First Friday briefing [May 7, 2004]

First Friday Briefing for May 2004
Please ensure widest distribution of this publication

In this issue: 2000 Guardsmen Remain Mobilized;
Families Welcome 4 Units Home Poppell, Harbin Earn Eagles, Wood Named HQ JAG
GADOD Employees Capture State Awards Erwin Award Goes to Two 116th Air Crewmen Earth Day Carnival Celebrates Environment Family Readiness Slates Annual Conference New Commander Comes On-Board At 124th MPAD Wearable Computers? 116th ACW Tests the Concept Secretary of the Air Force Visits 116th In the 'A-O'
This Month in Georgia Guard History

2,000 Guardsmen Remain on Duty; Four units Return

Georgia National Guard Staff Sgt. Sammy Little holds his grand daughter Mya and hugs his daughter Nikia at the Marietta Armory Thursday April 22, 2004. Little, a mess sergeant with Company B, 161st Medical Regiment, returned following more than a yearlong deployment in the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (Georgia National Guard photo by Sgt. Jeff Lowry)
deployed as part of the global war on terrorism have returned.

More than 2,000 Georgia Army and Air National Guardsmen remained mobilized for operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and Noble Eagle.
Units mobilized include aviation, engineer assets as well as military police and other units.
In addition, four units mobilized and

161st Returns
In a low-key return to families and friends after more that one-year in Iraq , Marietta 's Company B, 161st Area Support Medical Battalion arrived home at their Marietta Armory on April 24. Seventy-three Georgia Army Guard medics served at Camp Bucca near Um Quasar and at Camp Adar (Tallil Airbase) in Iraq Click for Story and pictures

166th Demobilizes

Ten months after Georgia's 166th Maintenance Company was called to duty for NobleEagle (homeland security) and stationed at Forts McPherson and Gillem in Atlanta to augment security at the two Atlanta Army posts, the sixty-two Georgia Army Guardsmen were demobilized on Tuesday, April 13 in ceremonies at Hedekin Field on Fort McPherson. More on the web. Click
here

277th Comes Home
When the Soldiers of Kennesaw's 277th Maintenance Company passed through the gate of their armory in February 2003, families, friends and supporters lined the main drive waving "Old Glory" and shouting, "We'll miss you, and we love you, please come home safe."
A little more than a year later, the scene was much the same. This time, however, the banners said "Welcome Home!" the tears being shed by families were happy ones and the shouts by friends and supporters resounded long and loud with "Good to have you home, we're so proud of you!" Full Story and Pictures on the web

82nd Maintenance Returns

About a 100 Georgia Army National Guard soldiers assigned

to the 82 Maintenance Company returned to their beloved

Columbus armory Monday April 26, 2004 after a yearlong

deployment in support of Operation Noble Eagle. Far from

turning wrenches and screwdrivers, the citizen-soldiers of the

company guarded the Fort Benning and Fort Gordon gates

while serving their nation full time.

"You are what make this country great," said Columbus Mayor

Bob Poydasheff himself a Vietnam veteran to the National

Guard soldiers.

Col. Larry Ross thanked not only the soldiers, but their family

Georgia Army National Guard Capt.

members as well.

Israel Ham receives the Meritorious Service Medal from Col. Larry Ross, 78th Troop Command commander,

"Without your support these Guardsmen couldn't do their jobs so effectively," he said.

Monday April 26, 2004 at the Columbus During the welcome home ceremony several soldiers received

armory. Ham, company commander, and the rest of the 82nd Maintenance Company returned from a yearlong

medals, and all soldiers received the one of the Army's newest medals, War on Terrorism medal.

deployment in support of Operation

Noble Eagle. The unit guarded the gates

at Forts Benning and Gordon.

Poppell, Harbin Earn Eagles, Wood Named As New JAG at HQ, GANG
Lt Cols Ricky Poppell and Floyd Harbin officially pinned on the rank of Colonel in April following Senate confirmation in March. Poppell, a 27-year veteran of the Georgia Air National Guard is the Executive Support Staff Officer for Headquarters', GA ANG.
Col Floyd Harbin is the Commander, Combat Readiness Training Center in Savannah, and formerly

Col. Poppell

commander of the 224th Joint Communications Support Squadron in Brunswick.

Col. Harbin Lt. Col. Wood

Lieutenant Colonel Max Wood of Macon is Headquarters' new Judge Advocate replacing Col Michael Daniel. He is currently the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. Col. Wood took office in November 2001 as its 22nd U.S. Attorney.
As United States Attorney Mr. Wood serves as the Chief Prosecutor and law enforcement officer for the United States in the 70 county Middle District of Georgia. This includes the cities of Athens, Macon, Columbus, Albany and Valdosta. Prior to taking this office, Wood was in private practice in Macon, Georgia.

Col. Wood is a native of Forest Park, Georgia. He received a B.A. Degree from LaGrange College in 1981 and Juris Doctorate from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1985. He has served as Law Clerk in the Floyd County Superior Court (1985-1987), Staff Attorney with the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council of Georgia (1992-1994) and Assistant District Attorney in the Ocmulgee District Attorney's Office (1994-1997).

Col Wood comes to HQ from 116th Air Control Wing where he was the Wing's Judge Advocate.

GADOD Employees Capture State Awards
Three civilian employees of the Georgia National Guard's Youth Challenge program, one employee of the Georgia Department of Defense Construction and Facilities Maintenance Office and two employees working with the 165th Airlift Wing and Combat Readiness and Training Center at the Savannah Airport captured five top categories of the State Employee of Year Award presented in Atlanta on April 21, 2004.

Lisa Thomas

Pictures and Full Story on the Web.

Two 116th Air Crewmen Win 'Erwin' Award

Two air crewmen of the Robins based 116th Air Control Wing have earned the prestigious Henry E. "Red" Erwin Outstanding Enlisted Aircrew Members of the Year Award for the Air National Guard.

ANG Erwin Award winners call the 116th ACW home. Pictured above are left MSGT. Black and Tech. Sgt. William Humes.

Master Sgt. Merwick Black Jr., was selected in the senior non-commissioned officer category, while Tech. Sgt. William R. Humes IV was chosen in the noncommissioned officer category. They now go on to compete with other major command award recipients for the Air Force level award.

Black deployed with the 116th and flew combat sorties over Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is credited with taking over as the Flight superintendent responsible for all Airborne Mission Systems Specialist students and instructors.

Humes distinguished himself as the NCOIC, JSTARS specialist flight and instructor airborne mission systems specialist. While performing his duties, he saved the Air Force more than $500,000 through attention to detail and critical evaluation of an interactive coursework contract. Additionally, Humes spearheaded the development of the Wing's first Flight Instructor Course. The coursework Humes developed has become the Wing standard for all first time flight instructors.

Georgia DOD, Georgia Guard Celebrates 2004 Earth Day

The Environmental

Stewardship Branch

of the Georgia Army

National Guard

recognized Earth Day

on April 22 in a

carnival atmosphere

outside Bldg 21.

Educational

Duck Pond During Earth Day celebration

giveaways on the environment and

materials on the history of Earth Day and the National Guard's involvement in the program were

distributed.

A carnival dunking machine set up at the environmental carnival gave attendees the opportunity to dunk Lieutenant Colonels Postell, Berger and 1st Lt. David Hunter in bath of ice cold water. Environmental officials are now planning to include local schools in next year's recognition.
Click Here for More Earth Day Celebration Photos

Family Readiness Slates 2nd Annual Conference
The second annual Family Readiness/Leadership Conference is set for Aug. 13 to 15 at the Renaissance Concourse Hotel near Atlanta 's Hartsfield-Jackson airport. Units are authorized, and encouraged, to send two volunteers to the leadership workshop. Again this year, the conference and workshop is combined to accomplish fiscal saving and to enable key leaders to gather and discuss leadership issues, and to meet with family readiness volunteers. The conference will have combined and separate sessions. Events are planned from noon , Friday, Aug. 13, through noon , Sunday Aug. 15. A reimbursable registration fee of $30 is required from military members. Civilian attendees will not be eligible for reimbursement. Attendees are encouraged to make reservations directly with the Renaissance Hotel by calling 404-209-9999 or 1-800-391-8724. All reservations must be received by Thursday, July 22. After the cut off date, reservations will be accepted based on availability at the government per diem. For more information contact Lt. Col. Rene Kuhn at 678-569-6454 or Altamese Finch at 678-5696420. A detailed agenda for the conference will be published in June.

New Commander Takes On 124th MPAD

Capt. Chris Dockery, facing camera, accepts 124th Guidon from LTC Danny Stone, HD, STARC commander. Maj. Rob Thelen, past commander and Detachment Sergeant John Kinneman look on.

Georgia Army National guard Capt. Chris Dockery assumed command of the 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment Sunday May 2, 2004. Dockery, a Dahlonega resident, was the detachment commander at North Georgia College and State University. "I look forward to commanding the 124th," he told members of the unit. Adding that he was looking forward to "the unique challenges of a public affairs unit." Maj. Rob Thelen, the out-going commander, ended his two-year command with the unit. He is now the operations and training officer for the 48th Brigade.

New Technology 'Hits The Streets': 'Wearable Computers'
The way maintenance is performed is about to

change due to a couple of new tools maintainers will have at their disposals.

Through a pilot program

being conducted at Robins

AFB, Ga., the 116th Air

Control Wing the 116th

Maintenance Group is

A close-up of the Wearable Computer.

beginning to integrate a

new wearable computer, which can be used across the maintenance spectrum.

The new wearable computers, which were manufactured by Xybernaut, are small PCs that can be worn either on the chest or hip of the person using the computer. The wearable computers are being tested as a possible replacement to the Tough Books, which are currently being used in the 116th.

Read full story

Air Force Secretary Roche Pays Visit to 116th ACW
Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James Roche Visits with 116th Guardsmen currently deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Roche was on an information gathering visit to the area of operations. Click Here for Photo Gallery.
LTC Robert Buscher, Dr Roche, Maj Jan "Chewy" Baca and MG Elder view action from inside a JSTARS aircraft

A look at what happened in April in Georgia National Guard history:
May 1898 The Georgia Volunteer Infantry's first, second and fourth regiments; 2nd Georgia Volunteer Regiment's third, fifth and sixth regiments; and the Georgia Light Artillery were mustered into federal service for duty in the SpanishAmerican War. All the units remained stateside for the war. May 11, 1846 President James K. Polk asks Congress to authorize war with Mexico . Four days later, Secretary of War William Marcy sent requisitions to Georgia and several other states for volunteers. On May 14, Georgia Gov. George Crawford, anticipating such a request, issued an order to raise a regiment of infantry. This volunteer militia regiment included the Richmond Blues, the Macon Guards, the Columbus Guards, the Irish Jasper Greens and others. May 11, 1970 Orders for state active duty are issued by Maj. Gen. George
Hearn, Georgia's Adjutant General, after Gov. Lester Maddox calls up the
Georgia National Guard to aid civil authorities in Augusta and Athens . From

May 11 to 18, 2,327 Georgia Guardsmen assist civil authorities in Richmond and Clarke counties. However, the majority of the troops are sent to Augusta where rioting occurred.
Complied by Staff Sgt. Gail Parnelle, GaARNG Historical Section

GADOD Celebrates Earth Day
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SECAF Roche Visits 116th
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