The group then attended an ESGR briefing, toured the unit's facility and talked with the soldiers. Later they viewed static displays of the detachment's CH-47 Chinook helicopters and weapons.
Later on, employers and civic leaders were given the opportunity to hop aboard a helicopter for a short flight to Fort Pulaski outside Savannah. There they attended a picnic with the soldiers and their family members before returning to Hunter.
Volunteers Recognized by Barnes
Georgia State Defense Force was honored recently by Gov. Roy Barnes as "an outstanding example of the citizen volunteer spirit."
Barnes made the statement during his announcement of the forming of the Georgia Citizen Corps outside the governor's mansion in Atlanta. Among those representing the SDF were Col. Claude West, Col. Michael McGuinn, Col. Malvern Scott and Lt. Col. Edward Hightower. Also there were Maj. Thomas R. Varnedoe II, Command Sgt. Maj. Peterl Bardoul and Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Jones.
"Since Sept. 11, 2001, we have all seen a resurgence of volunteerism throughout the nation, and Georgia is certainly no exception," Barnes said during his remarks. "The Georgia State Defense Force has been, and continues to be, a reflection of the resurrection of that spirit."
The Georgia Citizen Corps is a locally driven initiative that will bring leaders from the public and private sectors together, with the goal of "harnessing the volunteer spirit and talents of Georgians across the state," he added.
"Men and women like you, whether you serve in Afghanistan or here at home, you form the foundation of our recovery," Barnes added. "You have brought us healing in our time of need, you have continued to bring hope for a safer future and you bring us pride in our best values."
History Workshop, Society Conference Announced

A workshop for Georgia Army and Air National Guard unit historians is scheduled for noon to 4:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 25, at Milledgeville's Georgia College and State University. The workshop will be held in Chappel Hall. Directions and maps to the workshop and to Milledgeville are available on-line at http://www.hsgng.org/ or by calling John Hardwick at 404-624-6451.
Commanders can send their unit historians in a split IDT or AT status.
The emphasis of this year's workshop is how to develop and record a unit history. Brig. Gen. Scott Hammond, chief of staff, Georgia Air National Guard, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Steve Reese of the Army Guard's Mobilization and Readiness Office will make presentations.
Workshop participants are invited to the annual conference of the Historical Society of the Georgia National Guard, which convenes 9:30 a.m., the next day (Saturday) in the school's Centennial Center. A $20 registration fee is payable at the door, and includes a catered lunch. Maj. Gen. David B. Poythress, Georgia's Adjutant General will be the luncheon speaker.
This year's conference focuses on the Civil War and features speakers Dr. Ann Bailey, editor of the Georgia Historical Quarterly, Mr. William Bragg, author of Griswoldville, and Johnny Mack Nickle.
Information about the conference and hotel rates can also be found at the Historical Society Web site or by calling Hardwick.
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 Leigh.Burchfield@ga.ngb.army.mil
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First Friday Foto File Oct 2002

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COVER PHOTO: Lt. Gen. Bruce A. Wright (left) presents the 116th Air Control Wing flag to Col. Tom Lynn, the unit's commander, during the 116th's activation ceremony at Robins Air Force Base. (Photo by Master Sgt. Rick Cowan)

Left click or press space bar to proceed to the next slide

Photo by Master Sgt. Rick Cowan
A Joint Surveillance Targeting Attack Radar System, or JSTARS, E-8C jet performs a flyover during the 116th Air Control Wing activation ceremony at Robins Air Force Base. The 116th used to fly the B-1 bomber until the unit combined with the active-duty 93rd Air Control Wing.

Sgt. 1st Class Javier H. Pon, a crew chief and platoon sergeant with Company C, 1st Battalion, 171st Aviation, checks the main rotor blades on a UH-60 Black Hawk before takeoff. Black Hawks from the 171st flew over Turner Field shortly before a Braves baseball game began.
Photo by Spc. Jeff Lowry

Photo by Spc. Jeff Lowry
A 1st Aviation Group UH-60 Black Hawk flies over Turner Field just after participating in pre-game ceremonies for the Atlanta Braves game on Sept. 11.

Photo by Sgt. 1st Class D. Keith Johnson, CIOR Public Affairs
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joanna Williamson masters a water obstacle during the 2002 NATO Military Pentathlon. Williamson is a UH-1V Iroquois helicopter pilot with the 148th Medical Company.

Photo by Sgt. Roy Henry
Gov. Roy E. Barnes talks with Tech Sgt. Margie Pokat, a food services technician with 224th Joint Communications Support Squadron, after a ceremony proclaiming Sept. 10 as Armed Forces Appreciation Day during a ceremony at Dobbins Air Reserve Base.

Photo by Sgt. Roy Henry
Georgia Army National Guardsmen lead the honor guard during ceremonies marking Armed Forces Appreciation Day. Gov. Roy Barnes proclaimed Sept. 10 as the day for thanking America's soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines for all they do to protect the freedoms U.S. citizens enjoy.

Photo by Spc. Jeff Lowry
From the left Gov. Roy E. Barnes, Brig. Gen. William P. Kane and Maj. Gen. David B. Poythress, Georgia's Adjutant General, share a laugh before to Armed Forces Day festivities Sept. 10. Kane is the 94th Airlift Wing commander at Dobbins Air Reserve Base.

Contributed photo
Staff Sgt. William Lee (left) and Staff Sgt. Barry Pruitt, both with 202nd Engineering Installation Squadron and deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, participated in a memorial ceremony at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The ceremony honored those who died on Sept. 11, 2001.

Photo by Capt. Eric Wilson
Civilian employers and civic leaders receive a lesson in military weaponry from Sgt. Joseph C. Barnard of Detachment 1, Company F, 1st Battalion, 131st Aviation. The group was attending the unit's Employer Support Appreciation Day at Hunter Army Air Field. More than 50 guests participated.

Photo by Spc. Jeff Lowry
Georgia Guardsmen and their families participate in a breakout session at the annual Family Readiness Conference. More than 200 representatives from Army and Air National Guard attended the threeday event.

Photo by Spc. Jeff Lowry
Alta Meese Finch (left) and Barbara McCaa unpack awards before the Family Readiness Awards Banquet begins. Two Volunteers of the Year one for Army and one for Air. They are Angela Beri for her support of Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion 214th Field Artillery and Mary Hodges for her support of 165th Security Forces Squadron.

Photo by Spc. Jeff Lowry
Georgia State Defense Force members salute Col. Michael MCGuinn, SDF chief of staff, during a ceremony on Sept. 11. In the year following the terrorist attacks on New York and Pentagon, Defense Force volunteers worked more than 800 hours manning the gate at the Department of Defense Complex on Confederate Avenue. Guardsmen and State Patrolmen were also honored during the ceremony.

Lt. Col. Tim Britt (left), commander 1st Battalion, 78th Troop Command, presents Col. James A. Bruno, chief of staff Georgia Army National Guard, with the Order of the Marechaussee. Bruno, who retired Sept. 30, also received the Legion of Merit for his 33 years of military service. He was also awarded the Distinguished Service Medal by the Alabama Army National Guard for his participation with the Chief of Staff Advisory Council.
Photo by Spc. Heath Stone