First Friday briefing [Jan. 5, 2007]

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First Friday Briefing for January 2007
Deployment Update

Ga Guard to Have Prominent Role At Governor's Inauguration The Georgia National Guard will have a major role when Governor Sonny Perdue is inaugurated for his second term on Monday, January 8. The Guard's 116th Army Band will play the official music during the swearing-in ceremonies at Philip's Arena. Later in the day, the Governor is scheduled to "troop the line" as he inspects Army and Air National Guard formations assembled along Washington Street in front of the State Capitol. The Capitol event, scheduled for 4 pm Monday, will also feature music by the 530th Air Guard Band. Pictured above, the newly elected Governor inspects National Guard troops during the 2003 inauguration.

Three Air Guard Units
Receive Top AF Awards
The top unit award in the Air Force may have found a permanent home among the nine Air National Guard units in Georgia. The Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, the highest unit award presented by the Air Force was recently awarded to three Georgia Air National Guard units, the 116th Air Control Wing at Robins Air Force Base, the 202nd Engineering Installation Squadron in Macon, and the 283rd Combat Communications Squadron at Dobbins Air Reserve Base. "We cannot recall another example of a single state being awarded three AFOUAs in one year," said Maj. Gen Scott A. Hammond, Commander, GA ANG. "Being awarded a single AFOUA is a highly distinctive honor for a unit, but having three individual units in a single state honored at one time may be unprecedented." Full Story

214th Security Force Soldiers
Conduct Operation 'Claus'
To Bring Cheer to Iraqis
Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 214th Field Artillery Security Force shared Holiday cheer with the Iraqi citizens in the Bedouin tent communities in their operations area around Camp Cedar, near Tallil. The 214th Security Force, from Elberton, is assigned in support of the Minnesota National Guard's 134th Brigade Support Battalion. Read a first-
hand account from Sgt. Gary Heffner

Youth Challenge Holds Graduation
For Ft. Stewart Campus
The Georgia National Guard-sponsored Youth Challenge Academy at Fort Stewart near Savannah held its final graduation of the year at the City Auditorium with parents and officials packing the house to watch the proceedings. One of two ceremonies the Fort Stewart campus holds during the year, more than 200 former "at-risk" youth walked the stage, wearing gray fatigues beneath their graduation robes and accepted their YCA diplomas. Full Story

Agreement Gives SDF
Statewide Bases of Operations
During Emergencies
Members of the all-volunteer Georgia State Defense Force who are called to emergency duty can now use the campuses of Georgia's 34 Technical colleges as staging areas under an agreement between the State, the Defense Force and the Department of Technical and Adult Education. A Memorandum of Understanding, signed in late 2006, allows for DTAE campuses to provide areas for

DOL's Surface Maintenance Manager; 201st Commander Is Promoted to 0-6 Lieutenant Col. Steve Blanton was promoted to the rank of colonel during a late December 2006 ceremony. His wife Gerann and Brig. Gen. Larry Ross,

the SDF to assemble, set up command posts, and triage areas when the event the Governor declares a state of emergency for which the volunteer force is activated. Full Story

commander 78th Troop command in Decatur, pinned on Blanton's new rank during the ceremony at the at the Georgia DoD's Confederate Avenue complex. Also participating in the ceremony were Col. Blanton's children Stephanie, Chris, Jessie and Ben. In his full time position, Blanton is the surface maintenance manager for the Directorate of Logistics. As an M-day Soldier, he commands Newnan's 201st Regional Support Group. Blanton has been a member of the Guard since March 1983.

DOWD/HRO Staffers Present Check To Family Support Foundation In keeping with the holiday spirit that it's better to give than receive, members of the Georgia Department of Defense Directorate of Workforce Development and Human Resource Office in early December 2006 added to the coffers of the Georgia National Guard Family Support Foundation. DOWD and HRO staffers raised more than $2,000, said Warrant Officer 1, T. Larry Dawson, a human resources development specialist. The funds came from the purchases of donated items auctioned during the DOWD and HRO Christmas party. Full Story
Chatham Artillery, 118th FA Honor 17 at 'Saint Barbara' Celebration First Battalion, 118th Field Artillery, in conjunction with the Chatham Artillery, celebrated Saint Barbara's Day and Christmas, with an evening gala held in Savannah. The annual event not only honors the patron saint of field artillerymen, Saint Barbara, but also selected Soldiers are honored with an Order of Saint Barbara medallion. The most distinguished is the Ancient Order of Saint Barbara, awarded to those who have achieved long-term, exceptional service in field artillery. Receiving the Ancient Order this year were Colonels Lawrence E. Dudney Jr. and Kenneth D. Lee. Full Story
New HHC, 48th IBCT First Sergeant Is 'Second to None' What best defines newly pinned First Sergeant Gladys Estrada Portwine has been hard work and a series of firsts. Second to none can be another description

Book Recounts 1947 Air Guard Accident Following more than three years of careful research and painstaking interviewing of witnesses whose recollections may have faded with time, a Gwinnett county aviation enthusiast and amateur historian has published what is perhaps the first accurate account of the 1953 crash of four Georgia Air National Guard fighter jets in which all four pilots were killed. "Four Down on Old Peachtree Road" is a 261-page book documenting the events of that crash. Author Ben Cole of Suwanee officially debuted the book at ceremonies on December 6, 2006, 54 years to the day after the crash on Gwinnett County's Old Peachtree Road. From official reports and eyewitness accounts he gathered, Cole was able to reconstruct what happened just after midnight on Dec. 6, 1953. The four pilots, assigned to the former 128th Fighter Bomber Squadron, 116th Fighter Bomber Group, were flying back to Marietta's Dobbins Air Force Base from a training mission in Miami. Full Story
Thomaston Post Office Named for 'Fallen' 48th BCT Guardsman Sergeant First Class Robert Lee "Bobby" Hollar, a Georgia Guardsman of Troop E, 108th Cavalry who was killed near Mahmudiyah in September 2005 by an IED, has been honored by having the Thomaston Post Office named in his honor. On the last day of the Congressional session, Congress approved a bill sponsored by Congressman Lynn Westmoreland (8th District GA), and co-sponsored by Senators Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss to name the Thomaston Post Office in honor of Sgt 1st Class Hollar. Full Story

A look at what happened in January in Georgia National Guard history:...
January 1836 - William Schley, the Governor of Georgia, responded to a Seminole Indian attack during December 1835 in Florida:
Milledgeville, Jan. 13, 1836 (then the state capitol) The Commander-in-chief has received official information from his Excellency JOHN H. EATON, Governor of Florida, that a battle occurred in that Territory on the 13th (sic) December, between the Seminole Indians and a detachment of U.S. Troops and Militia; and that our fellow citizens in that territory stand in need of assistance from the patriotic citizens of Georgia. The Commander-in-chief, under existing circumstances, will not ORDER the MILITIA of GEORGIA, or any part of them, to march beyond the limits of the State.-- But he earnestly invites such of the Volunteer Corps as are willing to go to the relief of their suffering fellow-citizens of Florida, immediately to signify to him their readiness for such service.
Volunteers answered and the 1st Georgia Battalion was formed, led by Major Mark Anthony Cooper. Major Cooper and his men would withstand a Seminole siege in April 1836 at Ft. Cooper in Florida.
January 1861 - The citizens of Georgia was deeply divided over secession. A statewide vote and convention on secession was authorized by the state legislature on January 2nd. The Secession Convention met at the state capitol in Milledgeville on the 18th and the next day by a vote of 208-89 voted to secede from the Union. The popular vote, preceding the convention, however was quite different. Research by the Georgia Historical Society in 1972 concluded that the popular vote was razor thin against secession.

of a polished and determined career. Portwine will be the first woman and minority in Georgia to take the lead in a traditionally all male infantry element, the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team's Headquarters and Headquarters Company number one NCO. Full Story

Complied by Gail Parnelle, GaARNG Historical Section

60 Years Late, Calhoun Resident
Receives Medals for WW II Service
Honoring fellow Soldiers for their dedication to duty and their devotion to each other is something members of 1st Battalion, 108th Armor love doing as much as they love being Soldiers. It really doesn't matter if that Soldier isn't one of their own, or that his service happened years before many among the 108th's ranks were ever born. That pride was evident in December when a Floyd County man finally received recognition for his courage under fire in another time, another place and another war. Making the presentation of two Bronze Stars, one of them for valor the other for meritorious service, to former Army Pvt. Clinton W. Sharp was Maj. Gen. Terry Nesbitt, Georgia Army Guard commander and director of the Georgia Office of Homeland Security. Full Story

Senior Enlisted Assignments Announced For Army Guard Units The Georgia Army National Guard announced this week a number of changes in the senior enlisted ranks with the assignments of 12 Command Sergeants Major. The announcements were made by Maj. Gen. Terry Nesbitt, commander of the Georgia Army Guard, and Command Sgt. Maj. Neil Russell, State Command Sergeant Major. The assignments include the following: Command Sgt. Maj. Charles F. Crews
781st Troop Command (CERF-P) Command Sgt. Maj. Jackie E. Faulkner
648th Engineer Bn. Command Sgt. Maj. David L. Harper
48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Command Sgt. Maj. Allen Jackson
201st Regional Support Group Command Sgt. Maj. Timothy Jones
1st Battalion, 214th Field Artillery Command Sgt. Maj. James Nelson, Jr.
HHD, Joint Forces Headquarters Command Sgt. Maj. Lance T. Rygmyr
265th Regional Support Group Command Sgt. Maj. Barry Smallwood
878th Engineer Bn Command Sgt. Maj. John E. Smiley
148th Brigade Support Bn Command Sgt. Maj. Bruce Thomasson - 110th Corps Support Bn Sgt. Maj. Joe Shubert
1st Bn, 108th Armor Sgt. Maj. M Calvin Wilcox
1st Bn, 121st Infantry

Historical Society Launches Membership Drive A new year means the start of another Historical Society of the Georgia National Guard membership drive. Those Guardsmen, federal and state employees who feel that preserving the history and heritage of Georgia's military force is significant will find the Society a useful resource. More importantly, with current deployments still continuing the Society is a repository of Georgia Guard information including oral and written histories as well as other documents. Cost of an annual membership is $30 Individual; $40 joint membership, and $20 senior (55 or older).
For more information contact.. John Hardwick at: john.hardwick@ga.ngb. army.mil 678-569-6451 or Dr. Beryl Diamond at beryl.diamond@ga.ngb.army.mil 678-569-6065.

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

April 5, 2007 Time: 12:41 pm Security Notice

Army National Guard FAQ The latest news from the Georgia Army National Guard. | It's Now Colonel King | CST, 202nd Participate in Disaster Drill | 2007 NCO, soldier Named | 1230th Deploys Again | CERF-P Conducts Initial Exercise | Hurricane Exercise Tests Readines | Guard Deploys to Americus To Aid Relief Effort | GRAP Pays Off for Guardsman |

Air National Guard FAQ The latest news from the Georgia Air National Guard. | Col. Moore Assumes Command of the 116th | 202nd Helps Byron | Doehling Retires as 116th ViceCmdr | Cotter Tapped to Attend Air, Space School | New Positions Follow 165th Change | Smart to Lead 165th |

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 |

2007 NCO, Soldier of the Year Named Click Here Hurricane Exercise Tests Guard Readiness Click Here
Need the IG? Click Here

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48th BCT In Iraq

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The Georgia Department of Defense Web site is provided as a public service by the Georgia Department of Defense Directorate of Communications, Atlanta , GA. Information presented on the Georgia Department of Defense Web site is considered public information and may be distributed or copied. Use of appropriate byline/photo/image credits is requested. For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users. This government computer system employs software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. Unauthorized attempts to deny service, upload information, change information, or to attempt to access a non-public site from this service are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under Title 18 of the U.S. Code to include the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1987 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act.

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Youth Challenge Holds Last '06 Ceremony

Georgia National Guard Public Affairs Office

MACON, Dec. 16, 2006 The Georgia National Guard-sponsored Youth Challenge Academy at Fort Stewart near Savannah held its final graduation of the year at the City Auditorium with parents and officials packing the house to watch the proceedings.

One of two ceremonies the Fort Stewart campus holds during the year, more than 200 former "at-risk" youth walked the stage, wearing gray fatigues beneath their graduation robes and accepted their YCA diplomas.

Hughes and graduate: One of 200 graduates of the Youth Challenge Program at the Fort Stewart campus receives his diploma from Bob Hughes, Fort Stewart campus director. (Georgia National Guard photo)

Special guest speaker for the year-end event was Col. James R. Tinkham of the National Guard Bureau in Washington. Tinkham, a Vietnam veteran and a 1971 graduate of the Army Aviation program, heads the bureau's Office of Athletics and Youth ChallenNGe Program. He also is responsible for federal oversight of the Guard's STARBASE Program and all National Guard military athletic competitions.
Also present at the graduation was State Rep. All Williams of Liberty County. Williams, who hails from Midway near Hinesville, presented a diploma and his congratulations to a graduate from his district.

Tinkham and Williams were joined by Lt. Gen. David B. Poythress, Georgia's Adjutant General, and Maj. Gen. Terry Nesbitt, Georgia Army Guard commander; and Brig. Gen. Larry Ross, commander 78th Troop Command in Decatur.

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Three Georgia Air Guard units Receive Top AF Awards
The top unit award in the Air Force may have found a permanent home among the nine Air National Guard units in Georgia.
The Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, the highest unit award presented by the Air Force recently has been awarded to three Georgia Air National Guard units, the 116th Air Control Wing at Robins Air Force Base, the 202nd Engineering Installation Squadron in Macon, and the 283rd Combat Communications Squadron at Dobbins ARB.
"We cannot recall another example of a single state being awarded three AFOUAs in one year, "said Maj. Gen Scott A. Hammond, Commander, GA ANG. "Being awarded a single AFOUA is a highly distinctive honor for a unit, but having three individual units in a single state honored at one time may be unprecedented."
The 116th Air Control Wing, the nation's only blended wing, was the recipient of its 13th AFOUA. No other Air National Guard unit in the nation has received this distinction on 13 occasions. The unit was presented its 13th AFOUA for the period of January 2005 through December 2006. The Robins-based Air Control Wing has been continuously deployed to the Southwest Asia since 2001 and is the only unit in the Air Force flying the sophisticated Joint STARS surveillance mission.
Macon's 202nd Engineering Installation Squadron was recognized for deploying communication installation and engineering teams to four countries in the Middle East in direct support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Additionally, the 202nd was recognized for its communications restoration projects on America's Gulf Coast following the ravages of Hurricane Katrina.
The 283rd Combat Communications Squadron was recognized for its support the 1st Air Force and US NORTHCOM's Deployable-Homeland and Air Cruise Missile Defense (D-HACMD) proof of concept in California. This exercise demonstrated a rapidly deployable air defense system designed to protect high profile national targets against cruise missiles and other low-flying threats. More than 20 percent deployed for operations in Southwest Asia establishing central communication hubs vital for command and control for combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"The AFOUA recognizes these units as being the very best in the Air Force, and it's especially noteworthy that with the global and domestic challenges we face, Georgia Air Guard units are reaching the highest standards of operational readiness," continued Maj Gen Hammond.
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Agreement Give SDF Statewide Bases of Operations During Emergencies
Members of the all volunteer Georgia State Defense Force who are called to emergency duty can now use the campuses of Georgia's 34 Technical colleges as staging areas under an agreement between the State and the Defense Force and the Department of Technical and Adult Education .
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in late 2006 that allows for the DTAE campuses to provide areas for SDF members to assemble, set up command posts, and triage areas when the event the Governor declares a state of emergency for which the volunteer force is activated.
Located in every portion of the state, the technical school campuses, said Brig. Gen. Mike McGuinn, SDF commander, "gives us the State Defense Force an awful lot of geography to work with."
DTAE interim commission Ron Jackson echoed McGuinn's comments saying that "given their locations, technical college faculties can provide an excellent base of operations in times of natural disaster."
Approximately 850 volunteers comprise Georgia's State Defense Force.
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214th Security Force Soldiers Conduct 'Operation Claus' To Bring Cheer to Iraqis

Editor's note: Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 214th Field Artillery Security Force shared their Holiday cheer with the Iraqi citizens in the Bedouin tent communities in their operations area around Camp Cedar, near Tallil. The 214th Security Force, from Elberton, is assigned in support of the Minnesota National Guard's 134th Brigade Support Battalion. Below is a first-hand account from Sgt. Gary Heffner.
Read more in the 'Wolverine,' the 124th BSB Newsletter

Spc. Torenzo Flake, of the Georgia National Guard's 214th Security Force, delivers toys to a happy Iraqi boy near Camp Cedar.
(By Sgt. Gary Heffner)

By Sgt. Gary Heffner 214th SF UPAR
Staff Sgt. Patrick J. Henry nodded at me in the Base Defense Operations Center. "Is it time?" I asked. He nodded. I had moments to put on all my gear and meet him and his Base Defense Force team for our mission. I'm not usually a part of the team but all that was different today.

What was not different was Staff Sgt. Henry's no-nonsense mission brief. "Men we are going to exit Cedar, head down this road, turn and visit these tents at this location and then on the returntrip we will visit these tents. Do you understand?" he asked in a voice that could easily pass for Sgt. Rock's voice, whatever that sounds like. We were off.

He and his team spend hours patrolling the area around Camp Cedar. They are no-nonsense Soldiers with a job to do: protect the area from intruders. They know the local families by name and sight and interact with them often. Staff Sgt. Henry says, "The better we know the neighbors the easier it will be to spot someone who does not belong around here."

He's a little like Santa Claus. His mission today was to bring

humanitarian supplies and toys to the children and families that live

near Camp Cedar. "Hearts and minds is what it's all about," Staff

Sgt. Henry said. Staff Sgt. Henry had handpicked the families and areas to go into. He knew how many children should be at each location and their approximate ages.

The 214th Security Force Base Security Patrol Team.
(By Sgt. Gary Heffner)

He told me he had one favorite child, a little girl, who was very afraid

of strangers at first. He smiled when he told me about the time she took a pinwheel and an orange from his

hand. You can often see the little girl riding a donkey along the road near Camp Cedar with her pinwheel in

hand. The mission actually started a few weeks ago when my wife, Karen, asked me what the soldiers over

here needed. I told her we have way too much stuff already. We have boxes sent all the time and a Base

Exchange to shop at but, remembering Staff Sgt. Henry's stories of needy children nearby, I said, "Could

you send toys?" After she asked me if I had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder I explained about the children.

That's all it took.

Over the next few weeks I received several boxes of toys. My daughter, Jamie, talked to people where she works, Lynndale, Inc., and they also sent toys. About the same time Staff Sgt. Henry had the same idea and his mother, Shirly Henry, and his sister, Renee Water, began to send toys and treats for the children. Staff Sgt. Henry's Base Defense Force team consists of Sgt. Wilhelm Waters, Spc. Anthony Miles, Spc. Larry Fullmore, Spc. Donnell Dais, Spc. Erik Rosengren, Spc., Timothy Hollingsworth, Spc Torenzo Flake, and Spc. Sebastian Taylor.

We picked up an interpreter and headed toward the first location, a group of tents a short drive from Camp Cedar. Humanitarian aid is a part of what we do. Most people back home are unaware of that but it is a way for us to touch lives and, hopefully, change a few of those hearts and minds. Back home we take for granted the simple necessities of life and the simple toys that these children and families were so thrilled to receive. Food, water, balls, dolls, trucks, and cars nothing special but the children were thrilled to receive them. Though we were all far away from home, we all knew the look so well. When it comes down to it, children are the same all over the world. It takes very little to make them smile.

We arrived at the tents and Staff Sgt. Henry and the interpreter went out to meet the head of the household. It would be improper to begin distributing supplies or toys to anyone until the head of the household was consulted and asked. He graciously granted us permission to meet his family and hand out supplies. His wife and several children slowly came out of the tent.

The older children were already familiar with the Soldiers and showed no fear. The very young children

clung to their parents. The families received supplies and were very grateful. All children received between four to six toys. Many received Magnadoodles a drawing toy. Girls got dolls, jump ropes, jacks, craft items, and other toys. The boys received cars, trucks, balls, action figures, and other toys. There were so many toys! The children were thrilled. One little boy was not at all sure about us. We gave him the prize of all boy toys: a Tonka dump truck! He took it but we were pretty sure the best present we could give him was to go away.
His father was great and taught him how to play with it. About that time, the entire neighborhood descended on our location. We had anticipated this and were ready for them. We got more supplies and toys and handed them out. It was so very touching. The children and teens held on to the toys like they were their prize possessions. Then Staff Sgt. Henry got his Christmas present early. The little girl to whom he had given a pinwheel a few weeks ago came with her mother. He lit up like a Christmas tree when she actually smiled at him. Of course, he spoiled her with more toys than all the others, but that's to be expected.
Our last stop was on the way home. A big family with many children lives quite close to Camp Cedar. The parents are very proud of their family and are excellent neighbors. Although I lost count they had at least seven children. Three teenagers were acting pretty much like teenagers all over the world, trying to act disinterested.
But that changed as soon as they saw that we had age-appropriate items for them as well. The children around Camp Cedar are, indeed, like children all over the world. Being with them and seeing them so happy touched every soldier on the mission. Those of us who have children back home were especially touched to be able to see that joy that lights up a child's face, even if it was not our own child.
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DOWD and HRO Staffers Present Christmas Check To Family Support Foundation

In keeping with the holiday spirit that it's better to give than receive, members of the Georgia Department of Defense Directorate of Workforce Development and Human Resource Office in early December 2006 added to the coffers of the Georgia National Guard Family Support Foundation.

More than $2,000, a 150 percent increase over last year's contribution, was raised, said Warrant Officer 1, T. Larry Dawson, a human resources development specialist. The funds came from the purchases of donated items auctioned off during the DOWD and HRO Christmas party, Dawson said.

Warrant Officer 1, T. Larry Dawson presents a $2,000 check to Lt. Col Jay Peno, president of the Georgia National Guard Family Support Foundation. The check presentation was made on behalf of DOWD and HRO staffers at the departments annual Christmas party.

It's the second time that such an event to help the foundation has been held, he added. "And we certainly look forward to doing it every year."
Dawson said the check was presented to Lt. Col. Jay Peno, the foundation's president the day following, said Dawson.
"We thank the folks at DOWD and HRO for their efforts to support the foundation, but more importantly, those efforts provide support to some of our most important Guard assets, the families who remain when their Soldiers are deployed," Peno explained.

Dawson said he'd like to see other organizations with the Georgia Guard take up the cause and support the foundation. If they take notice of what DOWD and HRO are doing, he said, maybe they'll "jump on the band wagon and join us."

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Chatham Artillery, 118th Field Artillery Honor 17 During 'Saint Barbara' Celebration

Story by Pfc. Adam Dean Public Affairs Office Georgia National Guard

SAVANNAH, Saturday, Dec. 2, 2006 First Battalion, 118th Field Artillery, in conjunction with the Chatham Artillery, celebrated Saint Barbara's Day and Christmas with an evening gala held at this city's Alee Shrine Temple.

As an annual event, not only the patron saint of field artillerymen, Saint Barbara, is celebrated, but also selected Soldiers are honored with an Order of Saint Barbara medallion.

The most distinguished is the Ancient Order of Saint Barbara, awarded to those who have achieved longterm, exceptional service in field artillery. Receiving the Ancient Order were colonels Lawrence E. Dudney Jr. and Kenneth D. Lee.

Col. Lawrence E. Dudney Jr (right) awards Staff Sgt. Robert K. Brock (left) the Honorable Order of Saint Barbara Medallion that features a relief of Saint Barbara, patron of artillerymen during the Chatham Artillery's Saint Barbara Day celebration. (Georgia National Guard photo by Pfc. Adam Dean)

A second level of recognition, the Honorable Order of Saint Barbara, recognizes those who have achieved excellence in their field artillery service. Honorable Order recipients included Maj. Kevin T Hamm, captains Robert C. Davis, Joseph P. Fairfax, Michael C. Ferunden, and Jimmy W. Boan, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Paul D. Huber, sergeants first class Christopher S. Mullins, Scott F. Payton, Henry C. McClain Jr. and Robert K. Brock; Staff Sgt. Ross R. Sevlie; retired Chief Warrant Officer 3 Earl G. Kirkley; and civilians Charles L. Davis Jr., Benjamin Itzkovitz, and Mike Manhatton.

"This is a really big deal to all field artillerymen," said Sevlie. "The Saint Barbara's Day celebration is always a special event, and this year, for me, it means even more," he added, his medallion hanging proudly around his neck.

As an organization, the order is an honorary military society of the United States Field Artillery. Both Army and Marine artillerymen, along with their military and civilian supporters, are eligible for membership. The U.S. Field Artillery Association manages the order, and two levels of recognition exist.

The Field Artillery Association also recognizes those wives who have demonstrated extreme loyalty and support of their Soldiers with the Molly Pitcher Award.

Receiving this year's award were Micki Boan, Katherine Gentry, Denise Fields, Iris Wolff, Julie Hynes and Florrie Kirkley.

All honorees receive a certificate documenting their achievement and a medallion.

A key aspect of the Saint Barbara's Day festivities is the making of the locally famous Chatham Artillery Punch. Among the ingredients of this year's punch was a pair of Soldier's socks, the stockings of a Soldier's wife, and sand from Iraq.

After the punch is concocted, a number of toasts are made, and a separate toast is made by each group of honorees after they receive their medallion.

As the legend goes, Saint Barbara was the daughter of a heathen in Asia Minor. When she converted to Christianity, her father, Dioscorus, became enraged and put her to death. After he put his daughter to death, he

was struck by lightning and his body was completely consumed.
Mary Hays McCauly is a legendary figure from the American Revolutionary War. The wife of an artilleryman, she earned the nickname Molly Pitcher during the battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778. On that hot summer day she braved the perils of the battlefield and brought pitcher after pitcher of cool water to the men fighting for their young country. During the battle, when her husband fell wounded, she took up his position and manned a cannon. For her heroics that day, General George Washington personally issued her a warrant as a noncommissioned officer. Thereafter she was known as Sergeant Molly.
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New HHC, 48th IBCT First Sergeant is 'Second to None'
MACON, Georgia What best defines newly pinned first Sergeant Gladys Estrada Portwine has been hard work and a series of firsts. Second to none can be another description of a polished and determined career.
Portwine is now "Top," the respectful nickname for the senior noncommissioned officer in a company element. The uniqueness of that title stems from a recent historical advancement.
Portwine will be the first woman and minority in Georgia to take the lead in a traditionally all male infantry element, the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team's Headquarters and Headquarters Company number one NCO.
In this chapter of her career, "Top" Portwine will be redesigning the boots the next company 1st Sergeant will step into. She has no plans to make them easy to fill.
"I'm nervous," Portwine said humbly as she took a deep, thoughtful breath realizing the enormity of what she has undertaken. "As a first anything you always have all eyes on you and have to work harder because of that. But," she adds, "It cannot overshadow your primary responsibility and that's leading Soldiers."
In 1975 Gladys Estrada became a private in the U.S. Army's WAC,s (Women's Army Corp). An Army auxiliary developed in World War II to supplement the administrative needs of the military by placing women in noncombatant roles. It was disbanded in 1978 but not before Private Gladys Estrada joined the ranks as one of the proud group's last.
"I was assigned as a truck driver, what's now called an 88-mike" she said with a laugh. "We didn't train with the men and when they started putting us in units with men it got interesting."
Portwine found herself in an all-male environment during a time of change and was eventually stationed in Germany where she was immediately relegated to a desk job. "I reported and I'm the only woman in the section so they tell me women didn't drive and I refused to be pushed in the back. When it was all said and done I was driving but I had to prove myself." The recollection of that moment brings a slight smile to her face. "Eventually that rule changed and I am proud to say I was part of that change."
Her military career transformed from an active duty environment to becoming a citizen-Soldier, and she was part of the first Gulf invasion. She was pioneering logistical convoys and passionately working to take care of `her Soldiers.'
That desire to take care of Soldiers was key in the decision to place her in such a visible position. Colonel Lawrence "Larry" Dudney, commander for the 48th BCT has no reservations in her ability to take on the challenges of the posting. Acknowledging the obviousness of diversity but brushing any implication that they were factors in the final decision.
Dudney reflected from his 48th BCT office in Macon. "There was no doubt she could do the job, we witnessed her professionalism throughout pre-deployment train-up and in Iraq."
Logistically she and her team moved over 4,500 Soldiers in-theatre; seamlessly. If it needed to get there, she took care of it. Portwine will now apply the principles of taking the supplies to the fight by putting admin in motion.
"We are fortunate to have very knowledgeable administrative staff on-hand," explains Portwine. "My thought is to implement three mobile teams that we will be able to send to the Soldier on drill weekend."
Her goal is to make the resources accessible to the Soldier by coordinating with the battalions throughout the state and putting her team on the road.
"That Soldier is a customer. We have to make sure that when he or she comes to us with a pay issue, paperwork problem anything at all if they are coming to us, they expect to be taken care of and a telephone call won't always do it."
"She is meticulous," Dudney said, effortlessly accenting an impressive resume'. "Her tremendous attention to detail is the thing that sticks out in my mind. She knows transformation is not just equipment and reclassification but its people. An amazing balancing act that manifests in what the job calls for and that's caring for the Soldiers."
Walking through the brigade area Portwine stops to chat with a new Soldier and listens with an obvious caring. Leaving the young Soldier, an interstate transfer from Michigan, she thanks him for his feedback and encourages him to see her team if her needs anything or has any questions.

"We will focus on customer service," Portwine states. "I am going to make sure we take care of the Soldier first."
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Book Recounts 1947 Air Guard Accident
Following more than three years of careful research and painstaking interviewing of witnesses whose recollections may have faded with time, a Gwinnett county aviation enthusiast and amateur historian has published what is perhaps the first accurate account of the 1953 crash of four Georgia Air National Guard fighter jets in which all four pilots were killed.
"Four Down on Old Peachtree Road" is a 261-page book documenting the events of that crash. Author Ben Cole of Suwanee officially debuted the book at ceremonies on December 6, 2006, 54 years to the day after the crash on Gwinnett County's Old Peachtree Road.
Killed that fateful day, according to Air Force documents, were Capt. Idon Hodge, first lieutenants Sam Dixon Jr. and Elwood Kent, and 2nd Lt. William Tennent.
From official reports and eyewitness accounts he gathered, Cole was able to reconstruct what happened just after midnight on Dec. 6, 1953. The four pilots, assigned to the former 128th Fighter Bomber Squadron, 116th Fighter Bomber Group, were flying back to Marietta's Dobbins Air Force Base from a training mission in Miami. Hodge, Dixon Kent and Tennent were flying four Republic-built F-84D "Thunder Jet" fighters in formation through that cloudy, rainy night. Hodge, the lead pilot, depended on his instruments to guide him and his men home.
Accident reports indicated the four jets were much lower than Hodge's altimeter showed. Former difficult to read. Soon after the crash, according to Cole's book, the altimeter design was upgraded.
When the crash occurred, the four pilots and their aircraft slammed into the rented home of Ernest Brooks. He and his family escaped certain death because they were not home at the time. Brook's brother James represented the family at the book's debut along with more than 20 invited guests. Also there was Gen. Joel Paris, who was the Georgia Adjutant General at the time of the accident, and Hodge's widow.
Along with the book, Cole raised $2,000 used to erect the Old Peachtree Road memorial plaque for the crash's 50th anniversary in December 2003.t."
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Thomaston Post Office Named for 'Fallen' 48th BCT Guardsman
Thomaston, GA, December 2006 -- Sergeant First Class Robert Lee "Bobby" Hollar, a Georgia Guardsman of Troop E, 108th Cavalry who was killed near Mahmudiyah in September 2005 by an IED has been honored by having the Thomaston Post Office named in his honor.
On the last day of the Congressional session, Congress approved a bill sponsored by Congressman Lynn Westmoreland (8th District GA), and co-sponsored by Senator Johnny Isakson and Senator Saxby Chambliss to name the Thomaston Post Office in honor of Sergeant First Class Robert Lee "Bobby" Hollar Jr.
The effort to recognize Sgt 1st Class Hollar was originally begun by Mack Gadsen, a Postal Inspector in North Carolina who diligent sought to bring this project to completion. Bobby Hollar was a postal carrier in his civilian job.
"Sgt 1st Class Hollar leaves a legacy of service deserving of having a postal facility named for him," said Gadsen.
Hollar moved to Thomaston GA as a child and has family in the immediate area. The "Bobby Hollar" Post Office will be a source of pride for this three children and for the community he served.
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60 Years Late, Calhoun Resident Receives Medals for World War II Service

Story by Staff Sgt. Roy Henry Georgia National Guard Public Affairs Office

CALHOUN, Dec. 2, 2006 Honoring fellow Soldiers for their dedication to duty and their devotion to each other is something members of 1st Battalion, 108th Armor love doing as much as they love being Soldiers. It really doesn't matter if that Soldier isn't one of their own, or that his service happened years before many among the 108th's ranks were ever born.

Their pride was evident all through the battalion's drill hall as the North Georgia tankers stood at attention to watch one a Floyd County man finally received recognition for his courage under fire in another time, another place and another war.

Making the presentation of two Bronze Stars, one of them for valor the other for meritorious service, to former Army Pvt. Clinton W. Sharp was Maj. Gen. Terry Nesbitt, Georgia Army Guard commander and director of the Georgia Office of Homeland Security. Nesbitt also presented Sharp with the coveted Combat Medic Badge, the American Campaign Medal and the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with two service stars.

"It's a shame it took 60 years to do this for one of our heroes," Nesbitt said. "

Sharp, now 82, and his wife Loudine live in

Scottsdale a small community between Calhoun and Rome. He was a 19-year-old World War II combat medic serving with the 43rd (Winged Victory) Division in Luzon, the Philippines, when

Major Gen. Terry Nesbitt (left), Georgia Army Guard commander, pins the Combat Medic Badge on World War II veteran Clinton Sharp. (Georgia National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Roy Henry)

he earned his medals. It was that time in the war

that Gen. Douglas McArthur had made his

triumphant return to the battle-torn island nation which had seen the fall of American influence and the rise of Japanese

imperialism.

As a medic, Sharp's job was to patch up his fallen comrades, ease their suffering as much as he could and get them back to rear area aid stations for treatment.

Although the original citation for Sharp's awards no longer exists, but a newspaper story of day recounts Sharp's actions through the words of his commanding general.

"During an advance against the enemy, Private Sharp's battalion was subjected to heavy enemy fire. Observing a comrade who had been badly wounded, Private Sharp, together with a companion, braved the fire and went to the aid of his fellow Soldier, and then remained with him until additional help could be enlisted to effect removal to a safe position," the story read. "The courage and fidelity displayed was on inspiration to the men in his organization."

The article went to account that Sharp and the 43rd "landed on the Lingayen beachhead on Jan. 9," and that they had liberated the first Luzon towns. Involved in fighting east of Manila, the 43rd had "participated in action against the Japanese on Guadalcanal, New Georgia and New Guinea during its 30 months in the Pacific Theater."

Private Sharp was getting his medals now, after his son-in-law Jerry Tippen enlisted the assisted of Nesbitt, with whom he is friends. Tippen stated that at some point during the Philippines Campaign, Sharp had been injured and sent to a hospital ship for recovery and then home. His medals never caught up with him, Tippen added.

It took some doing, but with Nesbitt's help his father-in-law was finally getting the recognition he so deeply deserves, the former 101st Airborne Soldier and Vietnam veteran said.

"Dad and many like him went through a lot in those days and served their country with honor," Tippen said shortly after Sharp

received his medals and a congratulatory hand shake from nearly every Soldier in the 108th Armor. "He deserves it, they all do, although he'll tell you he didn't do anything no one else had or would have done in his place."
As for Sharp, who, according to his wife, doesn't like a lot of excitement, he stood proudly with his family, his newly received medals pinned to his sports jacket, as they took a family photo.
"The one thing the newspaper article about me didn't point out was that I was scared the whole time. But then, again, who wasn't," Sharp said.
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