First Friday briefing [Mar. 5, 2004]

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First Friday Briefing for March 2004
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In this issue:
190th Military Police Company Returns Home UH-1s Return Following Year Long 'Noble Eagle' Deployment 265th Engineer Group Earns Navy Presidential Unit Citation
Georgia Sherpas Headed to Southwest Asia Lynn, Rodeheaver Become Georgia Guard's Newest General Officers
202nd EIS Airman Earns 'Engineer of the Year' 116th ACW Featured in PBS Documentary 140 Graduate During Winter YCA Ceremony
SECDEF, Nesbitt Tout Reduction of Accidents Teleconference to Bring Families, Soldiers Together 117th Air Control Squadron Recognized for Community Service
STARC Celebrates Women's' History Month Annual EANGGA Conference Slated for Late April History Afficionados Sought; Membership Drive Announced
Army Times Seeks Exemplary Soldier This Month in Georgia Guard History

190th Military Police Company Returns Home

See more photos online

Specialist James Buckner of Dallas, Ga., shares a laugh with his family during the welcome home ceremonies with the 190th Military Police Company. Full size

The intermittent drizzle and the cooler temperatures were a far cry from what the 120 returning soldiers of the 190th Military Police Company left only weeks earlier in Iraq as they returned to their Kennesaw armory and about a hundred family, friends and well-wishers on hand for an emotional welcome home.

The Guardsmen returned home following ten-month security mission in Iraq guarding convoys and providing security near the southern port city of Umm Qasr. Full story

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Hueys Return Following Year Long 'Noble Eagle' Deployment

148th Med Co Returns Online Photo Gallery

The throaty roar of ten UH-1 Huey helicopters flying in tight formation at treetop level over Dobbins ARB brought to a close a yearlong activation of the 148th Medical Company (Air Ambulance) who returned from Fort Hood on January 24, 2004.

Dozens of family members lined the tarmac as the 10 Georgia Army National Guard helicopters touched down to a heroes' welcome. While many of the 148th Guardsmen returned earlier in the week by private vehicles, the 10 Hueys carried flight crew members home in an impressive display of the Guard's ability to launch and maintain the 40-year old aircraft. Full story

Family members and friends wave a welcome to the UH-1s of the 148th Air Ambulance Company as they arrive at Dobbins ARB following their deployment to Army installations in the southwest. Full size

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265th Engineer Group Earns Navy Presidential Unit Citation
Decatur's Headquarters Company, 265th Engineer Group, is among several active Army, Guard and Reserve units approved to wear the Navy Presidential Unit Citation.
The 265th's Soldiers earned the Navy version of the military award for their support of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) and Marine Corps operations during the invasion of Iraq between March 21 and April 24, 2003. A news item in the 23 Feb. issue of the Army Times stated, "only Soldiers assigned or attached to the 1st MEF during its drive up the eastern flank of Iraq are eligible for the award." Full story
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Georgia Sherpas Headed to Southwest Asia
Members of Georgia's Company H, 171st Aviation Regiment, and their eight C-23C Sherpa cargo planes left Feb. 27 for Southwest Asia to participate in Operation Enduring Freedom. Exactly from where the unit will carry out its missions is not yet known. Headquartered at Marietta's Dobbins Air Reserve Base, The Georgia aviators are one of four C-23 detachments. The other three are located at Brooksville, Fla., Frankfort, Ky., and Austin, Texas. Full Story

Photos of Mobilized Units

Members of the 165th Airlift Wing found their pictures in publications across the US recently when this photo was snapped of United States Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld who flew with the Georgia Guardsmen to Baghdad on his recent visit. Picture with him are Maj. Todd Turk and Chief Master Sgt. Rick (AFP/Pool/Jason Reed)

Major General David Poythress, Georgia's Adjutant General, recently had the opportunity to visit with deployed members of the 221st Military Intelligence Battalion. The TAG met with soldiers on a recent trip that included a stop in Afghanistan. More than 150 members of the 221st remain deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq and other locations in the Middle East.

Lynn, Rodeheaver Become Georgia Guard's Newest General Officers
Commanders of two of the Georgia National Guard's major commands are slated to pin on their General Officer stars in coming weeks. Colonel Tom Lynn, commander 116th Air Control Wing, and Colonel Stewart Rodeheaver, commander of the 48th Infantry Brigade, have both received federal recognition for promotion to the rank of brigadier general.
The ceremony for Lynn to receive his first star is set for March 12 at Robins Air Force Base. Lynn is responsible for the worldwide employment of the E8C joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar Systems, J-STARS or Joint STARS aircraft. Joining the Air Guard in 1979, Lynn became vice commander of the 116th Bomb Wing in 1996, and in 1998 was made wing commander. In September 2002, he was appointed commander of what's now the 116th Air Control Wing.
Rodeheaver received word of his federal recognition on March 2, and details of his pinning ceremony will be forthcoming in the next few weeks. In January, Rodeheaver took command of the brigade. His previous assignments include 108th Armor battalion commander, Joint Operations deputy director and commander of the Regional Training Institute as well as others.
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202nd EIS Airman Earns 'Engineer of the Year'
Senior Master Sergeant Robert L. Colley, engineering branch chief for the 202nd Engineering Installation Squadron, Georgia Air National Guard has been selected as the Engineer of the Year for 2003. Colley competed for the honor against engineers from the

nineteen Engineering Installation Squadrons in the U.S. Air Force. The announcement was made at the 2004 Engineering Installation Commanders Conference in Emeryville, CA in February.
"We are extremely proud of SMSgt Colley for achieving this distinctive national honor both for him and for the men and women of the 202nd," said Lt. Col Deborah Nazimiec, commander of the 140-person Air National Guard unit located at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport. Full Story
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116th ACW Feature of PBS Documentary
Georgia's 116th Air Control Wing was the featured in an hour-long February PBS special entitled, "High Tech War." The feature was taped at Warner Robins' Robins Air Force Base soon after the wing returned from Operation Iraqi Freedom. Aircrews of the 116th were interviewed about the unique and highly sophisticated capabilities of E-8C Joint STARS aircraft. The program aired Tuesday, March 3.
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140 Graduate During Winter YCA Ceremony
More than 140 formerly at-risk teens moved another step closer to fulfilling their personal goals on Saturday, February 28, as stepped to the stage in Macon to receive diplomas from Youth Challenge Academy. The students represented the seventh class to graduate from the Youth Challenge Academy campus located at Fort Gordon since it opened in 2000.
Jennifer C. Buck, Deputy Assistant Secretary Defense for Reserve Affairs presented the commencement address and urged students to take the knowledge and life skills learned at YCA and move aggressively toward their personal goal and aspirations.
Maj Gen William N. Searcy, Commander, Georgia Air National Guard recognized more than eighteen graduates who will be enlisting in the armed forces immediately after graduation.
Following graduation ceremonies, Lt. Col.(Ret.) Jan Zimmerman, director of the Fort Gordonbased program, and the YCA cadre met with more than 300 parents and prospective student scheduled to enter the program within the next two weeks.
SECDEF, Nesbitt Tout Reduction of Accidents
Safety Office, Web has programs available
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is committed to the goal of reducing Army accidents by 50 percent over the next two years. This will take a team effort and every Soldier has a part to play. Secretary of the Army Les Brownlee, for example, has announced that "Be Safe" is the Army's official safety campaign theme. The program is designed to be leader driven from the top down and Brig. Gen. Terry Nesbitt, Army Guard commander, has said he intends to integrate Risk Management into everything The Georgia Army National Guard does down to the lowest level. Full Story

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Teleconference to Bring 878th Engineer Bn Families, Soldiers Together
Family members and Soldiers of Georgia's 878th Engineer Battalion, who haven't seen each other since the unit deployed June 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, will be getting together through the wonders of video teleconferencing.
Some 75 families are expected to gather in early morning this Saturday at Southeastern Technical College in Vidalia to spend a precious 15 minutes, hopefully more, each with their Soldier. Joining them will be Brig. Gen. Terrell Reddick, deputy commander Georgia Army National Guard, state representatives Greg Morris and Tommie Williams and Catheryne T. Meehan, Southeastern's president. Full Story
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117th Air Control Squadron Recognized for Community Service
Airmen of the Savannah's 117th Air Control Squadron were recently recognized by the Savannah Community Blood Bank and the Georgia/Florida Blood Alliance for making the highest number of blood donations of any military unit in the Savannah area. The Air Guardsmen gave 39 units of blood that blood bank officials said will benefit more than 120 needy patients in the coastal Georgia area. Full Story
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STARC Celebrates Women's' History Month
March is Women's History Month. To celebrate the contributions women have made through the years to American society and the U.S. military, members of Headquarters STARC are conducting a Women's History program, Sunday, 2.p.m. to 3:15 p.m., in the drill hall of Ellenwood's Oglethorpe Armory. A reception will follow the program.
Several displays celebrating the women of the Georgia National Guard to include Col. Laura Strange, Col. Maria Britt, Col. Iva Wilson-Burke, Chief Warrant Officer Beverly Pack, Sgt. Maj. Jackie McKinney and retired Sgt. Maj. Judy Cole will be present. Guest speaker for the event will be State Rep. Mable Thomas. Full Story
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Annual EANGGA Conference Slated for Late April
Members of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of Georgia hold their 2004 conference April 23 to 25 in Emerald Pointe Resort and Conference Center at Lake Lanier. To register early, request a registration form by e-mail from Sgt. Maj. Jackie McKennie at

Jackie.mckennie@ga.ngb.army.mil or contact McKennie by telephone at 404-675-5354. Full Story
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History Afficionados Sought;
Membership Drive Announced
The Historical Society of the Georgia National Guard, the organization dedicated to preserving the heritage of the Georgia's armed forces, is starting its 2004 loyalty fund drive and offering special incentives for those who wish to join this year. Full story
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Army Times Seeks Exemplary Soldier
Somewhere out there in the Georgia Army National Guard there's a Soldier who needs to be recognized not for the medals he's won but for the things he's done in taking care of Soldiers and serving his community. If you know someone like that, that person may be eligible to become the 2004 Army Times Soldier of the Year. Full Story
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A look at what happened in February in Georgia National Guard history:
March 1, 1919 General J. Van Holt Nash resumes his duties as Georgia's Adjutant General after more than a year and a half on active duty during World War I. General Nash enlisted in the Georgia National Guard in 1886. He rose through the ranks to become Adjutant General in 1913. General Nash served as Georgia's TAG until his volunteer service for the war and then from 1919 to his death in 1922 in a motor vehicle accident.
March 27, 1917 Georgia's 2nd Regiment of Infantry returns to Macon after serving five months, Oct. 22, 1916 to March 22, 1917, along the U.S. Mexican border. The unit, however, isn't mustered out after its return. Instead, it's drafted two weeks later into federal service for duty in World War I. Several other Georgia units are also retained for federal service and war duty in March.
March 31, 1898 Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt, expecting war with Spain, notifies the governor of Georgia that he should prepare the state's naval militia for "any sudden call to duty" by President William McKinley.
Complied by Staff Sgt. Gail Parnelle, GaARNG Historical Section

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Lt. Gen. David B. Poythress The Adjutant General of Georgia

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190th Comes Home

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190th Military Police Company Returns Home

See online Photo Gallery

Specialist James Buckner of Dallas, Ga., shares a laugh with his family during the welcome home ceremonies with the 190th Military Police Company. Full size

The intermittent drizzle and the cooler temperatures were a far cry from what the 120 returning soldiers of the 190th Military Police Company left only weeks earlier in Iraq as they returned to their Kennesaw armory and about a hundred family, friends and wellwishers on hand for an emotional welcome home.
The Guardsmen returned home following ten-month security mission in Iraq guarding convoys and providing security near the southern port city of Umm Qasr.

Arriving back at the Kennesaw Armory following a week that began with a 4.a.m. return flight from Iraq, the men and women of the 190th were met with an enthusiastic crowd of family and friends, family readiness and USO volunteers, local dignitaries, and the media.

"It's always great to bring everyone home," said Capt Jonathan Adams, commander of the 190th. "It's been a long couple of years for us all". Awaiting Adams at the Kennesaw homecoming was his wife and his first child, Katelyn, born while he was in Iraq.

For some, this homecoming marked the release from active duty either at home or overseas after more than 22-months. The 190th provided security at Fort Benning and Fort McPherson for about one year before being called to the Middle East. The solders returned home two month short of the 12 months required of units operating in Iraq. The 190th received back-to-back active duty missions because of a shortage of military police active units in the region.

Spc Ken Schoonover of Gainesville said the unit's duty in Iraq "was long, grueling and arduous. It wasn't the glamorous stuff of the 3rd ID and other units, but it was something that had to be done."

The small drill hall exploded with applause as the soldiers marched in and took their position for an evening of welcome and award presentations. Col (P) Larry Ross, commander of the 78th Troop Command, Lt. Col. Stan Crowder, Commander 781st Troop Command, and CSM Larry Glass officially welcomed the troops and presented each with the Army Commendation Medal. Also recognized at the homecoming ceremony were members of the unit's family readiness organization who actively assisted families throughout the unit's deployments.

"The hardest part of being over there for everyone was being away from family," said 1st Sergeant Anthony Williams of Macon. "You just don't train for something like that." That sentiment was one echoed by many of the returning Guardsmen.

(Contributing to this story was Ron Martz, The Atlanta Constitution)

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148th Comes Home
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Hueys Return Following Yearlong 'Noble Eagle' Deployment

148th Med Co Returns Online Photo Gallery

The throaty roar of ten UH-1 Huey helicopters flying in tight formation at treetop level over Dobbins ARB brought to a close a yearlong activation of the 148th Medical Company (Air Ambulance) who returned from Fort Hood on January 24, 2004.

Dozens of family members lined the tarmac as the 10 Georgia Army National Guard helicopters touched down to a heroes' welcome. While many of the 148th Guardsmen returned earlier in the week by private vehicles, the 10 Hueys carried flight crew members home in an impressive display of the Guard's ability to launch and maintain the 40year old aircraft.
The 148th Medical Company located at the Winder-Barrow County airport was one of the earliest units in the Georgia Army National Guard called to active duty Jan. 24, 2003 for Operation Noble Eagle.

Family members and friends wave a welcome to the UH-1s of the 148th Air Ambulance Company as they arrive at Dobbins ARB following their deployment to Army installations in the southwest. Full size

During the unit's deployment, crews provided medical evacuation services for five large, yet widely dispersed Army forts, including Forts Hood, Bliss, Carson, Sill and Riley. The unit flew hundreds of missions, responding to a variety of medical calls including motor vehicle accidents, training mishaps and off-post calls.
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265th Engineer Group Earns Navy Presidential Unit Citation
Decatur's Headquarters Company, 265th Engineer Group, is among several active Army, Guard and Reserve units approved to wear the Navy Presidential Unit Citation.
The 265th's Soldiers earned the Navy version of the military award for their support of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) and Marine Corps operations during the invasion of Iraq between March 21 and April 24, 2003. A news item in the 23 Feb. issue of the Army Times stated, "only Soldiers assigned or attached to the 1st MEF during its drive up the eastern flank of Iraq are eligible for the award."
This isn't the first time the 265th Engineers have been praised for their work with the Marines.
In October 2003 the Group received a letter of commendation from Rear Admiral C.R. Kubic, commander 1st Marine Expeditionary Force Engineer Group (MEG), citing the 265th's work with the MEG and Task Force Endurance, combat operations and civil-military operations.
In the citation, the Soldiers of the 265th were lauded for providing TF-Endurance's command element, and overseeing a naval mobile construction battalion (NMCB), the air detachment of a second NMCB an Army combat engineer battalion, an Army construction engineer battalion, and a Republic of Korea engineer battalion. The Group also "provided oversight and management of projects constructed by contract at Al Jaber Air Base and TAA Fox."
Admiral Kubic noted that "the heroic service and outstanding efforts of the Soldiers of the 265th contributed significantly to the liberation of Iraq and the Global War on Terrorism."
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Georgia Sherpas Headed to Southwest Asia
Members of Georgia's Company H, 171st Aviation Regiment, and their eight C-23C Sherpa cargo planes left Feb. 27 for Southwest Asia to participate in Operation Enduring Freedom. Exactly from where the unit will carry out its missions is not yet known.
Headquartered at Marietta's Dobbins Air Reserve Base, The Georgia aviators are one of four C-23 detachments. The other three are located at Brooksville, Fla., Frankfort, Ky., and Austin, Texas.
Assigned to the Georgia detachment is Maj. John D. Boyer of Marietta; Chief Warrant Officer 4 Gary K. Button of Lawrenceville; Chief Warrant Officer 4 Douglas G. Gahring of Newnan; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jerry Baker II of Suwanee; Chief Warrant Officer Darrell R. Wagner of Acworth; Staff Sgt. Thomas J. Rigg of Cleveland; Staff Sgt. Michael A. Quinones of Dallas; Sgt. Harold A. Rape of McDonough; and Sgt. Matthew E. Muse of Marietta.
The unit expects to be gone for at least a year.
After being mobilized Dec. 7, 2003, the elements of Company H came together at Fort Campbell, Ky., where it trained for upcoming operations. Once the unit was validated "ready for war" by the Army, it deployed to Groton, Conn., where its aviators and crews continued their tactical flight training. During that time, the Sherpas were fitted with special equipment to help their pilots evade enemy attack.
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202nd EIS Airman Earns "Engineer of the Year'
Senior Master Sergeant Robert L. Colley, engineering branch chief for the 202nd Engineering Installation Squadron, Georgia Air National Guard has been selected as the Engineer of the Year for 2003. Colley competed for the honor against engineers from the nineteen Engineering Installation Squadrons in the U.S. Air Force. The announcement was made at the 2004 Engineering Installation Commanders Conference in Emeryville, CA in February.
"We are extremely proud of SMSgt Colley for achieving this distinctive national honor both for him and for the men and women of the 202nd," said Lt. Col Deborah Nazimiec, commander of the 140-person Air National Guard unit located at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport.
Colley, 46, a resident of Butler, is a sixteen-year veteran of Georgia's 202nd Engineering Installation Squadron.
The Georgia Air National Guard's 202nd Engineering Installation Squadron provides engineering, installation, removal and relocation of command, control and communications systems throughout the world.
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SECDEF, Nesbitt Tout Reduction of Accidents
Safety Office, Web has programs available
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is committed to the goal of reducing Army accidents by 50 percent over the next two years. This will take a team effort and every Soldier has a part to play. Secretary of the Army Les Brownlee, for example, has announced that "Be Safe" is the Army's official safety campaign theme. The program is designed to be leader driven from the top down (find out more by going to http://safety.army.mil/army_safety_campaign.html).
Brig. Gen. Terry Nesbitt, Army Guard commander, has said he intends to integrate Risk Management into everything The Georgia Army National Guard does down to the lowest level. In accordance with FM 100-14 and GA Pam 385-10, the Risk Management process must be used for all tasks and missions, big and small. The five-step process (identify potential hazards, assess hazards, develop controls for each potential hazard, implement controls, and supervise and evaluate by continuing to apply the entire process used in the deliberate (pre-planned) and hasty modes. Contact the GA ARNG Safety and Occupational Health Office, 678-569-5071/5066, if you and your unit need more information or training.
The "Be Safe" theme doesn't just apply to the work environment. It applies also to off-duty activities such as driving your privately owned vehicle. Have you completed the free on-line As of Feb. 21, an estimated 535 Georgia Guardsmen and Federal Employees have completed the free, on-line Defensive Driving Course (DDC). The course meets military defensive driving training requirements and it may save Soldier money on his auto insurance. Complete the free training by going on line at (www. safetyserve.com/arng). Once you're in, enter new student as the userID and then type in the password ga3452 with no spaces. The course takes about three to four hours to do, but your work can be saved so you can finish it during several sessions, if necessary. Though it is free for Army Guard members or employees, family members, friends and neighbors may do the course for $29.95.
Since fiscal year 2004 began, there has been one GSA vehicle and five minor privately owned vehicle (POV) accidents reported for the Georgia Army Guard. To reduce future risks, there is another online tool available. The U.S. Army Safety Center has developed a new POV risk assessment program for traveling Soldiers. After typing in your travel plans, the program calculates the risks. For more information visit https://safety.army.mil/asmis1/. You will need your AKO userID and password to get into the site.
For more information on these and other programs, obtain other library and training resources or to share your ideas on safety, contact the Safety Office. Remember...by being safe we will increase the Georgia Army National Guard's readiness.
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Teleconference to Bring Families, Soldiers Together
Family members and Soldiers of Georgia's 878th Engineer Battalion, who haven't seen each other since the unit deployed June 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, will be getting together through the wonders of video teleconferencing.
Some 75 families are expected to gather in early morning this Saturday at Southeastern Technical College in Vidalia to spend a precious 15 minutes, hopefully more, each with their Soldier. Joining them will be Brig. Gen. Terrell Reddick, deputy commander Georgia Army National Guard, state representatives Greg Morris and Tommie Williams and Catheryne T. Meehan, Southeastern's president.
General Reddick and the other special guests are expected to talk with the 878th's commander, Lt. Col. John Heath, when the teleconference begins and with other members of the unit.
"Our Soldiers have missed holidays, birthdays, anniversaries and any number of other special days in their family's lives," said Buddy Lockhart, whose been manning the 878th's headquarters in Augusta since before the unit left home. "This opportunity to see their loved ones will allow our Soldiers to be with them, even if it is only for a few moments on a television screen."
The 878th is expected to return sometime in June, first to Fort Stewart then to its armories in Augusta, Swainsboro, Sandersville, Lyons and Metter.
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117th Air Control Squadron Recognized for Community Service
Airmen of the Savannah's 117th Air Control Squadron were recently recognized by the Savannah Community Blood Bank and the Georgia/Florida Blood Alliance for making the highest number of blood donations of any military unit in the Savannah area. The Air Guardsmen gave 39 units of blood that blood bank officials said will benefit more than 120 needy patients in the coastal Georgia area.
Also, Master Sgt. George Wall, the 117th's unit training manager, was named the Military Blood Drive Coordinator of the Year by the Georgia/Florida Blood Alliance. He also accepted the award on behalf of the Army National Guard Training Center at Fort Stewart for the highest number of Army blood donations. As blood coordinator for his unit for the past 12 years, Wall said his commitment to the blood is a result of a personal experience.
"My son Tim on his way home from college in February 2001," he explained, "and was injured in an automobile accident that required him to receive numerous blood transfusions.
"Tim's doctor told me the hospital could not accept Red Cross blood donations," Wall said. "I asked unit members to give, and during this time I became aware of the Georgia/Florida Blood Alliance. I have been involved with the Alliance ever since."
The 117th and Wall were honored for their work during the first annual Georgia/ Florida Blood Appreciation Luncheon sponsored by the Savannah Community Blood Bank.
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STARC Celebrates Women's' History Month
March is Women's History Month. To celebrate the contributions women have made through the years to American society and the U.S. military, members of Headquarters STARC are conducting a Women's History program, Sunday, 2.p.m. to 3:15 p.m., in the drill hall of Ellenwood's Oglethorpe Armory. A reception will follow the program.
Several displays celebrating the women of the Georgia National Guard to include Col. Laura Strange, Col. Maria Britt, Col. Iva Wilson-Burke, Chief Warrant Officer Beverly Pack, Sgt. Maj. Jackie McKinney and retired Sgt. Maj. Judy Cole will be present. Guest speaker for the event will be State Rep. Mable Thomas.
In 1979, Molly Murphy MacGregor, then the director of the Sonoma County, Calif., Commission on the Status of Women, was invited to a Women's History Institute at Sarah Lawrence College to discuss the importance of using Women's History Week as a focal celebration to recognize and celebrate women's historic accomplishments.
President Jimmy Carter in March of 1980 issued a presidential Message to the American people, encouraging the recognition and celebration of women's historic accomplishments during the week of March 8, Women's History Week. By the end of 1980, then U.S. Rep Barbara Mikulski of Maryland and U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah had co-sponsored the first Joint Congressional Resolution that declared the week of March 8 in 1981 as National Women's History Week.
In 1980, the National Women's History Project (NWHP) was founded in Santa Rosa, Calif., as a nonprofit corporation by MacGregor, Maria Cuevas, Paula Hammett, Bette Morgan and Mary Ruthsdotter.
The goal was to provide a national clearinghouse for general information about women's history and for specific information about National Women's History Week celebrations. With the support and curriculum materials generated by the National Women's History Project, many state departments of education promoted programs for National Women's History Week as a means toward achieving a more balance curriculum. Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Alaska and other states developed and distributed curriculum materials and program ideas to all their public schools.
Community-based women's organizations sponsored essay contests and other special programs in their local areas. Within a few years, thousands of schools and communities were celebrating National Women's History Week. These events were supported and encouraged by resolutions from governors, city councils, school boards and the Congress.
Then in 1987, at the request of women's organizations, museums, libraries, youth leaders and educators throughout the country, the National Women's History Project successfully petitioned Congress to expand the national celebrations to the entire month of March. A National Women's History Month Resolution was quickly approved with strong bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.
Since 1992, a presidential proclamation has carried the directive for what is now a major national and international celebration.
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Annual EANGGA Conference Slated for Late April
Members of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of Georgia hold their 2004 conference April 23 to 25 in Emerald Pointe Resort and Conference Center at Lake Lanier. To register early, request a registration form by e-mail from Sgt. Maj. Jackie McKennie at Jackie.mckennie@ga.ngb.army.mil or contact McKennie by telephone at 404-675-5354.
Return completed registrations forms and fee to: EANGGA 2004 Conference, c/o Jackie McKennie, P.O. Box, 480, Fayetteville, GA., 30214. The registration fee is $50 per person before April 1. After that date, the fee will be $60. Make check payable to the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of Georgia. No refunds will be made after April 1.
Cost for rooms at Emerald Pointe is $89, and rooms can be reserved by going to the resort's Web site (www.lakelanierislands.com) or by dialing 770-945-8787.
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History Afficionados Sought Membership Drive Announced
The Historical Society of the Georgia National Guard, the organization dedicated to preserving the heritage of the Georgia's armed forces, is starting its 2004 loyalty fund drive and offering special incentives for those who wish to join this year.
Annual individual membership is $35, Joint $45, with persons over the age of 55 qualifying for senior membership fee of $25.
To join the society contact John Hardwick at 6451, email: john.hardwick@ga.ngb.army.mil, Beryl Diamond, at 6065, email: beryl.diamond@ga.ngb.army.mil or retired Brig. Gen. Tom Dalton at daltonjrt@wmconnect.com
This year, those who contribute $50 or $100 beyond the annual membership fee are entitled to one of two signed and numbered original montages produced especially for the Historical Society.
For those contributing $50 beyond the annual membership, Staff Sgt. Gail Parnelle, whose art has appeared in galleries and art shows across the nation, is creating a montage depicting troops engaged in Operation Noble Eagle.
Lieutenant Col. Ken Baldowski, prominent Guard caricaturist, is creating a montage of Army and Air Guardsmen participating in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. His work will available to those contributing $100.
Anyone contributing $130 or more will receive a copy of both montages.
Over the past years the Historical Society has restored and exhibited several artillery pieces, collected artifacts from Guardsmen for eventual display in a Guard museum, and expanded its library and holdings of original documents. The society's most recent project centers on the acquisition and restoration of an F-86L Sabre Jet flown by the Georgia Air National Guard in the 1950s.
Additionally, the Society sponsors the annual Georgia Guard historian's workshop and an annual historical conference where Guardsmen and the public discuss Guard history.
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Army Times Seeks Exemplary Soldier
Somewhere out there in the Georgia Army National Guard there's a Soldier who needs to be recognized not for the medals he's won but for the things he's done in taking care of Soldiers and serving his community.
If you know someone like that, that person may be eligible to become the 2004 Army Times Soldier of the Year. Candidates for this award aren't the ones who have served in combat or made headlines with their exploits. They are the everyday heroes who stand out because concerns for their fellow Guardsmen, their professionalism and their community service.
The Soldier sought for this award leads by example, gives of his time and his knowledge and inspires others, while not drawing attention to himself.
Through April 7, the Army Times is accepting nominations, submitted by its readers, for this year's award.
To nominate a fellow Soldier send Army Times:
q Your name, address, commercial telephone number and e-mail address. q The name, address and commercial phone number of your nominee and name of his
commander. q An explanation of why your nominee deserves this award in 300 words or less. q Names and contact information for three people who can verify your nominee's achievements.
Nominations can be submitted online at www.armytimes.com/soldier; by e-mail at soldier@armytimes. com; by fax at 703-642-7325; or by mail to: Army Times Soldier of the Year Award, 6883 Commercial Drive, Springfield, VA., 22159.
The award presentation is July 8.
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