Georgia DOD Home First Friday Briefing for February, 2003 In this issue: Deployments, Alerts Continue 1177th Begins Deployment Army Guard Commander Sets Example Georgia Captures Diversity Awards Armor Up! -- 108th Hits the `Sims' for NTC Airmen Patrol Skies Above Canaveral Two From 116th Complete ABM School SDF Conducts Casualty, Public Affairs Training 116th Guardsman Named Recruiter of the Year Counterdrug Task Force Soldiers Get Dunked Air Guard's 202nd Captures Top EI Honors National Guard Back in the Running at NASCAR Nominate your Boss to Attend the Turkey Shoot Photo Gallery OCS Orientation - Air Guard "Survivor" Appearance - New Army Guard 0-6 (Click on photos for larger image. Hold down mouse over photo for more information) Deployments, Alerts Continue More Soldiers, Airmen on the Move With the war on terrorism pushing forward and the pressure on Iraq to disarm increasing, the deployment of Georgia Army and Air National Guardsmen in support of operations Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom continues to mount. As of February 7 some 1,300 Army National Guard soldiers from Georgia have either been mobilized or have been assigned mobilization dates. Nearly 1,000 more have been alerted for possible mobilization. In the Air National Guard, units from Savannah and Brunswick have rotated Guardsmen into the theater of operations, while some 300 airmen, both National Guard and active duty, have been deployed from the "combined" 116th Air Control Squadron. Additional, nearly 110 Air Guard Security Police remain on duty providing force protection at Robins AFB and in Savannah. Full Story Four Family Assistance Centers Re-open Family Assistance Centers will open in four armories in the northern half of Georgia on February 7, 2003 in Marietta, Elberton, Augusta, and Winder armories. Full Story More photos and stories on the web 1177th Begins Deployment Soldiers of the 1177th Transportation Company said goodbye to families and friends earlier this month as they began their mission to support Operation Noble and homeland security. The unit's estimated 160 Guardsmen and their supporters gathered at the LaGrange armory for a last meal and farewells around late afternoon Feb. 1. Early the following morning, much of their gear already on its way to Fort Bragg, N.C., the soldiers boarded buses while clutching a single carry-on bag and then headed out on their own journey to Bragg. Once it has completed its indoctrination, the 117th will return to Georgia but it won't be performing its usual mission of moving people, supplies and equipment. This time, the unit will be handling other duties as it augments security forces here at two active-duty Air Force bases. The soldiers of the 1177th could be on duty for up to one year. More photo on the web Army Guard Commander Sets Example The Commander of the Georgia Army National Guard wants to send a clear message to all of his soldiers that taking the Anthrax vaccine is a smart thing to do. That's why Brigadier General Terry Nesbitt was among the first to line up during the February drill to take the first of a series of shots against the deadly disease. Nesbitt received the shot from Spc. Anne Marie Bielefeld, a medic with Medical Company C, 148th Heavy Support Battalion, who was administering inoculations to deploying Guard members. Georgia Captures Diversity Awards 116th Airman Takes Individual Honor The state's efforts to create a highly diversified, motivated work environment, and the efforts of an individual Georgia Air National Guardsman, have resulted in two significant honors by the National Guard Bureau in Washington. The Georgia Department of Defense was awarded the Excellence in Diversity Award in January, and Chief Master Sgt. Percy L. Freeman, human resources advisor for the 116th Air Control Wing, was honored with the Individual Excellence in Diversity Award Maj. Gen. David B. Poythress, Georgia's Adjutant General, and Col. Tom Lynn, who commands the 116th Air Control Wing, traveled to the nation's capitol in January to accept awards from Lt. Gen. Daniel James III, Chief of the Air National Guard. Lynn accepted the individual award for Freeman, who was unable to attend. More photos and stories on the web Armor Up! 108th Hits the `Sims' for NTC Elements of 1st Battalion, 108th Armor stepped into the virtual training world in mid-to-late January at the Calhoun armory to prepare for its upcoming rotation to the Army's National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., in 2005. This was the first of two rounds for the Georgia tankers in the Army's Close Combat Tactical Trainer system (CCTT). The 108th will climb back into the system's M1A1 Abrams tank simulators in 2004. For three consecutive weekends, tankers with Rome's Company A, Canton's Company B and Company C from Dalton, tested their combat and communications skills, and their ability to work as teams. The simulated battles in which they participated were filled with tactical situations the Guardsmen may find themselves when they face the NTC's OPFOR. Full Story Airmen Patrol Skies Above Canaveral When the space shuttle Columbia and its crew of seven headed into space in mid-January, 50 members of the 117th Air Control Squadron were electronically scanning the skies above Cape Canaveral, Fla., for unidentified aircraft venturing into restricted airspace. the hours before liftoff. This was the sixth shuttle launch for the Savannahbased airmen. Maj. Victor Long, who commands the group, said his radar crews are constantly monitoring the skies but the mission becomes more intense during The 117th's assignment to watch over the sprawling Florida launch complex came about because of Sept. 11, 2001, said Lt. Col. Dick Austin, the unit's commander. He explained that NASA and the Air Force Space Command realized how vulnerable the shuttle is to attack and decided to tighten security on the ground and in the air. Full Story More photos and stories on the web Two From 116th Complete ABM School Non-flyers first to attend Capt. Tom Grabowski and 1st. Lt. Robbie Key are the first members of the 116th Air Control Wing to graduate from the 325th Air Control Squadron's Air Battle Management School at Tindle Air Force Base, Panama City, Fla. Before the school, Grabowski commanded the 116th's communications squadron, while Key was in charge of the wing's security force squadron. Both gave up their non-flying positions to take the first step in becoming aviators qualified to fly the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) jet. Full Story SDF Conducts Casualty. Public Affairs Training Members of the Georgia State Defense Force Army Medical Detachment used their one-day drill for February learning the "ins and outs" of moving the injured to and from an ambulance. The training took place at the State Department of Defense complex in Atlanta. More than 20 of the medics, many of them who work as civilian paramedics, firefighters and police officers, spent the day hauling volunteers who acted as patients in and out of a Fulton County Emergency Medical Service Ambulance. While their colleagues were honing their emergency skills, another group of SDF officers and enlisted members received training on how to better reach out to their communities and tell the SDF story. Full story Guardsman Named Recruiter of the Year Master Sgt. Rick Gottschalk, a recruiter with the 116th Air Control Wing, is the Region III Production Recruiter of the Year for fiscal year 2002. He will receive a gold recruiter's badge, which signifies his being the best among his peers, during the annual Air National Guard Recruiting and Retention workshop scheduled for April in St. Louis, Mo. Full Story Counterdrug Task Force Soldiers Get Dunked Members of the Georgia Counterdrug Task Force Reconnaissance and Interdiction Detachment (RAID) underwent Navy Helicopter Water Egress training in January. RAID personnel are required to take this training because they may be called upon to conduct drug interdiction missions along Georgia's coastline and off shore. Full Story Air Guard's 202nd Captures Top EI Honors Master Sergeant Richard B. Putnam of Macon's 202nd Engineering and Installation Squadron garnered the top award in the Air National Guard Engineering and Installation community by winning the Air National Guard's Engineer of the Year Award for 2002. He was recognized for installing complete fiber optic and copper cable installation for the $100 million B-1B bed-down facility at the 116th Bomb Wing at Robins Air Force Base. The 202nd also among the finalists for the Air National Guard Support Person of the Year award with Master Sergeant Leslie A. Allen, a 12-year GA ANG veteran being among the top three finalists for the prestigious honor. In other 202nd news, Msgt Anthony Davis was recognized as the First Sergeant of the Year for the Georgia Air National Guard. National Guard Back in the Running at NASCAR Car No. 54 has new team, driver The National Guard racecar is back on the NASCAR racing scene this season under the ownership of the sport's first minority racing team and with a new driver behind the steering wheel. BelCar Racing, under the partnership of Sam Belnavis and car owner Travis Carter, began putting the No. 54 car through its paces this past week in a three-day test session at Daytona, Fla. The man sitting in the driver seat this season is Winston Cup winner Todd Bodine. Belnavis and Carter believe the veteran NASCAR driver has what it takes to put the car and the team in the winner's circle. Full Story and Race Schedule Nominate Your Boss to Attend the Turkey Shoot Want to send your boss on a trip? How about the Georgia National Guard's annual Turkey Shoot? The Turkey Shoot is being hosted by the Georgia Guard and the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve at the Townsend Bombing Range on Thursday, May 15. It is a daylong event of bombing and strafing competitions between Air Force, Navy, Marines, National Guard and Reserves. Transportation arrangements will be aboard C-130 and CH-47 aircraft. Full story Photo Spotlight (Click on photos for larger image) Ivan Nemorin, of McDonough, is sworn into the Georgia Army National Guard by Brig. Gen. Terry Nesbitt. Nemorin entered the Guard in a unique enlistment ceremony along with his twin brother during the January drill. More photo on the web Georgia National Guardsmen, being introduced to Officer Candidate School, knock out a few pull-ups at the Regional Training Institute in Macon Saturday January 11, 2003 prior to entering the dining facility. If they choose to join, participants can choose to complete the 18-month course or an accelerated eightweek 'fast-track' program. Colonel (Retired) Paschal English was the guest speaker at the Georgia Air Guard Commanders' Conference in January. The retired Georgia Guardsman gained fame last year as one of the last remaining castaways on the "Survivor" television series. Pictured above, "Pappy," as he became known on the series, poses with Maj. Gen. Wick Searcy, commander of the Georgia Air National Guard. Georgia Army National Guard Col. Iva Wilson-Burke is pinned to the rank of colonel by her father, retired Chief Warrant Officer Ivory Wilson, and Brig. Gen. Terry Nesbitt, Georgia Army National Guard commander, on Saturday January 11. She is the first African-American female to be promoted to colonel in the Georgia National Guard. Wilson-Burke, former commander of Georgia's Headquarters Detachment, State Area Command, is now the military personnel officer and the distance-learning manager. More photo on the web Governor Sonny Perdue reviews a formation of Georgia Army and Air National Guard members in front of the State Capitol shortly after his inauguration. The 530th Air Force Band was also on hand to welcome the new governor when he arrived at the Capitol on his first day. More photo on the web Lt. Gen. David B. Poythress The Adjutant General of Georgia March 30, 2007 Time: 2:29 pm Security Notice Army National Guard FAQ The latest news from the Georgia Army National Guard. | 2007 NCO, soldier Named | Hurricane Exercise Tests Readines | Guard Deploys to Americus to Aid Relief Effort | G-RAP Pays Off for Guardsman | CERFP Unit Ramps Up With Joint Training Exercise | Lt. Col. Wood Earns Bronze Star | 4th CST Welcomes New commander | Warren Promoted | 221st Welcomes New Commander | Gober Earns Eagles | Artillerymen Honored During Saint Barbara Day Celebration | Calhoun Resident Receives Medals... 60 Years Late | Air National Guard FAQ The latest news from the Georgia Air National Guard. | Col. Moore Assumes Command of the 116th |Doehling Retires as 116th Vice-Cmdr | Cotter Tapped to Attend Air, Space School | New Positions Follow 165th Change | Smart to Lead 165th | 116th's Thetford lands at State's Airfields | 116th ACW Brings Cheer to Area Families | 283rd Earns Air Force Honor | Basketball Life Pays Off for 116th Officer | 138th MIC Gets New Commander | State Defense Force Read the latest news from the Georgia State Defense Force. GADOD News | Governor Inspects Guard During Inauguration Ceremony | |Final YCA Graduation of 2006 Held | Guard Acquires NAS Atlanta property | 138 Graduate from YCA | 23 Earn Public Employee Recognition Honors | Governor Addresses YCA Grads | Employess Earn Faithful Service Awards | About GADOD ESGR YCA Fort Stewart YCA Fort Gordon Facilities Inspector General Jobs Family Readiness Organizational Development Strategic Plan 2007 NCO, Soldier of the Year Named Click Here Hurricane Exercise Tests Guard Readiness Click Here Need the IG? Click Here Agency Biographies Annual Report Command Briefing First Friday History Ga Air Guard Boarstale HRO Joint Customer Service Team Joint Operations Jobs Money National Guard Foundation National Guard Assoc. of Georgia National Guard Bureau Photo Gallery (on "gadod.net") Photo Gallery Retirements, Awards Requesting Com. Relations Support Safety Speakers' Resource Center UPAR News Upcoming Events Warrant Officers' Web Youth Challenge National Program 48th BCT In Iraq Google Search Security Notice The Georgia Department of Defense Web site is provided as a public service by the Georgia Department of Defense Directorate of Communications, Atlanta , GA. Information presented on the Georgia Department of Defense Web site is considered public information and may be distributed or copied. Use of appropriate byline/photo/image credits is requested. For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users. This government computer system employs software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. Unauthorized attempts to deny service, upload information, change information, or to attempt to access a non-public site from this service are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under Title 18 of the U.S. Code to include the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1987 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act. Return to First Friday Briefing Georgia Army National Guard Sgt Reynaldo Moreno, a 148th Air Ambulance Medical Company avionics mechanic, repairs an avionics device on one of the unit's UH-1, aka Huey, helicopters Thursday January 23, 2003. The 148th deployed to Fort Hood, Texas, in support of Operation Noble Eagle the homeland security mission that continues since the tragic events of September 11, 2001. He has no qualms about going even though he leaves behind his wife and family. "I'm here to do my job," he said with enthusiasm. Moreno, a Guardsman for five years, has also served in the Navy, as an electrician, and the Army, as an infantryman. (Georgia National Guard photo by Sgt. Jeff Lowry) Return to First Friday Briefing Georgia Army National Guard members of the 148th Air Ambulance Medical Company leave in UH-1 Hueys as a reporter interviews Command Sgt. Maj. Larry Glass (far right) and Maj. Tony Sutter watches Sunday Jan. 26, 2003. The 148th deployed to Fort Hood, Texas, in support of Operation Noble Eagle, the homeland security mission that continues since the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001. (Georgia National Guard photo by Sgt. Jeff Lowry) Return to First Friday Briefing Related Story: Family Assistance Centers reopen Deployments, Alerts Continue More Soldiers, Airmen on the Move With the war on terrorism pushing forward and the pressure on Iraq to disarm increasing, the deployment of Georgia Army and Air National Guardsmen in support of operations Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom continues to mount. As of February 7 some 1,300 Army National Guard soldiers from Georgia have either been mobilized or have been assigned a mobilization date. Nearly 1,000 more have been alerted for possible mobilization. In the Air National Guard, units from Savannah and Brunswick have rotated Guardsmen into the theater of operations, while some 300 airmen, both National Guard and active duty, have been deployed from the "combined" 116th Air Control Squadron. Additional, nearly 110 Air Guard Security Police remain on duty providing force protection at Robins AFB and in Savannah. Here's a look at current Georgia Guard mobilizations in support of Operations Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom: Georgia Army National Guard 202nd Explosive Ordnance Disposal Kennesaw Mobilized December 2002 Assigned to Ft. Bragg, NC 3rd Infantry Detachment Ft. Stewart Mobilized January 2003 and deployed to Southwest Asia as part of the 3rd Infantry Division from Ft. Stewart. 148th Medical Company (Air Ambulance) Winder Deployed in January to Ft. Hood Texas to back-fill a unit that is deployed overseas. Will provide air ambulance support for Forts Hood, Riley, Sill, Bliss and Carson. 1177th Transportation Company - LaGrange and Cedartown Mobilized in January and deployed to Fort Bragg, N.C. Will support Operation Noble Eagle homeland security efforts 75th Engineers - Ft Stewart Mobilized in January and deployed to Fort Bragg, N.C. Will support Operation Noble Eagle homeland security efforts. 1230th Transportation Company Bainbridge and Columbus Mobilized in January and deployed to Fort Bragg, N.C. Will support Operation Noble Eagle homeland security efforts Company B, 161st Medical Battalion Marietta Mobilized on February 2, 2003. Will deploy to Fort Stewart to prepare to possible deployment to an undisclosed overseas location as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. 1148th Transportation Company Thomasville and Moultrie Mobilized on February 3, 2003. Will deploy to Fort Benning to support Operation Noble Eagle homeland security efforts 221st Military Intelligence Battalion Fort Gillem Will mobilize on February 7, 2003 and will train at Fort Stewart to prepare for deployment to an undisclosed overseas location as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. 265th Engineer Group Decatur Will mobilize on February 7, 2003 and will train at Fort Stewart to prepare for deployment to an undisclosed overseas location as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. 277 Maintenance Company Kennesaw Will mobilize on February 10, 2003 to prepare for deployment to mobilization station and subsequent deployment to an undisclosed overseas location as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Additionally, units totally approximately 1,100 soldiers have been alerted to possible mobilization. Georgia Air National Guard 116th Security Police Squadron - Robins AFB (60 members) Providing security at Robins Air Force Base. Has been extended for a second year 165th Security Police Squadron - Savannah (71 members) Providing security at Travis Field in Savannah. Has been extended for a second year 117th Air Control Squadron Savannah Rotating airmen onto active duty and deployed to various locations in the US and overseas. 224th Joint Communications Support Squadron Brunswick Rotating airmen onto active duty and deployed to various locations in the US and overseas. 165th Aerial Port Squadron - Savannah Rotating airmen onto active duty and deployed to various locations in the US and overseas. 116th Air Control Wing Robins AFB Approximately 300 airmen deployed consisting of both National Guard and active duty members of the combined wing. 165th Air Support Operations Squadron Brunswick 10 airmen mobilized and 6 deployed. Return to First Friday Briefing Return to First Friday Briefing Four Family Assistance Centers Re-open Family Assistance Centers will open in four armories in the northern half of Georgia on February 7, 2003 in Marietta, Elberton, Augusta, and Winder armories. Personnel will be assigned to armories to assists families of deployed Guardsmen of the unit's mission, benefits and entitlements, the military pay system and their role upon mobilization. Family Assistance Center personnel will be available indefinitely to answer these questions as well as serve as a vital link between families, the rear detachment commander, and the deployed family members. For more information, contact Ms. Barbara McCaa or Lt. Col. Renee Kuhn at (404) 624-6453. Return to First Friday Briefing Return to First Friday Briefing Georgia Army National Guardsman Spc. Sonya Ivey, of Columbus and a driver with 1177th Transportation Company in Lagrange, packs her equipment Saturday, January 11, 2003. The 1177th is scheduled to deploy in support of Operation Noble Eagle, a homeland security mission. (Georgia Army National Guard photo by Spc. Heath Stone, 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment) Return to First Friday Briefing Georgia Army National Guard Spc. Anne Marie Bielefeld, a medic with Medical Company C, 148th Heavy Support Battalion, gives an anthrax shot to Georgia Army National Guard commander, Brig. Gen. Terry Nesbitt, Saturday Feb. 1, 2003. Return to First Friday Briefing While the battle may be over, the mission isn't until a review of what went right and what needs to be improved upon is discussed. Capt. James Clements (center), Company B's commander, talks with some of his tankers after one of several simulations has ended. (Georgia National Guard photo by Sgt. Roy Henry) Return to First Friday Briefing Armor Up! 108th Hits the `Sims' for NTC Elements of 1st Battalion, 108th Armor stepped into the virtual training world in mid-to-late January at the Calhoun armory to prepare for its upcoming rotation to the Army's National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., in 2005. This was the first of two rounds for the Georgia tankers in the Army's Close Combat Tactical Trainer system (CCTT). The 108th will climb back into the system's M1A1 Abrams tank simulators in 2004. For three consecutive weekends, tankers with Rome's Company A, Canton's Company B and Company C from Dalton, tested their combat and communications skills, and their ability to work as teams. The simulated battles in which they participated were filled with tactical situations the Guardsmen may find themselves when they face the NTC's OPFOR. During its three weeks at NTC, the unit will test its combat readiness and the survivability of its tank crews. The last time the 108th trained at Fort Irwin was in 1996. Based at Fort Jackson, S.C., the CCTT system is a group of simulators that duplicate the Abrams main crew and driver compartments. Each simulator is connected to the system's command and control station by computer. A variety of simulations that the Army has already established for its tankers are used during the simulation, or the unit's commander can use his own scenario to train his crews. Tankers are tested on vehicle identification, communications and navigation, gunnery and loader skills, and driver ability. Return to First Friday Briefing Return to First Friday Briefing Airmen with the 117th Air Control Squadron mann the electronic systems that allowed them to watch the skies over Cape Canaveral, Fla., before and during the launch of shuttle Columbia. Return to First Friday Briefing Airmen Patrol Skies Above Canaveral When the space shuttle Columbia and its crew of seven headed into space in mid-January, 50 members of the 117th Air Control Squadron were electronically scanning the skies above Cape Canaveral, Fla., for unidentified aircraft venturing into restricted airspace. This was the sixth shuttle launch for the Savannah-based airmen. Maj. Victor Long, who commands the group, said his radar crews are constantly monitoring the skies but the mission becomes more intense during the hours before liftoff. The 117th's assignment to watch over the sprawling Florida launch complex came about because of Sept. 11, 2001, said Lt. Col. Dick Austin, the unit's commander. He explained that NASA and the Air Force Space Command realized how vulnerable the shuttle is to attack and decided to tighten security on the ground and in the air. Austin said the 117th is the only Air Guard unit of its kind assigned to support shuttle launches. Editors Note: This news brief was written shortly after Columbia's Jan. 16 launch. As members of the shuttle launch team, the airmen of the 117th share a special relationship with the people who work with the U.S. Space Shuttle program. The 117th is deeply sorrowed by the recent loss of Columbia and its gallant crew. Return to First Friday Briefing Return to First Friday Briefing Capt. Tom Grabowski and 1st. Lt. Robbie Key are the first members of the 116th Air Control Wing to graduate from the 325th Air Control Squadron's Air Battle Management School at Tindle Air Force Base, Panama City, Fla. Return to First Friday Briefing Two From 116th Complete ABM School Non-flyers first to attend Capt. Tom Grabowski and 1st. Lt. Robbie Key are the first members of the 116th Air Control Wing to graduate from the 325th Air Control Squadron's Air Battle Management School at Tindle Air Force Base, Panama City, Fla. Before the school, Grabowski commanded the 116th's communications squadron, while Key was in charge of the wing's security force squadron. Both gave up their non-flying positions to take the first step in becoming aviators qualified to fly the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) jet. Grabowski, Key and nine other classmates, now move on to 116th's 330th Combat Training Squadron. The 330th will teach them to fly the E-8C and take on the JSTARS mission. Once Grabowski and Key earn their wings they will be assigned one of the 166th's tactical squadrons and begin their flying careers. Return to First Friday Briefing Return to First Friday Briefing SDF Conducts Casualty. Public Affairs Training Members of the Georgia State Defense Force Army Medical Detachment used their one-day drill for February learning the "ins and outs" of moving the injured to and from an ambulance. The training took place at the State Department of Defense complex in Atlanta. More than 20 of the medics, many of them who work as civilian paramedics, firefighters and police officers, spent the day hauling volunteers who acted as patients in and out of a Fulton County Emergency Medical Service Ambulance. While their colleagues were honing their emergency skills, another group of SDF officers and enlisted members received training on how to better reach out to their communities and tell the SDF story. About 13 Defense Force volunteers participated in the Georgia National Guard's Unit Public Affairs Representative Course held at the State Department of Defense complex in Atlanta. Soldiers of the 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment provided instruction. UPAR training teaches soldiers how to establish a rapport with the civilian media in their area. They also learn how to: q Write a variety of military news releases about events that happen with their units. q Take photographs of soldiers in action, as well as photograph ceremonies that take place within their commands. q How to present information about events and soldiers to the civilian media for inclusion in area news publications and for airing on are radio and television stations. Getting the word out about the accomplishments of individual soldiers and their units promotes the State Defense Force and its reason for existing, along with assisting the organization in its recruiting efforts. Return to First Friday Briefing Return to First Friday Briefing Guardsman Named Recruiter of the Year Master Sgt. Rick Gottschalk, a recruiter with the 116th Air Control Wing, is the Region III Production Recruiter of the Year for fiscal year 2002. He will receive a gold recruiter's badge, which signifies his being the best among his peers, during the annual Air National Guard Recruiting and Retention workshop scheduled for April in St. Louis, Mo. Gottschalk competed against more than 150 Air National Guard recruiters from 12 states to win the Region III competition. His selection automatically places him into the national competition for Production Recruiter of the Year for FY 02. He is one of five Air Guardsmen from across the U.S. and its territories hoping to earn that honor. The winner of the national title will be named during the annual workshop. Gottschalk began his military career in the information management field of the Air Force Reserves in 1995 at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan. Upon moving to Oklahoma in 1996, he joined that state's Air National Guard, and in 1997 switched his career field to recruiting. Gottschalk transferred to the Georgia Air National Guard in 2002 and was assigned as a recruiter with the 116th. Return to First Friday Briefing Return to First Friday Briefing Counterdrug Task Force Soldiers Get Dunked Members of the Georgia Counterdrug Task Force Reconnaissance and Interdiction Detachment (RAID) underwent Navy Helicopter Water Egress training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. RAID personnel are required to take this training. This is because they may be called upon to conduct drug interdiction missions along Georgia's coastline and off shore. During egress training, participants are seated inside a simulated helicopter fuselage just as they would be on a real mission. The fuselage is sent into a pool to duplicate the conditions of a helicopter going down in the water. Upon hitting the water, the simulator goes underwater, and its occupants must free themselves from their seats, exit the aircraft and make their way to the surface. Getting into the water egress course calls for participants to prepare themselves for the challenge. RAID personnel, for example, spent several hours in early January taking part in swim tests, with and without their flight equipment. That initial training took place at the Cobb County Aquatic Center, and was facilitated by the center's recreation director Peter Conrady. Return to First Friday Briefing Return to First Friday Briefing National Guard Back in the Running at NASCAR Car No. 54 has new team, driver The National Guard racecar is back on the NASCAR racing scene this season under the ownership of the sport's first minority racing team and with a new driver behind the steering wheel. BelCar Racing, under the partnership of Sam Belnavis and car owner Travis Carter, began putting the No. 54 car through its paces this past week in a three-day test session at Daytona, Fla. The man sitting in the driver seat this season is Winston Cup winner Todd Bodine. Belnavis and Carter believe the veteran NASCAR driver has what it takes to put the car and the team in the winner's circle. BH Motorsports, which ran the National Guard car last year, tried to run three races during the 2002 season with Ron Hornaday driving No. 54. But inclement weather canceled qualifying twice and Hornaday failed to make the field in the other. Hornaday did compete in the ARCA series event at Lowe's Motor Speedway and finished second. He said BelCar's involvement in racing is focused on enhancing the diversity effort in NASCAR as well as increasing the recruitment efforts and retention rates of the team's primary advertiser. The Army National Guard, along with Bodine and the resources that Travis Carter brings to BelCar, are helping the team lay the groundwork for a successful future in Winston Cup racing. 02/08/03 02/16/03 02/23/03 03/02/03 03/09/03 03/16/03 03/23/03 03/30/03 04/06/03 04/13/03 04/27/03 05/03/03 05/17/03 2003 Race Schedule Budweiser Shootout Daytona Speedway Daytona 500 Daytona Speedway Subway 400 North Carolina speedway UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 Las Vegas Motor Speedway Atlanta 500 Atlanta Motor Speedway Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 Darlington Raceway Food City 500 Bristol Motor Speedway Samsung/Radio Shack 500 Texas Speedway Aron's 499 Talladega Speedway Virginia 500 Martinsville Speedway TBA California Speedway Pontiac Excitement 400 Richmond Raceway The Winston Lowe's Motor Speedway 05/25/03 06/01/03 06/08/03 06/15/03 06/22/03 Coca-Cola 600 MBN Platinum 400 Pocono 500 TBA Dodge/Save Mart 350 Return to First Friday Briefing Lowe's Motor Speedway Dover Speedway Pocono Raceway Michigan Speedway Infineon Raceway Return to First Friday Briefing Nominate your Boss to Attend the Turkey Shoot Want to send your boss on a trip? How about the Georgia National Guard's annual Turkey Shoot? The Turkey Shoot is being hosted by the Georgia Guard and the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve at the Townsend Bombing Range on Thursday, May 15. It is a day-long event of bombing and strafing competitions between Air Force, Navy, Marines, National Guard and Reserves. Transportation arrangements will be aboard C-130 and CH-47 aircraft. Nominations are limited to one employer representative per Guard member and must be a supervisor, senior executive or business owner. The cost of the event is $15.00 and seats are limited, so nominations will be accepted on a first come-first serve basis. If you are interested in receiving a nomination packet, e-mail Mrs. Wanda Nichols, Community Relations Program Manager, at wanda. nichols@ga.ngb.army.mil. Return to First Friday Briefing Return to First Friday Briefing Georgia National Guardsmen, being introduced to Officer Candidate School, knock out a few pull-ups at the Regional Training Institute in Macon Saturday January 11, 2003 prior to entering the dining facility. If they choose to join participants can choose to complete the 18-month course or an accelerated eightweek 'fast-track' program. (Georgia Army National Guard photo by Spc. James Sherrill, 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment) Return to First Friday Briefing Colonel (Retired) Paschal English was the guest speaker at the Georgia Air Guard Commanders' Conference in January. The retired Georgia Guardsman gained fame last year as one of the last remaining castaways on the "Survivor" television series. He related to the Air Guard senior leaders the lessons he learned after being stranded without food and shelter for 39 days while the nation watched on television. Pictured above, "Pappy," as he became known on the series, poses with Maj. Gen. Wick Searcy, commander of the Georgia Air National Guard. Return to First Friday Briefing Georgia Army National Guard Col. Iva Wilson-Burke is pinned to the rank of colonel by her father, retired Chief Warrant Officer Ivory Wilson, and Brig. Gen. Terry Nesbitt, Georgia Army National Guard commander, on Saturday January 11. She is the first African-American female to be promoted to colonel in the Georgia National Guard. Wilson-Burke, former commander of Georgia's Headquarters Detachment, State Area Command, is now the military personnel officer and the distance-learning manager. (Photo by Sgt. Jeff Lowry, 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)