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First Friday Briefing for April 2006 
Deployment Update 
878th Engineers Receive New Tools in Fight Against Roadside Bombs 
 
165th Airlift Wing Deploys To Support Enduring Freedom Two C-130s from Savannah's 165th Airlift Wing and approximately 80 Georgia Air Guardsmen departed Savannah in March to return to the Middle East to fly cargo and personnel in Afghanistan. The unit is operating from an undisclosed location. The unit was first activated in April 2003, and for some Airmen of the Savannah unit this marks their third or fourth deployment supporting Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom. Aircraft and personnel from Savannah's 165th spent most of 2005 deployed to Uzbekistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. 
 
Pictured above is a room full of hundreds of yellow ribbons ready to be hung along the return routes in 
Tifton and Albany to welcome home Soldiers of Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion 121st Infantry. 
48th Brigade Gets Ready To Head Home Across Georgia, families of deployed 48th Brigade members are preparing for the homecoming of their Soldiers after a year in Iraq. The first plane of 48th Soldiers is scheduled to land at Hunter Army Airfield, in Savannah, in mid-April. All of the Brigade is expected to be back to Georgia by mid-May. Soldiers will spend about a week outprocessing at Fort Stewart before returning to their home armories to wrapup final details and be released from active duty. A number of celebrations are planned to welcome the units when they roll into their hometowns. Other cities are planning parades or other events for later in the summer. 
 
Guardsmen from Georgia's A Company, 878 Engineer Battalion, currently deployed to Iraq under the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), have a new tool in their fight against the everpresent threat of improvised explosive devices, or IEDs. Meerkat route clearance vehicles are now being used by soldiers on the Company's road crater repair teams. A Company, headquartered in Swainsboro, GA, received the new equipment shortly after arriving in Iraq last December. Full Story 
116th Security Forces Shows State Pride in Iraq 
 
Georgia Air Guard Names Top NCO and Airmen for 2006 If there is merit in the old Air Force adage that the Air Force is run by the NCO corps, then the future for Georgia's Air Guard looks to be in extraordinarily good hands. Recently three NCOs from the 116th Air Control Squadron and one from the 224th Joint Communications Support Squadron captured state NCO and Airmen of the Year honors. 
- Senior Master Sgt. Rory H. Dunn , First Sergeant of the 116 ACW Medical Group was selected as the First Sergeant of the Year. -- The Senior NCO of the Year honor was awarded to Master Sgt. Benjamin Morris of the 116th Logistics Readiness Squadron. 
-- Tech. Sgt. Thomas E. Naldrett of the 224th Joint Communications Support Squadron was named NCO of the Year. 
-- Senior Airman Andrew L. Maddox of 
 
Sanford, Serkedakis Named Army Guard's NCO, Soldier of the Year A Smyrna Soldier and another from Calhoun were named the Georgia Army National Guard's Soldier and Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) of the year, respectively, for 2006. They were among six Guardsmen to compete for these honored titles at the Guard's Regional Training Institute in Macon. Both go on to represent the Georgia Army Guard in the 1st U.S. Army -- South Soldier and NCO of the Year competitions scheduled for April in Puerto Rico. This year's top enlisted Soldier is Spc. Nickolas W. Serkedakis, a military policeman with Kennesaw's 190th Military 
 
The Georgia Air National Guard 's 116th Security Forces in Iraq display a Georgia State Flag in Iraq. (USAF photo) 117th Blends Old and New Technology in War Over Iraq 
In the sky over Iraq, technology developed in the 1940s helps fight a 21st century war. From their unique vantage 
 
 the 116th ACW Operations Support Squadron, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Flight was named Airman of the Year for Georgia. Full Story 
 
Police Company. The 2006 NCO of the Year is Staff Sgt. Todd A. Sandford, a fire support instructor for RTI. Full Story 
 
point, the Kirkuk long-range radar surveillance site searches the sky. It's almost as if the slow cyclonic pace hypnotizes everything in the airspace to spill their deep dark secrets -- friend or foe? At the site, Airmen of the Georgia Guard's 117th Air Control Squardon, work around the clock searching for threats and maintaining air superiority. The Kingpins, named so because they are in control of the sky, are using technology that's been around since World War II, but has evolved into a field of microchips and computers. Full Story 
 
Woodland Training Course Tests Counter Terrorism Teams As light of the newly dawned day began to brighten the Southwestern sky above LaGrange, civilian law enforcement officers and Soldiers of the Georgia Army National Guard walked, side by side with deliberate quietness along the leaf and limb strewn, uneven ground of the heavily wooded Camp Pioneer. For six days the Georgia Guard's Counterdrug Task Force acted as trainers fo the officers from local and state law enforcement during the Counterdrug Task Force Woodland Training Course. Support for much of the fieldwork was provided by Counterdrug's RAID helicopters. Full Story 
 
3rd Grader Demonstrates True Meaning of Patriotism 
By Sgt George Wagner 
Spencer Lamonica, a 3rd Grader at Yargo Elementary School in WInder has been doing her part to support the troops since 2003. That's when she asked her mother, Nicola, about the war in Iraq. "In May, Spencer asked me about the war after seeing a news story about it. So I told her all about 9/11 and showed her the pictures of the towers falling." explained her mother. "While we were at a grocery store in town she saw Master Sergeant Bartlett in uniform and took off running after him. She hugged him and thanked for protecting us." She's been bringing baked goods to the 1/121st Infantry ever since. Full Story 
 
Georgia DOD Employees Earn Public Recognition Awards Some 23 employees of the Georgia Department of Defense have been named as 2006 Public Employee Recognition Award winners. The awards will be presented in a ceremony April 26. The Public Employee Recognition Award honors the achievement and dedication of government employees. Individual or team nominations can be made. Each award covers service during the preceding calendar year in any of seven categories. See complete list of winners 
Guard Takes On Health Issues Through New Program The Army National Guard is gearing up to take on the enemies of its Soldiers, but among the enemies it's preparing for are the mental, physical and spiritual needs of the troops and civilian workforce. This latest initiative  Well-Being  is based on the active Army program, and is being touted at several meetings by Guard officials nationwide, and the tour stopped in Georgia during March. Well-Being, according to Lt. Gen. Clyde A. Vaughn, director of the Army National Guard, supports the human dimension. "Our mission as leaders is to keep the personal, physical, mental and spiritual state of Soldiers, families and our civilians in mind as it contributes to the readiness of the ARNG" he said. Full Story 
 
Deployed Georgia Airmen Get Visit from the Top More than 200 Airmen of the 116th Air Control Wing were visited for four days last month by the Georgia Air Guard's most senior leaders. Major Gen. Scott A. Hammond, commander Georgia Air Guard, accompanied by Command Chief Master Sergeant Betty Morgan, the Air Guard's command chief, traveled to Al Udied Airbase in Qatar. During their stay with the Robins unit, the general flew as a E-8C Joint STARS crew member on a 12-hour reconnaissance mission high over Iraq." For more than 31 years, I've flown, trained and waited to fly a combat mission," admitted Hammond. "I am glad I finally got the chance, even if I was only as an observer." Full Story 
 
A look at what happened in April in Georgia National Guard history:... 
1781, American Revolution: In the backcountry, on both the South Carolina and Georgia sides of the Savannah River, and in Savannah, not everyone concurred about independence. There were many colonists still loyal to England who rejected the independence effort and regarded colonists who fought for it with contempt. When Patriot militia crossed into Wilkes County and moved against Augusta in April, The Royal Georgia Gazette in Savannah reported, "...a set of the most barbarous wretches that ever enfected any country amounting to some say to 200, others 250, lately crossed the Savannah from the northward, surprised and murdered several Loyalists...." The Reverend James Seymour in Augusta described the patriots as "Rebel Banditti." 
1864, Civil War: Georgia's citizen militia and Confederate regulars were about to be tested by Union forces under Major Gen. William T. Sherman. In April, Sherman received orders from Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant for the destruction of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston's army as well as any militia forces he might encounter during the campaign for Atlanta. "You, I propose to move against Johnston's army, to break it up, and to get into the interior of the enemy's country as far as you can, inflicting all the damage you can against their resources," Sherman's orders read in part. Sherman marshaled his forces during April for the start of this campaign which begin in May He later stated: "Neither Atlanta, nor Augusta, nor Savannah was the objective, but the ARMY OF JOSEPH JOHNSTON, go where it might." Still, Sherman was mindful of the strategic importance of Atlanta as the railroad center of the Confederacy and of all the supplies produced there for the war, and the militia that assisting in protecting the city, its outskirts and its resources. 
Complied by Gail Parnelle, GaARNG Historical Section 
 
  Lt. Gen. David B. Poythress The Adjutant General of Georgia 
 
April 3, 2007 Time: 5:19 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 
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 First Friday Briefing, the Georgia DoD's monthly online newsletter, is now available in audio format. The First Friday Podcast can be downloaded in . mp3 format and listened to directly on a computer desktop using Media Player or other desktop player software. Listeners can also use RSS technology to "subscribe" to the audio feed, which will allow their computer to automatically download new releases directly to their i-Pods or other portable listening devices. "Podcasting as an exciting new communications tool and we want to begin to take advantage of it," said Jim Driscoll, the Georgia DoD's director of communications. "The Army and Air Force news services are both now sending out podcasts, but Georgia is the first National Guard state to take advantage of the new technology." 
 
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First Friday May 2006 - Listen Now 
 
Description: The May issue of the Georgia Department of Defense First Friday Briefing, an audio file with news of the Georgia Army and Air National Guard and the Georgia State Defense Force. This episode's top stories include... -- The 48th Brigade returns home -- The Georgia Army Guard Commander is named the state's new director of Homeland Security... -- The Georgia Air Guard gets its newest General officer -- And a Georgia Guard Black Hawk pilot wins the prestigious MacArthur Leadership Award 
First Friday April 2006 - Listen Now 
 
Description: Welcome to the April issue of the Georgia Department of Defense First Friday Briefing, an audio file with news of the Georgia Army and Air National Guard and the Georgia State Defense Force. This episode's top stories include... -- Savannahs 165th Airlift Wing deploys to support Enduring Freedom -- The 48th Infantry Brigade in Iraq prepares to head home -- A new Guard program called Well-Being is being launched to help address Guard member's physical, mental and spiritual needs. -- And a third grader in Winder is going above and beyond the call in helping Georgia Guardsmen. 
First Friday March 2006 - Listen Now 
 
Description: Welcome to the March issue of the Georgia 
 
 Department of Defense First Friday Briefing, an audio file with news of the Georgia Army and Air National Guard and the Georgia State Defense Force. This episode's top stories include... - Georgian's celebrate National Guard Day at State Capitol - Army Guard breaks ground on new $16.5 million hangar facility at Hunter - Air Guard unit receives prestigious Aviation Week Laurels Award 
First Friday February 2006 - Listen Now 
Description: Welcome to the February issue of the Georgia Department of Defense First Friday Briefing, an audio file with news of the Georgia Army and Air National Guard and the Georgia State Defense Force. This episode's top stories include... - Soldiers from Elberton's 1st Battalion, 214th Field Artillery depart for training in preparation for their Iraqi deployment. - Georgia Guardsman can collect cash for recruiting - The Georgia National Guard Family Support Foundation is getting a big financial boost from a painting by renowned Georgia artist Steve Penley. 
 
 TIKRIT, Iraq: Sergeant William Meeks, of Glenwood, GA poses in his "Meerkat," a mobile mine detector currently being used to locate buried roadside bombs in Iraq. Meeks' unit, A Company, 878 Engineer Battalion, recently received the new equipment to help in its fight against roadside bombs. Photo by Army Public Affairs. 
Georgia Guardsmen Receive New Tools in Fight Against Roadside Bombs 
Story By: CPT Chris Blais, 505th PAO 
BALAD, Iraq, March 20  National Guardsmen from Georgia's A Company, 878 Engineer Battalion, currently deployed to Iraq under the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), have a new tool in their fight against the ever-present threat of improvised explosive devices, or IEDs. Meerkat route clearance vehicles are now being used by soldiers on the Company's road crater repair teams. A Company, headquartered in Swainsboro, GA, received the new equipment shortly after arriving in Iraq last December. 
The Georgia Guardsmen, none of whom had ever seen the vehicles prior to the training they received in Iraq, have quickly grown to appreciate and respect the capabilities of the Meerkat. 
"We received the Meerkat just after arriving to Iraq," said First Lieutenant Calvin Oxendine, commander of A Company. "Our soldiers have come to trust and appreciate this equipment as they carry out the mission of making the roads safer for US and Iraqi Forces." 
The Meerkat, designed as a mobile platform to detect mines while protecting its operator from blast injury, is being used in Iraq to locate buried or hidden IEDs and other roadside threats as members of the unit conduct road repair operations. To date, the Meerkat has proved a highly useful tool for the Georgia-based Guardsmen, who recently located an IED with its detection system while traveling to their worksite. 
A major reason the Peach State Guardsmen have become fond of the Meerkat is its unique, sturdy design and heavily armored hull, which allows it to take a direct hit from a mine or roadside bomb with maximum protection and minimum damage. 
These vehicles are very tough allowing soldiers to get close to dangerous spots like large pot holes or existing bomb craters  insurgent's favorite hiding spots for IEDs. On a recent mission, Sergeant William Meeks of Glenwood, GA, located an IED in an existing bomb crater from the safety of the Meerkat's heavily armored cockpit. 
A Company is currently attached to the 505th Engineer Combat Battalion, North Carolina Army National Guard, who provides direct engineer support throughout the entire 101st Airborne Division's area of responsibility  basically all of northern Iraq. The vehicles, which were given to A Company 
 
 after arriving to Iraq, will remain in the country as long as there is a threat from roadside bombs. 
"These vehicles safeguard our soldiers who must work on the ground in Iraq's most dangerous place  the roads," said Lieutenant Colonel Matt Russo, the commander of the 505th Engineer Combat Battalion, A Company's higher headquarters in Iraq. "Preventing successful attacks protects not only our soldiers but other coalition forces and civilians who travel these roads daily." 
| Back | GaDOD Home | 
 
 2006 Outstanding Air Guardsmen Announced 
If there is merit in the old Air Force adage that the Air Force is run by the NCO corps, then the future for Georgia's Air Guard looks to be in extraordinarily good hands. 
Recently three NCOs from the 116th Air Control Squadron and one from the 224th Joint Communications Support Squadron captured state titles as First Sergeant of the Year, Senior NCO of the Year, NCO of the Year, and Airman of the Year. 
SMSgt Rory H. Dunn , First Sergeant of the 116 ACW Medical Group was selected as the First Sergeant of the Year. 
The Senior NCO of the Year honor was awarded to Msgt Benjamin Morris of the 116th Logistics Readiness Squadron. 
Technical Sergeant Thomas E. Naldrett of the 224th Joint Communications Support Squadron was named NCO of the Year. 
Senior Airman Andrew L. Maddox of the 116th ACW Operations Support Squadron, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Flight was named Airman of the Year for Georgia. 
Winners in each category were originally nominated by their commanders and competed against dozens of candidates from other units throughout the state. The final selections for the top four NCO awards were made in March by Command Chief Master Sgt. Betty Morgan and Command Chiefs from both wings. 
"Candidates in each category are among the finest Air Guardsmen currently in the state,"said Command Chief Master Sgt. Betty Morgan. Candidates were carefully evaluated on their demonstrated leadership skills, professionalism, job proficiency, and outstanding dedication to their position and to the Air National Guard. 
"The best naturally rise to the top," said Morgan, "and our final decisions were very difficult. This annual selection process underscores that in every unit of the state, we have many extraordinary men and women in NCO leadership positions 
| Back | GADOD Home | 
 
 While others observe the "suspected drug dealers," Green 6 is ready if the team is compromised and deadly force is the only course of action. (Georgia National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Roy Henry) 
Woodland Training Course Tests Local, State Counter Terrorism Teams, Preparedness 
Story by Staff Sgt. Roy Henry Georgia National Guard Public Affairs Office 
Editor's Note: Because of the nature of their work the law enforcement officers interviewed for this story have had their names changed at their request. 
March 15, 2006 -- As light of the newly dawned day began to brighten the Southwestern sky above LaGrange, civilian law enforcement officers and Soldiers of the Georgia Army National Guard walked, side by side with deliberate quietness along the leaf and limb strewn, uneven ground of the heavily wooded Camp Pioneer just off Youngs Mill Road. 
For six days 24 officers from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Troupe and Gordon county sheriff's offices, Cherokee County Sheriff's Office SWAT team and the county's drug task force, Calhoun Police and its drug task force, Georgia Counter Terrorism Task Force and the Georgia Counterdrug Task Force, trained, ate and slept much as a Soldier does during the Georgia Counterdrug Task Force Woodland Training Course. Support for much of the fieldwork was provided by Counterdrug's RAID helicopter and a helo from the Dekalb County Sheriff's Office Special Operations Unit. 
During their six days of woodland training, the officers learned the ins and outs of detailed operation planning, tactical movement, land navigation, intelligence gathering, field craft (such as the building and use of the military camouflaged sniper outfit called a gilley suit) and insert and extract from an objective. As for the Soldiers, such as Master Sgt. Aaron Anderson of Decatur's 78th Troop Command and Staff Sgt. John Blair from the Guard's Regional Training Institute in Macon, they used their expertise in infantry tactics, team building and intelligence gathering, to provide the officers with the knowledge they sought. Each is challenged mentally and physically to go that extra step, to be motivated and become more than they believed they could be, Blair said. 
"When the students leave here, they have not only earned their 40 hours of POST (Police Officer Standard Training) credits for the year, they'll walk go back to their departments with a much better knowledge of how to seek out the bad guys, watch them, and then use the `intel' to put a halt to their activities," said Georgia Army Guard Maj. Nathan Gray, counterdrug task force executive officer. 
 
 For some with military backgrounds, it was like picking up old habits and relearning them. For others, like the majority of Team Green, this was their first encounter with "intelligence gathering," military style. 
"Only one of us is former military," said Green 2, the team's leader. "It's a whole new learning experience for me and for the others, and it's well-worth the effort." 
The first three days of the course were spent in classrooms learning the particulars, with each day starting with the Soldiers favorite activity -- physical training. Out in the woods is "where the shoe leather meets the ground," Green 4 said. "Out there is where we put it all together to see if we listened." 
 
Role players, acting as drug dealers, listen intently for anything that might tell them they're being watched. (Georgia National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Roy Henry) 
 
Staff Sgt. John Blair gets a question on tactics from "Green 3" shortly before the team splits in two and moves in opposite directions. (Georgia National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Roy Henry) 
 
And listen they apparently did. 
 
Team mem their move Guard pho 
 
In one of the dozens of scenarios, Team Green and the others conducted, the mission was to insert into more than a mile from a site deep inside the wood line where role players acting as drug dealers and terrorists were allegedly orchestrating a drug buy. 
 
All during the hike to a point not far from the site of the alleged buy Team Green made its way under the watchful eyes of Anderson and Blair. Each watched and listened carefully as Green walked a bit, then stopped, looked and listened, and then moved on. Once the team had reached its objective, its members moved into positions where they could watch and videotape what went down. 
 
This time there would be no arrests made. The team, instead, pulled out after an hour of lying among the rocks and fallen trees to an extraction point where they were picked up by a waiting vehicle and taken to a nearby command and control center. 
 
It's a real challenge not to want to pop up out of your hiding place and take down the bad guys, the team agreed during its review with Blair and Anderson on how the team did. After all, it's in a cop's nature to want to make an arrest, not do the "sneak and peek thing," Green 4 said. 
 
"But that's exactly the idea," Blair answered. Pointing to each team member, he said, "The whole idea is for you to gather what's needed so others can decide how to best put a stop to what's going on. 
 
"If a `take down' is necessary, any marked [law enforcement] units that are part of the operation will do that," he explained. "Should the operation call for it, those units will run the suspects to you, but otherwise, your sole purpose is to gather intelligence." 
 
 The eyes of team member "Green 1" scan the horizon for trouble as other team members begin crossing an open road. (Georgia National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Roy Henry) 
Though the Woodland Training Course has been around for 10 years, this only the fifth time since Sept. 11, 2001, that the course has been given, said 1st Lt. Shilo Crane, operations officer for the Georgia Counterdrug Task Force. Normally, its put on annually, he said, but deployments supporting the Global War on Terror have made that difficult to do, he said. 
"What we'd like to do is try to open it up to twice-a-year now," Crane said, "and every time we do a course, those going through it will benefit from the continual updating of the material we present." 
Retired Georgia Army National Guard sergeant major and retired Gordon Police chief Therrell Goswick was a founding member of what was then called the Governor's Strike Force. He also originated the idea of training civilian police in military techniques that would augment what they already do to protect and serve the public. 
"Back when the program first began, it wasn't just police officers learning how to do it the military way. I instituted training whereby we put Soldiers in the strike force (now counterdrug) and put them through the police academy," Goswick recalled. "Had to be, and still is some of the best cross training someone in this line of work can get. 
In today's world drug dealers and terrorists are looking for better ways, more out of way places in which to do business. That means those soles, the civilian and Soldier, who make it their business to stop such transactions have to do right and do it better than the bad guys, Blair said. That's why programs like the Woodland Training Course are so important. 
| Back | GaDOD Home | 
 
 23 Earn Public Employee Recognition Award 
March 28, 2006 -- Some 23 employees of the Georgia Department of Defense have been named as 2006 Public Employee Recognition Award winners. The awards will be presented in a ceremony April 26. 
The Public Employee Recognition Award honors the achievement and dedication of government employees. Individual or team nominations can be made. Each award covers service during the preceding calendar year in any of seven categories. 
This year's winners in Customer Service which, according to the category criterion, is "going the extra mile" to provide service to internal and /or external customers, are: Customer Service Individual Award -- Julie Hu, Family Readiness Customer Service Team Award -- CRTC Housekeeping Teresa Moore, Daisy Patterson, Gloria Rogers, Deborah Hall, Anna Thompson, Denise Cox , Flossie White, Vickie Johnson, Melissa Conner 
In the Community Service category in which nominees must have been volunteers or if paid, used personal time, to assist in improving the quality of life for members of a community, the winner is: Individual Award -- Bonita Smith, YCA Ft. Stewart 
To earn a nomination for a Humanitarian Award, an individual or team must demonstrate significant humane concern characterized by "tenderness, compassion and sympathy of people or animals, especially the suffering of distressed. The winners in this category are: Individual Award -- Susan Morgan, YCA Ft. Stewart Humanitarian Team Award -- 165th AW Fire & Emergency Svcs Greg Delahunty, Richard McCloy, Charles Cheely, Leland Hayes, Jay Yarbrough, Anthony Voigt 
Nominees in the Innovations/Suggestions category submitted a suggestion that significantly improved procedures. The winner in this category is: Individual Award -- Jane Hellon, YCA Ft. Stewart 
The Leadership Category honors the person or team that exemplifies and promotes outstanding leadership qualities and behaviors-i.e., "Blazing a trail of others to follow." The winners in this category are: Individual Award -- Tuionuu Toafa, 116th Security Leadership Team Award -- Michael Alvarez - George Leonty, YCA Ft. Stewart 
Honorable Mentions -- Sylvester Moore, (employee at YCA Augusta, but nominated by YCA Ft.Stewart), YCA Ft. Stewart; and, Carl Davis, YCA Ft. Stewart 
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Guard Taking Health Issues Through New Program 
The Army National Guard is gearing up to take on the enemies of its Soldiers, but among the enemies it's preparing for are the mental, physical and spiritual needs of the troops and civilian workforce. This latest initiative  Well-Being  is based on the active Army program, and is being touted at several meetings by Guard officials nationwide, and the tour stopped in Georgia during March. 
Well-Being, according to Lt. Gen. Clyde A. Vaughn, director of the Army National Guard, supports the human dimension. "Our mission as leaders is to keep the personal, physical, mental and spiritual state of Soldiers, families and our civilians in mind as it contributes to the readiness of the ARNG" he said. 
Greg Wrice, Well-Being program integrator, and a member of the NGB presentation team, said Well-Being is slated for implementation in FY07. The importance of the team's tour now, Wrice said, is to gather feedback from local Guard leaders  i.e., Chaplain, MilPO and Safety  to make the program "relevant" to its target audience, which is soldiers, family members, civilians and technician workforce. 
He noted that the divorce rate in the military stands at 50 percent, and that stress levels from repeated deployments are taking a toll on families and children. The wellness program, Wrice emphasized, is a program designed to assist families and Guardsmen to deal with the strains of military life. 
The program's four goals, Wrice added, are "to grow by taking advantage of the opportunities the Army provides; to connect by developing and maintaining a sense of pride and belonging; to serve in support of something larger than ourselves and to live according to a standard of living we can be proud of." Under each of these goals are categories and functions, which number more than 35. These include citizenship, financial readiness, safety, legal services, health care and housing. 
Ms. Nadine Moore, Well-Being program analyst, said that reports to state officials will be available so that the program remains dynamic and serves Soldier's needs. As the Wellness program's implementation nears, Ms. Moore added, NGB will provide brochures and wallet cards so each solider is made aware of the benefits to family and troop's mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. 
Return to First Friday Briefing 
 
 Above left Staff Sgt. Todd A. Sanford of Calhoun, the Georgia Army National Guard Noncommissioned officer of the Year for 2006. Sanford, a fire support specialist instructor for the Guard's Regional Training Institute in Macon, calls in a simulated request for medical evacuation of wounded Soldiers at a station on the institute's Common Task Testing course. Above right Specialist Nickolas W. Serkedakis of Smyrna, the Georgia Army National Guard Soldier of the Year for 2006.A military policeman with Kennesaw's 190th Military Police Company, Serkedakis sets his sights and his compass for his hike to the first marker of the land navigation course at the Guard's Regional Training Institute in Macon.(Georgia National photos by Staff Sgt. Roy Henry) 
Sanford, Serkedakis Named 2006 NCO, Soldier of the Year 
Story by Staff Sgt. Roy Henry Georgia National Guard Public Affairs Office 
March 2006 -- A Smyrna Soldier and another from Calhoun were named the Georgia Army National Guard's Soldier and Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) of the year, respectively, for 2006. They were among six Guardsmen to compete for these honored titles at the Guard's Regional Training Institute (RTI) in Macon. 
Both now go on to represent the Georgia Army Guard in the 1st Army -- South Soldier and NCO of the Year competitions scheduled for April in Puerto Rico. There they will compete against other Guard, Reserve and active duty Soldiers for those titles. Should they win there, the pair will move to the competition's national level. 
This year's top enlisted Soldier is Spc. Nickolas W. Serkedakis, a military policeman with Kennesaw's 190th Military Police Company. He was the unit's Soldier of the Year for 2005. 
Serkedakis, a 2005 graduate of Osborne High School in Marietta, has been a Guardsman and an MP for two years. He works full-time as an administrative assistant with the Army Guard's Recruit Sustainment Program at Marietta's Dobbins Air Reserve Base. 
"While I was confident in my abilities to handle the tasks we were given, and deal with appearing before the board, I was quite surprised when my name was announced as this year's winner," he said. "The competition was stiff, and my fellow Soldiers were just as confident." 
"Have no doubt that had someone else been named Soldier of the Year they would have greatly deserved the honor," Serkedakis said. 
Named the 2006 NCO of the Year is Staff Sgt. Todd A. Sandford, a fire support instructor for RTI. In his civilian job, Sandford is a corrections officer at Rome's Bob Richards Regional Youth Development facility. 
"It's a great honor, and yet a humbling experience all at the same time," he said. "I, too, feel that all of us who competed were worthy of the title, whether it be Soldier of the Year or NCO of the Year. 
During the evening's awards banquet, Col. Maria Britt, Georgia Army Guard chief of staff, presented the Georgia Meritorious Service Medal to Serkedakis and Sandford. Both also received congratulations and a plaque from Sgt. Maj. 
 
 Randy Smith, vice president of the Guard's E-9 Council." 
Competing against Serkedakis for the title of Soldier of the Year were Spc. Tammi A. Charles of Warner Robbins and Spc. Thomas J. Madeline of Marrietta. Charles, an administrative specialist for RTI, was its 2005 Soldier of the year. As a civilian she is cook and cashier for a Warner Robbins golf course, and she works also as storage manager for a local climate control warehouse. Madeline, who was the 2005 Soldier of the Year for the Guard's Joint Forces Headquarters in Ellenwood, is a full-time information technology specialist for the Guard. 
About Serkedakis and Sandford, Georgia's state command sergeant major, Command Sgt. Maj. Neil Russell said, "To be selected for those titles is indeed an indication that they are the best among their fellow Soldiers. They are the best among the best." To those who competed but were not chosen, he added, "Continue to challenge your selves, and continue to prepare and be ready for the next competition. You are the "upper qualified" among your peers, and you should be proud that you were chosen to represent your units." 
For others who may want to compete Russell offered this advice, "Pick up the gauntlet, step out and make your intentions known. Every Soldier has the potential of being recognized as these have today for their courage, their tenacity and their wiliness to go that extra mile." 
Though there can only be one Soldier of the Year and on Noncommissioned officer of the Year, every Soldier in Georgia Army National Guard has already taken the first step toward that goal, he said, simply because they proudly choose to serve. 
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 3rd Grader Demonstrates True Meaning of Patriotism 
 
by Sgt George Wagner 
 
March 17, 2006 -- March 2nd 2006 was shaping up to be just another run-of-the-mill day at the Georgia Army National Guard's Army Aviation Support Facility #1 at Winder/Barrow County Airport. That is, until nine-year old Spencer LaMonica showed up with her mother and dozens of fresh chocolate chip cookies for the soldiers who work there. 
 
Spencer, a 3rd Grader at Yargo Elementary School has been doing her part to support the troops since 2003. That's when she asked her mother, Nicola, about the war in Iraq. "In May, Spencer asked me about the war after seeing a news story about it. So I told her all about 9/11 and showed her the pictures of the towers falling." She continued, "While we were at a grocery store in town she saw Master Sergeant Bartlett in uniform and took off running after him. She hugged him and thanked for protecting us." She's been bringing baked goods to the 1/121st Infantry ever since. 
 
Nine year old Spencer LaMonica is strapped into a Guard simulator during one her First Lieutenant John Tucker, Rear Detachment 
 
"cookie visits" to the Army Aviation Support Facility at Windere. 
 
Commander for the 1/121st Infantry, says Spencer's 
 
actions validated the mission they were about to 
 
embark on. "Spencer was an instant hit with the Soldiers, with her caring attitude, quick smile, and her genuine concern. She 
 
immediately became apart of the 1-121st IN extended family. Spencer adopted the 1-121st IN and she came every Thursday until 
 
the unit left. On one of her visits she brought a little gift, a copy of her favorite poem for every Soldier. She let every soldier know 
 
when times get rough you have an Angel in your pocket and somebody thinking about you." 
 
Spencer has kept in touch with some of the 1-121st IN Soldiers overseas, and still comes by the unit on Thursdays to bring cupcakes and cookies. The Unit thanked Spencer for her actions by presenting her with a Battalion coin and a certificate of appreciation, and she will always be in the hearts of the Soldiers 1-121st IN. Now she has expanded her support to include the Army Aviation Support Facility in Winder as well. 
 
Major Dwayne Wilson, Commander of the Aviation Support Facility, has been equally inspired. "Spencer's commitment to supporting our troops is truly an inspiration to us all. We should all take notice of how this nine-year old little girl epitomizes patriotism and community service. Things like this make it all worthwhile. It reminds us of why we're here." 
 
In grateful appreciation of this outpouring of support, the soldiers of AASF#1 took Spencer on a guided tour of their facility, including a ride in the portable UH-60 flight simulator, which she landed successfully. 
 
This is a copy of the poem Spencer gave to the soldiers of the 1/121st Infantry prior to their deployment. 
 
I am a tiny angel I'm smaller than your thumb: 
I live in people's pockets That's where I have my fun. 
I don't suppose you've seen me, I'm too tiny to detect: 
Though I'm with you all the time, I doubt we've ever met. 
Before I was an Angel... I was a fairy in a flower: GOD, Himself, hand-picked me, And gave me Angel power. 
Now God has many Angels That he trains in Angel pools: We become His eyes, and ears, and hands We become HIs special tools. 
And because God is so busy, With way too much to do; 
He said that many assignment is to 
 
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Keep close watch on you. Then He tucked me in your Pocket, 
Blessing you with Angel care; Saying I must never leave you, And I vowed to stay right there. 
love, Spencer 
 
 Kingpins use blend of old, new technology to counter threats 
 
by Staff Sgt. Kristina Barrett 506th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs 
 
March 28, 2006 - KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) -- In the sky over Iraq, technology developed in the 1940s helps fight a 21st century war. From their unique vantage point, the Kirkuk long-range radar surveillance site searches the sky. It's almost as if the slow cyclonic pace hypnotizes everything in the airspace to spill their deep dark secrets -- friend or foe? 
 
At the site, Airmen work around the clock searching for threats and maintaining air superiority. 
 
Georgia's 117th Air Control Squadron and Puerto Rico's 141st Air Control Squadron have been teamed together since January with responsibility for controlling Iraqi airspace. This is the first time that all air control responsibilities in the congested airspace over Iraq have been controlled by Air Guardsmen. 
 
The Kingpins, named so because they are in control of the sky, are using technology that's been around since World War II, but has evolved into a field of microchips and computers. 
 
While their radar has been 
 
Staff Sgts. Luis Nazario and Jose Saavedra ensure radar is working properly upgraded, the significant change 
 
at Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq. The Airmen perform maintenance checks on the 
 
lies in the receiver and its capability 
 
unmanned radar twice daily. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Kristina Barrett) to process information. The 
 
difference now is how that 
 
information gets used. Complementing the radar is a combination of off-the-shelf technology adapted for 
 
military use and next-generation computers. 
 
The old and the new blend together to produce battlespace awareness for more than 180,864 square miles of Northern airspace. The information the Kingpins of Northern Iraq produce is used to make decisions at levels ranging from the cockpit of a fighter to that of the combined forces air component commander. 
 
Supplied with data received from other air bases in Iraq, Airmen of the 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron provide command and control capabilities for more than 270,000 square miles of airspace for the Control and Reporting Center. Capt. Aristides Jimenez leads this group of vigilant warriors from the Puerto Rico Air National Guard. "If it flies, we see it," he said. 
 
The entire sight picture for Iraq is sent to Kirkuk from the CRC. This information is pushed out to aircrews, providing them battlespace awareness beyond their line of sight. The information is also supplied to the Combined Air Operations Center, providing coalition forces the entire air sight picture. 
 
"We have the capability to connect to aircraft flying missions in Iraq. In Balad, they also have the capability to link and pass information to surface-to-air missile batteries in Iraq," Captain Jimenez said. "We can talk to anyone, anywhere and act as a link between ground forces and the aircraft. We are an important piece 
 
 of the puzzle." 
Even though the squadron has the ability to talk directly with coalition aircraft, this aspect of their capabilities is controlled by the CRC, said Master Sgt. Rafael Rodriguez, ground radio superintendent. "Because of our location and capabilities, we allow the uplink between the CAOC, ground and air forces and other deployed radar sites," Sergeant Rodriguez said. 
Ground radio technicians Senior Airman Francisco Rivera and Staff Sgt. Javier Mercado maintain the equipment and they know how much is riding on the information they provide. "Since we provide the ability for long-range communication, if other sites' antennae can't reach up to the Northern part of the country, they use us," Sergeant Mercado said. 
Special equipment allows the Airmen to link up with air and ground forces but it's the radar that helps them see all. "We were able to achieve air superiority because of our radar capabilities," Captain Jimenez said. "We have the long range capabilities to adapt and react to anything flying." 
Senior Airman William Freytes, who is one of the unit's electronic protection technicians, agrees. "We can defeat radar jamming coming from non-coalition forces but no one can jam us," he explained. "We see them but they don't see us. It's my job to make sure they don't," he said. 
As an aircraft enters the radar's territory it is interrogated and convinced to give up its aircraft identifier. This number classifies the aircraft as friend or foe. "We see everything that moves in our airspace. Even if an aircraft, such as a fighter, tries to hide under a larger aircraft, we can still see it," said Chief Master Sgt. Jose Hernandez, maintenance superintendent. "Our systems communicate electronically with the aircraft in the air and if those planes don't identify themselves, we push that information forward and appropriate action is taken." 
What makes this possible isTactical Digital Information Link. Military aircraft and command and control units in Iraq are equipped with TADIL. It provides a picture of the combined air and ground battlefield and is useful for the close air support aircraft supporting ground forces fighting the insurgency. "Because air and ground forces don't speak the same electrical language, TADIL acts as a translator between the two," said Staff Sgt. Antonio Acosta, digital maintenance technician. "In the theater of operations, the ground and air picture is combines so both know what is happening either above or below them." 
TADIL-equipped aircraft can create their own air-to-air network or join an existing ground network. Aircrews can view cockpit displays showing both airborne and ground activities. Radar technology was used for the first time as early warning systems to detect enemy aircraft approaching ally forces. Before World War II, airspace control and deconfliction were rarely issues. The planes, airships and balloons of the day were few in number, slow and easy to identify. 
The introduction of air defense missile systems, cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles to the modern battlefield increased the services' theater airspace control requirements. The modern challenges of joint air operations require a more complex and dynamic airspace control system. 
The equipment in use by the squadron has both manned and remote capabilities. One relic left behind with the Cold War was the requirement that scopes be manned. Now the equipment has remote operation abilities. 
"We can operate the radar from this site or send the signal someplace else," said Staff Sgt. Jose Saavedra, radar maintenance technician. For the mission here, the radar is sent remotely from the hilltop to the valley. "We are a target sitting on top of the hill." 
The radar puts out a huge radio frequency signature. Because of this, sometimes threats such as antiradar missiles may be headed toward the radar, something electronic protection technicians like Staff Sgt. Luis Nazario counteract. 
"We have several options in the way we can respond if that happens," Sergeant Nazario said. Currently, insurgents operating in Iraq don't have this capability, but other countries do. "We have to be aware and we're the first to see threats either coming our way or coming into our 
 
 airspace," he said. 
The squadron is a 24/7, remote operation, which allows for fewer Airmen to man the site, increasing their ability for rapid redeployment to anywhere in the AOR. The facility at Kirkuk is a fixed site which will remain as long as the coalition forces are in Iraq. When not employed as a fixed site, the ACS is able to deploy anywhere in the world and be operational in just hours, day or night. 
The Kingpins' radar system is capable of providing radar azimuth, range, height and identification friend or foe information for the entirety of Northern Iraq and its borders. The system provides long range radar data to support operations and control of tactical aircraft. 
The radar receiver allows the operators to determine the range, direction and altitude of the threat, making identifying it a lot easier. From the radar's lofty position, the unit is the first one aware of a foe infiltrating Iraqi airspace. 
"When we see something, we know where it's coming from by its position on the radar," Sergeant Nazario said. "We are the eyes and ears of Northern Iraq." The ground radar set is designed to conduct long-range search and altitude-finding operations simultaneously. The self-contained data gathering system operates independent of inclement weather and jamming. The all-weather capable system weighs about 8,400 pounds. The antenna operates from sea level to 10,000 feet in conditions that include high winds, antenna icing, high humidity and the high temperatures. 
The unit has more than 80 pieces of equipment and supplies all of their own power and maintenance. Master Sgt. Jose Banuchi manages the more than 2,000 parts the squadron must maintain. Due to their location, many parts have a long delivery time. 
"We pre-position parts at this location so we can ensure our downtime is kept to a minimum," he said. Keeping parts in stock and Airmen on site allows a 99 percent equipment and communications uptime rate. 
"We're not just achieving it, we're maintaining it," Captain Jimenez said. "In the field conditions we are in -and in a combat environment -- we have exceeded the standards set by U.S. Central Command Air Forces." 
Air Expeditionary Force rotation 9/10 marks the first time Air National Guard members have complete control over the skies in Iraq. The three sites are operated by a combination of Airmen from the 117th ACS, Georgia Air National Guard and the 141st ACS, Puerto Rico ANG. 
For the EACS unit here, most of the Airmen are from Puerto Rico but one is from the 117th and another is from the Utah Air National Guard's 109th Air Control Squadron. "For us it's about coming here and doing a job and to make a statement," Captain Jimenez said. "We are not just in the Air Force -- we represent the Air National Guard and we represent Puerto Rico." 
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