First Friday briefing [Mar. 7, 2003]

Georgia DOD Home
First Friday Briefing for March, 2003
In this issue: More Than 3,400 Georgia Citizen-Soldiers Now on Duty
Final Prep at Fort Benning For Enduring Freedom Warfighter Exercise Strengthens Brigade's Capabilities
YCA Graduates 147 From Ft. Gordon Campus Air Guard Makes Airspace Modifications Along Coast
NAGUS Golf Tourney Set for May EANGUS Conference Canceled for 2003
Photo Gallery Ray Godleski is Army Guard's Newest 0-6 Georgia Guard Celebrates Arbor Day with School Children Albany Armory is Renovated and Re-Dedicated
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More than 3,400 Georgia Citizen-Soldiers Now on Duty For Operations Noble Eagle/Enduring Freedom

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.
Stories and Photos of Unit Departures

165th Airlift Wing

116th Air Control Wing 221th Military Intelligence Bn

Story and Photos
Photo Gallery from Savannah Morning News
178th MP Company
Story and Photos Photo Gallery

Story and Photos News Coverage 265th Engineer Group
Story and Photos

Story and Photos
277th Maintenance Co Story and Photos Photo Gallery

Exercise Strengthens Brigade's Capabilities

Command and staff elements of the 48th Separate Infantry Brigade spent three days in early March sharpening their decision-making skills and battlefield management abilities during the annual Brigade Warfighter Exercise (BWFX) at Fort Stewart.

variety of battle scenarios.

During their three days at Stewart the soldiers used computer simulations to enhance the brigade's command and control process. Orders and directives from higher headquarters field tactical operation centers (TOC) were transformed into computer data needed to the fight a

The Brigade Warfighter is a 30-hour exercise. During the exercise, the 48th executes its operations order, which was developed at a seminar held earlier at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. The brigade's OPORD was improved upon during a four-month period before the Warfighter exercise. Full Story

Georgia Guard Units at Fort Benning; Final Prep For Enduring Freedom
Georgia Army National Guard officials visited Fort Benning in Columbus, Monday, March 3, to watch specialized training being conducted by Georgia Guardsmen and visit with soldiers deployed to the active duty post in response to Operation
Brig. General Terry Nesbitt, who commands the Army Guard, Command Sgt. Maj. James Dennis, the state command sergeant major, and representatives of the Guard's Recruiting and Retention, Strength Management and Mobilization and Planning offices spent the day asking questions of commanders and enlisted troops regarding their living and working conditions and morale.
First stop on the group's agenda was Ranger training being conducted by the Long Range Surveillance Unit (LRSU) at Benning's Camp Rodgers. Soldiers of the LRSU are attached to the Army Guard's 221st Military Intelligence Battalion and will be the battalion's eyes and ears in an action the unit may see. Full Story

YCA Graduates 147 From Ft. Gordon Campus
Georgia's Youth Challenge Academy graduating class of 2003-01, featured among its 147 graduates, a number of achievements. The students were all from the YCA's Fort Gordon campus.

Some four graduates who received GEDs in the ceremony held in Macon on March 2 earned perfect scores on either math, literature or science. Eleven graduates scored 3,000, among the highest marks given on the test.
Eleven members of the class were awarded scholarships, and 40 percent of the class will go on to college, technical school or other approved programs (Job Corps etc.).
Youth Challenge also inducted Mrs. Charlene Anderson into its "Volunteer Hall of Fame." Mrs. Anderson, a full-time employee with the Georgia Department of Defense, has devoted countless hours to enhancing the Fort Stewart and Fort Gordon based program.
Air Guard Makes Significant Airspace Modifications To Ease Burden On Local Aviators
Georgia Air National Guard officials working in conjunction with the FAA and local civilian aviation authorities have made significant airspace modifications for the existing Military Operating Areas (MOA) surrounding the Townsend Range near Jesup, GA. With modifications to the existing airspace, Georgia Air National Guard officials do not anticipate a significant increase in current operations at the Townsend Range.
The new proposal currently being circulated by the FAA reduces the size of the existing airspace needed by the Air National Guard to conduct mission requirements.
Full Story
NAGUS Golf Tourney Set for May
May 9 is the day set for the National Guard Association of Georgia's annual golf tournament.
Competition takes place on the greens and fairways of Warner Robins' Landings Golf Club. Lunch is scheduled for noon followed by a shotgun start at 1 p.m.
Point of contact for this year's tournament is Maj. John Labuda, public affairs officer for the 116th Air Control Wing. Prospective entrants can reach him by calling his commercial telephone number, 1-478-926-0360, or on DSN at 468--360. Labuda can also be reached by e-mail at john. labuda@garobi.ang.af.mil
This event is a four-person scramble format with a cost of $40 per player. There is a 25-team limit and an entry deadline of April 30. All checks should be made out to the Landings Golf Club. Team names and checks can be mailed to John Labuda, 111 Fairways Drive, Warner Robins, Ga., 31088.
Enlisted Conference Canceled

Two Other Events Still on Schedule
This year's conference of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of Georgia (EANGUS) has been canceled because many of its members have been deployed in support of operations Enduring Freedom and Noble Eagle, said the association's president, Sgt. Maj. Jackie McKennie.
McKeenie is the Enlisted Promotion System manager at Headquarters STARC in Ellenwood.
"Considering the pace with which Army and Air Guard units are being mobilized," McKennie said, "the association decided it was best to call off the conference."
This, however, doesn't affect the Area III Caucus set for May 16-18 in Nashville, Tenn., or the EANGUS conference scheduled for Aug. 16-21 in Toledo, Ohio, she said. Those who haven't registered for either event can do so by e-mailing her at Jackie.mckennie@ga.ngb.army.mil or by calling 404-675-5354, McKennie added.
Clarification We reported in the February First Friday that Capt. Tom Grabowski and 1st Lt. Robbie Key, of the 116th Air Control Wing, were the first Georgia Guardsmen to graduate from the Air Battle Management Course. They were the first non-flyers to attend. The first ABM graduates were Lt. Col. Kelly Noler and majors Doug Bailey, Murray Hansen, Lee Knowlton, Jeff Menges, Mike Verhage and William White.
Photo Spotlight
(Click on photos for larger image)

Ray Godleski, the deputy USPFO commander for the Georgia National Guard, is promoted to colonel Thursday Feb. 20, 2003. Attaching his new rank are his daughter Jennifer and his wife, Sara. More photos on the web

Doyce Henry, a trade specialist for the Georgia Defense Department, and students from JW Arnold Elementary School in Jonesboro prepare a sugar magnolia tree for planting at Oglethorpe Armory in celebrating Georgia's Arbor Day, the third Friday in February. More photos on the web

Former state Command Sgt. Maj. Billy Manning, and Brig. Gen. Terry Nesbitt, Georgia Army National Guard commander, pose during a ribbon cutting at the rededication ceremony of the Albany armory Friday Feb. 14, 2003. They were joined by other retired Guardsmen and civic leaders. More photos on the web

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The 178th Military Police Company is once again headed to Fort Benning in support of the war on terrorism. The unit deployed there and then to Cuba. They returned from that deployment in December.

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Georgia Air National Guard members of the 165th Airlift Wing salute fellow airmen deploying to classified locations for Operation Enduring Freedom. About 250 members of the 165th are scheduled to deploy.

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250 Members of 165th Leave Savannah for Duty Abroad
Slide show from Savannah Morning News
Georgia DOD Web Photo Gallery
The air lifters of Savannah's 165th Airlift Wing deployed Thursday as 250 Georgia Air National Guardsmen left for the Persian Gulf. About 250 Guardsmen got the word on Saturday, and the first propellers turned on the unit's C-130s, Thursday morning.
The unit will provide airlift support for transporting equipment and airdropping supplies.
This is the unit's first mobilization since the Korean Conflict in the 1950s, however, the unit has flown cargo missions across the globe in support of military and humanitarian efforts for many years.
Maj. Gen. Wick Searcy, commander Georgia Air National Guard, noted as that Guardsmen of the 165th are "ready to go (and) represent their country and their state."
Coverage from Savannah Morning News
Off they go
Local Air National Guard C-130 crews heading to active duty in Persian Gulf. By Paula Reed Ward 912-652-0360
"What did you say, son, you're going away? But I did not hear how long you would have to stay. The war is inevitable, this I know. But I did not think about you having to go. I did not realize until you received the call. Now, I don't want you to have to go at all. 'I'm ready to go, Mom,' I heard you say. 'There are troops leaving day after day. 'I would never choose to stay.' " "What did you say, son, you're going away? But I did not hear how long you would have to stay. The war is inevitable, this I know. But I did not think about you having to go."
That's part of a poem written by Elaine Barry to her son, Lt. Col. Steve Melton, a pilot in the Air National Guard's 165th Airlift Wing, who left for the Persian Gulf Thursday morning.
Melton hasn't read the poem yet.
It, along with cards and messages from all of his loved ones, were hidden in Melton's bags. He'll find them when he unpacks.
While Barry knows her son has trained for a mission like this for 15 years in the Guard, she can't help but worry.

"To be honest with you, I was just numb until today. You never want your only child to go into harm's way," Barry said, twisting a small American flag nervously in her hands. "I was upset, but it's like he said. He wouldn't have it any other way. He believes in the mission."
Melton, pilot and flight commander of the C-130 that left Thursday, was one of about 20 165th members who left Thursday.
In all, about 250 members of the unit have been activated -- the first time since the Korean War the unit has been called up by presidential order.
The plane was headed to Lajes, Azores, an island chain off the northwest coast of Africa -- due south of Portugal -- before traveling to its final destination, which is classified.
As the C-130 crews made final preparations just after 5 a.m. Thursday, it was easy to distinguish those who were leaving from those staying.
The group ready to deploy wore desert camouflage flight suits, as opposed to most of the others, wearing traditional camo.
A pilot for Delta Airlines, Melton's been working for the company for seven years.
"The Guard had me first," Melton said. "They get to pull rank."
When Melton learned he had been activated Saturday night, he felt a flurry of emotions, including anxiety, excitement and concern for his wife of just under two years, Brooke.
He described her as an "Air Force brat," who's used to people being away for long periods of time. Though he'll miss his family, Melton's excited at the prospect of serving his country.
"I'm getting a chance to do what I've trained 15 years to do," Melton said. "It's like practicing for a play for 15 years and never having opening night."
Melton does hope that once he and the rest of unit arrive in the Persian Gulf things happen quickly.
"I don't want to wait and wait and wait."
His orders have been cut for 179 days, though Melton expects to be gone at least a year.
The members of the 165th who get deployed will provide support for other troops, which may include airdropping supplies and transporting equipment.
The C-130 is ideal for that type of work because it can land on both short, and unimproved runways. Often, they're dirt, Melton said.
"If we walk away from (the landing), it's a good one," he said.
Once action starts, the C-130 crews will rotate shifts, with duty periods lasting 16 to 20 hours.
"It takes you a day to recover," Melton said.
Staff Sgt. Susan Palmer, who also left Thursday, has been in the Guard nine years. A loadmaster for a little more than a year, Palmer said she wouldn't give it up.
Part of her duties include loading and unloading the planes. Because most of the cargo leaving Thursday was considered rolling stock, she anticipated it would only take about 45 minutes to unload.
On the way to the Persian Gulf, Palmer planned to re-read Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird."
For snacks the crew took cheese grits, oatmeal and ravioli. They're able to heat the food in hot cups. For drinks, cases of water and juice boxes were scattered on the plane's floor.
Pilot Brad Cousar also carried grocery bags with chips and other snack food on with him.
In the National Guard 13 years, Cousar almost felt relief when he got his orders.
"It's about time," he said. "We knew this was coming for a long time.

"We want to get it, get it done and come home." On Thursday morning, as the crews prepared, Hannah Cousar took photos of her husband, even as he had his mouth full of a McDonald's Sausage McMuffin. At 7:25 a.m., the first propeller on the C-130 started to rotate. It was followed every couple minutes by another, until all four were spinning violently. As the huge cargo plane started to taxi, Cousar popped out of the hatch, unfurling a large U.S. flag. By 7:40 a.m., the plane was in the sky, only to return a few minutes later as Plane No. 326 did a flyby over the crowd of family and friends on the tarmac. Hannah Cousar waved her small American flag furiously at her husband and the rest of the crew as the plane flew overhead. They're expecting their first child July 30. "I need to see him in 20 weeks."
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116th Deploys Two Aircraft
Read News Coverage from Macon Telegraph
Warner Robin's 116th Air Control Wing deployed two J-Stars aircraft and approximately 50 airmen Wednesday to an undisclosed area of operations as deployments of Georgia Air and Army National Guardsmen continue. Maj. Gen. David B. Poythress, the Adjutant General was on hand to shake hands and bid farewell to the men and women leaving. "I'm certainly proud of them for what they're doing and their ability to do it. They're well-trained, morale is very high and they're going to do fine."
The deployment this week represents the second for the Wing, which sent a number of aircraft and about 350 airmen, 15 percent of whom were Georgia Air National Guardsmen, away from the central Georgia base during a January deployment.
Flying the JSTARs aircraft, a modified Boeing 707, outfitted with the latest in radar technology 116th operators inside the aircraft can control the battlefield from above by identifying, tracking and feeding real-time data to troops on the ground.
The 116th is the first "Blended Wing" in the U.S. Air Force, which combines Air National Guardsmen with active duty. General Poythress, commenting on a conversation with Air Force Secretary James Roche, said that "he (Roche) and I talked about when we would know if this blended-wing concept would work: The answer was: We would know the first atime they deployed to an actual combat theater.
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MI Battalion Deploys
Stories by Sgt. Roy Henry 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Soldiers of the 221st Military Intelligence Battalion left Fort Gillem in February in what Georgia's Adjutant General said was the largest single unit mobilization anywhere in the country by the National Guard, at that point, in the war on terrorism.
The 221st boarded Humvees and buses after a short farewell ceremony and headed to Fort Stewart near Savannah where the Guardsmen will spend the next two to three weeks receiving additional training. Once completed, the unit will ship out for an undisclosed location oversees to begin its mission.
Those units mobilized prior to the 221st's call-up in support Operation Enduring Freedom have only been small to medium units or elements of larger organizations.
"You should be extremely proud of the fact that you (the 221st) were asked for by name to take on this mission," Maj. Gen. David B. Poythress, the state's highest ranking officer, told the unit's 340 Guardsmen who stood before a crowd of families, friends and dignitaries that braved the cold morning air to come and bid them farewell. It was U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) an official with Poythress' office later confirmed, that had specifically requested the 221st MI get this assignment.
"Each of you should also be proud that you are taking the Georgia (Army National Guard) patch to war," Poythress said, while his gaze passed over the formation in front of him.
"You are a phenomenal group of soldiers," he added. "Your officers and noncommissioned officers are exceptional leaders, and I know you are ready to give everything to the success of the mission on which you are about to embark."
Hitting on family support, an important issue for many Guardsmen, Poythress and Brig. Gen. Terry Nesbitt, who commands the Georgia Army National Guard, made personal commitments to the soldiers of the 221st that they will not have to worry about their loved ones while the unit is away.
Family members sacrifice as much as their soldiers when it comes to deployments, especially in time of war, Nesbitt said. "They're extended family, the Guard family, will see to it that they are taken care of in your absence," he said. "I assure you that no family will receive less than 100 percent of our attention."
General Nesbitt also gave his assurance that the Guard will stay in touch with civilian employers and let them know how much it appreciates their support. The Guard will also make sure that soldiers leaving behind civilian jobs still have them when they return home, he said.
Spc. Lee Roberts is one of those who said goodbye to family and friends. Roberts, a senior scout and a medic with Company H the 221st's Long Range Surveillance Company (LRSC), leaves behind a wife and two children, ages 11 and 12. He also leaves behind his job as a firefighter-paramedic with the Clayton County Fire Department. Roberts, who lives in Alvaton, said his biggest concern when he

deploys is how his family will cope. The last time he left was while he was an active duty soldier with an Army MP company involved in Operation Just Cause.
"There's a lot that I do such as paying bills and handling home repairs that Rhonda (his wife) has to take over when this happens," Roberts said. "She works a full-time job as well seeing to the needs of our daughter and son, and I know it can be overwhelming not having someone to share the load."
Rhonda Roberts agreed, but said she knows there are people and organizations she can call on, such as the 221st's family support group, to help her manage. "I can never convince him we'll be alright," she said watching while watching her husband say his last goodbyes to their children, Shannon and Rusty, other members of his family. "He's always been that way, but he knows we'll survive until he returns.
Like other family members, Mrs. Roberts said she worries about his getting through the deployment safely and getting back home in one piece. That worry is eased a bit, she explained, because, "I know he and his fellow soldiers will do all they can to see that they all come home safe and sound."
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178th Returns to Active Duty Seven Weeks After Demobilization
More Photos on the Web
It has been less than seven weeks since Georgia's 178th Military Police Company in Monroe returned from six months in Cuba providing security for the Taliban and al-Qaida detainees at Guantanamo Bay. Since their return in December, families started again where they left off, jobs were returned to and life returned to some normality, in spite of world tensions that continued to escalate.
On February 26, 2002 the 130-person Monroe unit met in the old armory just off the center of town with family, friends and well-wishers to again say good bye as the Military Police Company prepared to deploy in support of America's war on terrorism.
For many Guardsmen, family and friends, this mobilization so soon after their return was truly unexpected. "I can't say it's unfair," said Sgt Bill Dunn, a newlywed prior to his first deployment to Cuba, "but I signed my name on he dotted line," said Sgt Bill Dunn.
The 130 Monroe Guardsmen join more than 1,300 Georgia Army Guardsmen who have been mobilized in response to the tensions over Iraq.
In cold temps and a steady drizzle, the unit left Monroe for their deployment station at Fort Benning. The unit will initially augment military police forces at the post and receive training. Their final destination is at this time unknown.
"I got really excited about him being home," said Jenny Dunn, wife of Sgt Dunn as the newlywed couple spent the last few minutes alone prior to sendoff. In the final few minutes before departure, families and couples found quite areas of the armory where they could be alone for their final goodbyes.
The 178th was initially mobilized in February of 2002 and initially deployed to Fort Benning. After augmenting security at the post for several months, the unit received specialized training preparing them for their ultimate assignment to guard Afghan detainees at Guantanamo Bay.
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265th Engineers say goodbye to loved ones
It was an emotional scene that has repeated its self time and again in recent weeks.
This time it was the citizen-soldiers of Decatur's 265th Engineer Group saying so long to friends and loved-ones before loading equipment and boarding buses to head out on what may be a yearlong deployment in support of the war on terrorism.
"No one has told where we're going or exactly how long we'll be gone," said Spc. Keith Weathers, whose new wife Amanda watched while he and comrades took care of last minute business before starting the four hour trip to Fort Stewart near Savannah.
The couple was to marry this coming weekend, but changed their wedding plans and married this past Wednesday because he was leaving.
"I know this who he is, that he must do this to support our president and his country," said Amanda Weathers. 'But that doesn't make the separation any easier."
Still, she relented, her husband has her full support, he love and understanding to take with him as he goes, she said. All she wants is that he come back safe and sound from whatever the Army has in-store for him and his unit, Mrs. Weathers said.
Maj. David B. Poythress, Georgia's Adjutant General, and Brig. Gen. Terry Nesbitt, commander Georgia Army National Guard assured the soldiers of the 265th that their families would be watched over and taken care while they were away. General Poythress and General Nesbitt also made it clear to the troops that they were proud of them, and that they knew the unit could take on any challenge it may be face in the coming months.
The Guardsmen climbed aboard a waiting bus under mid-morning gray skies but their spirits seemed to be high.
Sgt. Terence Whitehead who works with the unit's turned to his wife Nichole before the doors shut behind him and said, "Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it." She kissed his hand and then waved goodbye while the bus pulled out of sight.
She knew he was right, she said, but she'll still pray for his safe return until the day he steps off the bus and holds her again.
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277th Maintenance Moves Out
Stories by Sgt. Roy Henry 124th Mobil Public Affairs Detachment
One more group of Georgia Guardsmen have stepped up to the challenge and taken on the task of supporting America's war on terrorism.
Soldiers of Kennesaw's 277th Maintenance Company rolled away from their armory, Feb. 15, 2003, to begin the first leg of what may be a year-long deployment in support Operation Enduring Freedom. Wave after wave of military vehicles of every description traveled past flag waving friends, families and fellow Guardsmen on their way to Interstate 75 and the road to Fort Benning in Columbus. After two weeks of additional training the 277th will depart the U.S. for an undisclosed location overseas.
"You are a great company of soldiers who represent a great organization, a great state and a great nation," Brig. Gen. Terry Nesbitt, commander Georgia Army National Guard, told the unit's members during a farewell ceremony at McCollum Airport. "Your willingness to put your personal lives, set aside your jobs and leave your families to fight for freedom says much about who you are and it honors us all.
Sam Olens, chairman Cobb County Commission, thanked the soldiers of the 277th for their "defense of our values and our honor in these troubling times," and praised the Guardsmen for their service to the community in which they're based and to the country in which they live.
Kennesaw mayor Leonard Church, asked the unit to fulfill its mission and return safely to its home. The city looked forward to the day, he said, on which it would proudly welcome the company back into the community.
When it came time for Capt. Bobby Brookshire, the unit commander, and his soldiers to return to Kennesaw armory and continue packing for the trip to Fort Benning, Brookshire asked that when he called the unit to attention the unit's members should sing out their "fixin' to fight" motto so that "even the people overseas can hear you." Their voices were so loud that they could be heard over aircraft departing the airport's runway.
While the deployment ceremony for the 277th was an emotional event, the short and equally moving service held earlier during the unit's first formation was the highlight of the day. It occurred when Lt. Col. John Owens, the state chaplain, married the 277th's commander Capt. Bobby Brookshire and his fianc Capt. Dawn Sharp, who works with the Georgia Army National Guard
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Standing on a large terrain map, commanders and leaders of the 48th Brigade walk-through a rehearsal of the Warfighter defensive battle at Ft. Stewart.

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Exercise strengthens Brigade's Capabilities
Command and staff elements of the 48th Separate Infantry Brigade spent three days recently sharpening their decisionmaking skills and battlefield management abilities during the annual Brigade Warfighter Exercise (BWFX) at Fort Stewart near Savannah.
During their three days at Stewart the soldiers used computer simulations to enhance the brigade's command and control process. Orders and directives from higher headquarters field tactical operation centers (TOC) were transformed into computer data needed to the fight a variety of battle scenarios.
That information was translated and fed back to the TOCs in the field to facilitate the movement of troops and equipment needed to fight a particular battle.
The Brigade Warfighter is a 30-hour exercise. During the exercise, the 48th executes its operations order, which was developed at a seminar held earlier at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. The brigade's OPORD was improved upon during a four-month period before the Warfighter exercise.
Computer simulations allow the brigade to fight against a "thinking opposing force."
Warfighter provides the 48th's leadership to use its planning and execution skills without the expense of putting troops and equipment into the field.
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Staff Sgt. Keith Willcutt, team leader of the Long Range Surveillance Company communications forward observation base, checks the antenna connection of a field radio. The LRSC soldiers were at Fort Benning undergoing a week of specialized training for Operation Enduring Freedom. See complete Photo Gallery on the Web

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Georgia Guard Units at Fort Benning; Final Prep For Enduring Freedom
By Sgt. Roy Henry 124th MPAD
See complete Photo Gallery on the Web
Georgia Army National Guard officials visited Fort Benning in Columbus, Monday, March 3, to watch specialized training being conducted by Georgia Guardsmen and visit with soldiers deployed to the active duty post in response to Operation
Brig. General Terry Nesbitt, who commands the Army Guard, Command Sgt. Maj. James Dennis, the state command sergeant major, and representatives of the Guard's Recruiting and Retention, Strength Management and Mobilization and Planning offices spent the day asking questions of commanders and enlisted troops regarding their living and working conditions and morale.
First stop on the group's agenda was Ranger training being conducted by the Long Range Surveillance Unit (LRSU) at Benning's Camp Rodgers. Soldiers of the LRSU are attached to the Army Guard's 221st Military Intelligence Battalion and will be the battalion's eyes and ears in an action the unit may see.
Company H and the 221st, both stationed at Fort Gillem in Ellenwood, have been at Fort Stewart since the end of February, and have spent nearly every waking hour for the past two weeks "training up" for future missions.
"We inserted in the backwoods of Camp Rodgers by helicopter Sunday night (March 4), set out a cache of rations and equipment for the training we'll be doing for the next week, and then `humped' back to the camp," said Capt. Matthew Smith, who commands Company H. "As the week wears on we'll be running a variety of missions, with help from the Ranger cadre here, that emulate the type we may be asked to conduct during our deployment with the 221st."
After meeting with the LRSU troops, Nesbitt and his group moved on to Benning's Combat Readiness Center (CRC) where soldiers undergo the Solider Readiness Process program to make sure their records and personal affairs are in order.
Nesbitt, Dennis and several others of the group said they were quite impressed with the way the center's personnel were handling SRP issues and moving troops as quickly and efficiently as they were through the CRC.
Leaving the center, officials traveled a short distance across the post to visit soldiers of Thomaston's 1148th Transportation Company and the 277th Maintenance Company from Kennesaw.
Nesbitt and his entourage met with the commanders of both unit's and talked with troops who were involved in sharpening their individual soldier skills or moving equipment to collection points at Benning's airfield for shipment to undisclosed locations.
"Know that your fellow Guardsmen and the citizens of Georgia are proud of you, and that their best

wishes for a successful deployment and a safe return home go with you wherever you may be sent," Nesbitt told a formation of soldiers with the 1148th before leaving post for the helicopter flight back to Atlanta.
Dennis echoed Nesbitt's sentiments with his own, saying, "Know that as you continue on the path set before you that we are here to support you and that the hand of support and friendship are extended to your love ones while you are away.
"We're doing all we can to help them while you help the cause of freedom."
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Major General David Poythress, congratulates one of the nearly 150 graduates from the Fort Gordon campus of the Youth Challenge Academy.

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Col. Frank Williams, director of the Georgia National Guard's Youth Challenge Academy, presents Charlene Anderson, administrative assistant to Georgia'a Adjutant General, a plague inducting her as the first member in the YCA Volunteer Hall of Fame.

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Air Guard Makes Significant Airspace Modifications To Ease Burden On Local Aviators
Georgia Air National Guard officials working in conjunction with the FAA and local civilian aviation authorities have made significant airspace modifications for the existing Military Operating Areas (MOA) surrounding the Townsend Range near Jesup, GA. With modifications to the existing airspace, Georgia Air National Guard officials do not anticipate a significant increase in current operations at the Townsend Range.
The new proposal currently being circulated by the FAA reduces the size of the existing airspace needed by the Air National Guard to conduct mission requirements.
The Coastal MOA, as the redesigned airspace is known, reduces the boundaries of the airspace and redefines the altitudes at which aircraft can enter and exit the National Guard training area. The new proposal aids civilian pilots to safely transit the area with new services offered by the Guard.
"The Coastal MOA airspace will be activated by the Air Guard as required, on a "real time" basis immediately prior to the arrival of military aircraft in the area," says Col. Gene Ashley, Commander of the Combat Readiness Training Center of the Georgia Air National Guard in Savannah who supervises activities at Townsend Range. This proposal eliminates the airspace being restricted for large periods of time for military operations
The Air Guard has provided a Military Operations Advisory Service for pilots to use when operating in the vicinity of the Coastal MOA. A VHF-radio frequency has been established to allow pilots to obtain updated information from the military on current activities in the associated airspace. When the airspace is not in use an automated recording will broadcast the next time the airspace will be used. The Coast MOA will have no significant impact upon airspace under Savannah Approach Control jurisdiction.
Georgia's Townsend Training Range is one of fifteen Air National Guard training ranges in the U.S. used to train military aviators in critical war fighting skills.
An Environmental Impact study of the proposed change was accomplished in November 1995 and a summary report issued in September 2002.
Questions concerning the proposal Coastal MOA modifications should be directed to the Air National Guard MOA project office at 1-800-229-2839.
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Ray Godleski, the deputy USPFO commander for the Georgia National Guard, is promoted to colonel Thursday Feb. 20, 2003. Attaching his new rank are his daughter Jennifer and his wife, Sara.

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Doyce Henry, a trade specialist for the Georgia Defense Department, and students from JW Arnold Elementary School in Jonesboro prepare a sugar magnolia tree for planting at Oglethorpe Armory in celebrating Georgia's Arbor Day, the third Friday in February

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From left to right: Don Cole, a Gov. Sonny Perdue volunteer from Albany; Tommy Coleman, Albany mayor, retired Command Sgt. Maj. Billy Manning, former state sergeant major; Brig. Gen. Terry Nesbitt, Georgia Army National Guard commander; and retired Brig. Gen. Simon Sheffield pose during a ribbon cutting at the rededication ceremony of the Albany armory Friday Feb. 14, 2003.