First Friday briefing [Sept. 6, 2002]

Georgia Department of Defense First Friday Briefing, September 2002
Final Plans for Transition Underway
Plans are in the final stages for the transformation of the 116th Bomb Wing into the first Air National Guard Air Control Wing in the nation. The significance of this event has drawn increased interest from officials throughout the Air Force and military communities.
The official ceremony is scheduled for September 30th at Robins Air Force Base. Among the dignitaries who will be there are Secretary of the Air Force James D. Roche and Lt. Gen. Bruce A Wright, vice commander Air Combat Command. Tentative plans call for Gov. Roy Barnes, U.S. Sen. Max Cleland and U.S. Rep. Saxby Chambliss to attend as well as other state and community leaders.
The merging of the 116th with the active duty 93rd Air Control Wing will create the first "blended" wing in the Air Force. This is a new trend that Air Force leaders suggest will be duplicated throughout the service. The new 116th ACW will be the largest Wing in the Air National Guard.
More of 178th Heading to Cuba
Another group of soldiers from the 178th Military Police Company will soon be joining those already on a six-month deployment to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba.
At least 13 of the 22-soldier detachment that stayed behind to assist the Military Police Activity at Fort Benning will leave for Guantanamo on Oct. 1. The remainder will continue their duties with the Provost Marshal's Office until the Cuba detachment returns home on Dec. 15.
Among the Guardsmen who are gearing up for Cuba is Lt. James Collie, the 178th's executive officer. Collie has commanded the Benning Detachment since Capt. Jeff Carlyle and an initial group of 98 MPs left June 15 for Cuba.
"Many of those who stayed here (at Benning) were not qualified military police officers," Collie said. "Those individuals have completed those qualifications, and are now ready to become part of the mission being performed at Guantanamo."
His group is looking forward to the deployment and working with Joint Task Force 160, he said. JTF 160 is responsible for keeping tabs on the more than 500 a Qaida and Taliban detainees being held at Guantanamo's Camp Delta.
Georgia Guard Will Help Remember 9-11
The Georgia National Guard will play a key role in several memorial ceremonies marking the anniversary week of the September 11, 2001 attacks on America.
Most notably, the Department of Defense will be the host for a September 10 ceremony where Governor Roy Barnes will express the state's appreciation for the military contributions of Georgians. The Governor's Armed Forces Appreciation ceremony will be held on Dobbins Air Reserve Base at 1:30 pm on Tuesday, in the Fuel Cell Hanger, Building 731, near Base Operations. All are invited to attend.

In addition to the Governor's ceremony, Georgia National Guardsmen will be supporting a number of other observances across the state on Sept. 11. A STARC color guard will open both Atlanta Braves game that day, and a six-ship flyover of Black Hawk helicopters will mark the opening of the evening baseball game when the Braves host the New York Mets.
In Savannah, the 165th Airlift Wing will conduct a C-130 flyover, and the 131st Aviation Battalion will do a flyover of CH-47s. Elsewhere in the state, several other National Guard color guard's are scheduled to help Georgian's honor the victims of 9-11 and the military members who responded.
Security Force to Make Changes
Some of the faces Department of Defense employees have been seeing at the main entrance to the Confederate Avenue complex are going away on Sept 11. A new group of Guardsmen will start, tentatively, the same day the old group departs and returns to the private sector and their respective units, said Lt. Col. Bruce Berger, the anti-terrorism officer for the complex.
The 11 soldiers who are leaving have been on duty for a year, Burger said. Those who remain have not, he said.
Before the Guardsmen leave, they will be honored for their service during an awards ceremony at 12:30 p.m. in the command conference room at Building 21.
Working around the clock, the Confederate Avenue security force has, since Sept. 11, 2001, had as many as 25 people and as few as 15 performing sentry duty, foot patrols, and vehicle and facility inspections. They have also conducted reaction drills and/ handled at least one bomb scare, Berger said.
Georgia Paratroopers Place in Annual Competition
Members of the Long Range Surveillance Company, Company H, 221st Military Intelligence Battalion, placed second, seventh overall, at 20th annual Leapfest, a multi-national, multi-service parachute competition held in August at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston.
Company H has competed in the event for the past 10 years. It sent two teams of five soldiers (four primary parachutists and one alternate) to Leapfest. They were among 43 teams, 11 from foreign countries, that attended Leapfest. The event is organized, promoted, and executed by the Rhode Island Army National Guard.
Among those who competed this year were Capt. Matthew Smith, who commands the LRSC, and its first sergeant, 1st Sgt. Mike Hurndon. Also there were Sgt. 1st Class Carl Anderson, who came in fourth out of a field of 132 individual competitors; Sgt. 1st Class Shawn Lewis; Staff Sgt. Shilo Crane; Staff Sgt. Joseph Shirer; Sgt. Mike Millett; Sgt. Keith Willcutt; Sgt. Mike Morgan; Sgt. Franz Haller; and Cpl. Johnny Lara.
Each year, competing teams perform static-line parachute jumps from U.S. Army aircraft. Upon reaching the ground, the teams race to a pre-determined assembly point in the shortest time possible. A team's score is based on the amount of time it takes all four jumpers to reach the assembly point with all their equipment and their parachutes.
13 Complete OCS
Thirteen Army National Guardsmen fulfilled career milestones in August by completing the 18-month long preparatory Officer Candidate School at the Regional Training Institute in Macon.
The newest members of the Army Guard Officers Corps were part of Class 41. The next step for the newly commissioned second lieutenants will be to attend Officer Basic course. Among the new graduates are 2nd Lt. Charlie Collins of Register, 2nd Lt. Tony Collins of Covington; 2nd Lt. Charles Crosby of Valdosta; 2nd Lt. Joseph Crevar and 2nd Lt. Jamie Hall of Kennesaw; 2nd Lt. Daniel Hunter of Statesboro; 2nd Lt. James Iturralde of Columbus; 2nd Lt. Trevis McCullough of Albany; 2nd Lt. Sharolette Mills of Powder Springs; 2nd Lt. Bryan Peterson

of Savannah; 2nd Lt. Mark Reed of McDonough; and 2nd Lt. Vladimir SotoSanchez of Jonesboro.
Family members, friends and fellow Guardsmen were on hand to watch Class 41 be sworn in and be pinned with their new rank.
LRSC Challenge Tests Guardsmen's Skills
Members of Company H, 221st Military Intelligence Battalion, held their 10th annual Long Range Surveillance Company Challenge, Aug. 2-4. During this 36-hour event, the LRSC soldiers pushed their bodies and their minds to the point of exhaustion to find out who was the best among the 12 competing teams.
The six-man team, taking first place this year came from the unit's third platoon. Led by Sgt. Mike Millett, the team included Cpl. Thomas Davis, Cpl. Paul Perkerson, Spc. Michael Blythe, Pfc. Jason Lewis and Pfc. William Campbell.
Held every year since 1992 the LRSC Challenge is a series of events meant to test each soldier's physical and mental skills, along with their ability to work as part of a team.
During the competition, each group had to successfully complete an obstacle course, a 1.5-mile run up Kennesaw Mountain and a night land navigation exercise at Coosa Training Area in north Georgia. Day two of the LRSC Challenge involved a series of stations where team members tested their skills and knowledge about communications, weapons, grenades and claymore mines. They were also challenged in the areas of carrying wounded and identifying NATO and non-NATO military vehicles.
There also was the "121 Challenge," where each team had to do 121 sit-ups, pushups and pull-ups. This year's "mystery event" had the 12 teams crossing a rope bridge, with all their equipment, above the depths of the training area's Tiger Creek.
Civilian Supervisor, Company Honored
A Delta Airlines supervisor and the Atlanta-based company were honored in August by Georgia National Guard officials for their support of the Guard and those Delta employees who serve as traditional Guardsmen.
Maj. Gen. David B. Poythress, Georgia's Adjutant General, made the presentations before a small gathering of Georgia Guard and Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve officials, and Delta representatives. The ceremony was held at the company's Technical Operations facility at Hartsfield International Airport.
Tom Cooper, director of programs and planning at Tech Ops, received a certificate of appreciation from Poythress on behalf of the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.
Cooper was nominated by Chief Warrant Officer 3, Peter J. Demko of 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment in Winder, and 3rd Battalion's command sergeant major, Command Sgt. Maj. Larry Glass. Demko, flies UH1-N Huey helicopters with the Winder unit, works under Cooper as a senior project manager.
Because of Delta's continual support of the Guard and Reserve as a civilian employer, it received the National Guard's Minuteman Award. Stepping up to receive this honor was Ray Valeika, Delta's senior vice president of technical operations.
Guard Helps Youths Realize Dreams
Thanks to the Georgia Army National Guard, three disadvantaged Decatur youngsters had their wishes to see military equipment and meet soldiers come true. Their military adventure was filmed by an Atlanta television news crew and is scheduled to appear on WAGA-TV Channel 5 on Sept. 18.
The four youths, ranging in ages from four to nine, were taken to the Winder/Barrow County airport where they had the opportunity to see Company C, 1st Battalion, 171st Aviation Regiment in operation. The children sat in the

cockpit of the UH-1 Huey helicopter, met with flight crewmembers and were given a tour of the unit. Two brightly painted recruiting Humvees awaited the youngsters to take them across town to Headquarters, 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry, where they escorted through some of the unit's Bradley fighting vehicles.
The tour, which lasted more four hours, will be shown on Channel 5's "Wednesday's Child."
"Wednesday's Child" facilitates the dreams and interests of Atlanta's disadvantaged children. Sgt. Victor Thomas, retention NCO for 1st Battalion, 78th Troop Command received the initial call from Channel 5 officials about helping the youngsters and organized the daylong program.
Guardsmen Raze More Dwellings
Soldiers with the 878th Engineer Battalion were back at it again, this time in Sandersville where they demolished 15 dilapidated buildings identified by authorities being used for production and distribution of illegal drugs.
In a continuing program, organized under the coordination of the Georgia Counterdrug Task Force, the engineers have taken down more than 25 similar dwellings since May known for their criminal and drug links in Atlanta, Tallapoosa and now Sandersville.
The 878th gets valuable training while performing this community service at the request of area civic leaders and law enforcement officials. Once community leaders make sure the dwellings are uninhabitable, environmentally safe and clear of any legal entanglements, the Guardsmen move in and bring the structures down.
King Takes Command of 108th
Maj. John F. King assumed command of Calhoun's 1st Battalion, 108th Armor, in August during a change of command ceremony at Calhoun High School's Phil Reeves Stadium. King, who was the 48th Brigade's operations and training officer, accepted authority for 108th Armor from Lt. Col. Kenneth C. Roberts.
Roberts, who spent three and a half years as the battalion commander, has been assigned full-time to the mobilization branch of Forces Command at Fort McPherson in Atlanta.
Two Take Over 117th ACS
Lt. Col. Richard B. Austin IV and Lt. Col. Michael Rumsey took over command of the 117th Air Control Squadron and its detachment in August from its retiring commander, Lt. Col. William (Cary) Downing.
Austin took charge of the squadron, while Rumsey became commander of the unit's detachment, during a change-of-command ceremony at Hunter Army Air Field in Savannah. Austin, who lives in Winston, has been with the 117th Air Control Wing for 11 years. Rumsey, formerly detachment commander of Macon's 202nd Engineer Installation Squadron before moving to the 117th, is a 21-year military veteran.
HQ STARC Has New Commander
Lt. Col. Danny T. Stone is the new commander at Headquarters, STARC. Stone accepted his new post from the outgoing commander, Lt. Col. Iva Wilson-Burke during a change of command ceremony in August at Oglethorpe Armory.
After the traditional passing of the guidon, Brig. Gen. William "Terry" Nesbitt, commander Georgia Army Guard, presented Wilson-Burke with the Army Meritorious Service Medal for her three successful years as STARC commander.
Medals, New Unit on SDF Slate

Members of the 1st Brigade, Georgia State Defense Force, will be awarded the Georgia Commendation Medal Sept. 11 for their service at the Georgia State Department of Defense complex in Atlanta. Then Sept. 15, the SDF will activate a new medical unit in Savannah.
The awards ceremony is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. in the command conference room at Building 21. Making the presentation will be Lt. Col. Bruce Berger, anti-terrorist officer for the Confederate Avenue complex.
The honorees, who are assigned to the 1st Brigade's first and second battalions, put in an enormous amount of time at night and on weekends for six months on the Confederate Avenue complex by manning the main entrance and participating in foot patrols since the terrorist attacks this past year.
Four days after the ceremony, Brig. Gen. Joel Seymour, the State Defense Force commander, will activate the organization's new air medical detachment in Savannah. The activation will take place at 2 p.m. at the 165th Airlift Wing headquarters.
Col. (Ret.) Sydney J. Morgan will command the detachment. Dr. Morgan was state surgeon for the Georgia Air National Guard prior to his retirement on Aug. 31. His unit will support the 165th by performing physicals and a variety of other medical task.
SDF Soldier Honored
Maj. Leon Lovett of the Georgia State Defense Force was awarded the Army Achievement Medal during a June ceremony at Fort Stewart for his assistance to an active Army unit.
Lt. Col. Kenneth Gantt, commander, 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery, presented the medal to Lovett who is the executive officer of the SDF's 2nd Brigade. Lovett received his award for meritorious service while assisting the battalion in the Battleking Fling, the unit's Spring Dinning-in, which is held annually.
Lovett, a former Georgia Army National Guard infantry officer and history aficionado, has been assisting 3rd Infantry Division artillery units with processing historical information for the past several years.
Suggestions, Ideas Encouraged
Georgia Department of Defense employees who have suggestions or ideas on how to improve their organization's operations can submit them and receive cash or other awards if they are used.
Eligible personnel include Army and Air Guardsmen, federal technicians and civilian employees. Suggestions and ideas for the Army Guard can be submitted on NGB Form No. 6, while those regarding the Air Guard can be documented on AF Form No. 1000. Both can be found the Georgia Human Resources Web site at http://www.gahro.com/
For more information contact Sgt. Merlyn Gore, incentive awards program manager, at 404-624-6428.
NCOs, Officers Attend Annual Conference
More than 200 of the Georgia Army National Guard's top NCOs and officers attended the Army National Guard leadership conference and awards banquet in Augusta.
This annual event brings unit commanders and top NCOs from across the state together to share ideas and talk about resources needed for unit readiness. The Guardsmen attended classes during the three-day conference. They had the opportunity to gather and discuss the day's events on a more casual level during the evening.
Col. Dave Macky, the planning, operations and training officer for the New York Army National Guard was guest speaker at the awards banquet. During his speech, he described for the audience how the events of Sept. 11, 2001, provided New York Guardsmen with a hard lesson in preparedness.

Macky also presented a display of photos that depicted the events that took place at the World Trade Center. He talked about what it took for the New York Guard to deploy its troops and resources during the rescue and security operations. The hush of the crowd throughout the banquet room told of the emotional impact it had the audience.
The lumps in their throats went away when the ceremony changed gears and many of the Georgia Guardsmen received awards for their accomplishments during the past year.
Macky received an appreciation award from Maj. Gen. David B. Poythress, Georgia's Adjutant General, on behalf of the Georgia Guard.
History Workshop, Society Conference Announced
A workshop for Georgia Army and Air National Guard unit historians will be conducted, noon to 4:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 25, at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville. 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 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 following Saturday, in the school's Centennial Center. A $20 registration fee is payable at the door, and it includes a catered lunch.
Information about the conference and hotel rates can also be at the Historical Society Web site or by calling Hardwick.
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. Maj. Gen. David B. Poythress, Georgia's Adjutant General will also speak.
116th Airmen Bring Home Trophies
Three teams from the 116th Bomb Wing competed and placed in the annual Air National Guard slow pitch softball tournament in Dayton, Ohio, Aug. 8-10. They were among 26 teams from across the U.S. to participate.
The team competing in the men's open classification, which was last year's champion, won second place overall this year, while other teams from the 116th top spot in the consolation bracket, and third in the over 35 division. This is the first time in several years that all three trophies returned to Georgia.
Georgia Team Continues Toward its Goal
Six Georgia Army Guardsmen continue pounding the pavement and sharpening their running abilities as the time draws nearer for the annual running of the Army Ten-Miler in October.
Lead by Master Sgt. Grady Gayton, 1st Battalion, 78th Troop Command, the team will be among the estimated 18,000 runners from across the United States expected to participate in this year's race.
"It's hard work, but it's going great," he said. "The team is putting forth a super effort to make this a great race, for the team and the Georgia National Guard."

Joining Gayton at the starting line outside the Pentagon for the 2002 race will be teammates Spc. Michael Bail of the 171st Aviation Regiment at Dobbins Air Reserve Base; Command Sgt. Maj. Mark Bender and Maj. Susan Shield, both of 78th Troop Command in Decatur; 1st Sgt. Mike Hurndon of Company H, 221st Military Intelligence Battalion t at Fort Gillem; and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joanna Williamson of Company D, 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment in Winder.
The 2001 race was cancelled because of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11. This year's Ten-Miler will be a memorial those who lost their lives, and a tribute to those who continue to the fight against terrorism, Gayton said. This is the first time in five years the Georgia Guard has been represented at the Ten-Miler, he added.
Family Readiness Workshop is Sept. 13-15
The Georgia National Guard Family Readiness Office holds its annual training workshop Sept. 13-15 at the Atlanta Marriott Gwinnett Place in Duluth.
Registration begins at noon, Sept. 13, with the day's seminars starting at 2 p.m. Exceptional family readiness volunteers will be honored during a banquet planned for 6 p.m., Sept. 14.
The workshop concludes at noon Sept. 15. For more information contact Lt. Col. LaNita R. Kuhn at 404-624-6454 or DSN: 338-6454 or Altamese Finch at 404-624-6420 or DSN: 338-6420.
Guard Cookbooks Now Available
This year's National Guard Cookbook is out and ready for purchase from the Georgia National Guard's Family Readiness Office.
At $10 per copy, the new cookbooks offer a variety of special recipes from Guardsmen, Guard and Department of Defense employees and family members from across the state. Anyone wanting a copy should contact Lt. Col. LaNita R. Kuhn, family readiness coordinator, at 404-624-6454 or 1-800-625-5843.
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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