First Friday briefing [Apr. 6, 2007]

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First Friday Briefing for April 2007
Deployment Update

President George W. Bush greets Guardsman, residents of Americus while touring the storm-stricken area.
Guard Mobilized In Wake of Americus of Tornadoes Members of the Georgia Army and Air Guard were called to duty in the wake of a deadly tornado that ripped through portions of southwest Georgia in early March.

Hurricane Exercise
Tests Guard Readiness
Elements of the Georgia Air and Army National Guard teamed up at Robins AFB, and at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta with members of Georgia's State Defense Force to face "Hurricane Sierra," a fictitious storm created by the Georgia Department of Defense to judge the rapid response capabilities of the Guard in the event of a major hurricane. Full Story

Guardsmen participating includied members of Company C, 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry from Americus. They were supported by the 148th Support Battalion along with aviation assets from the 185th Aviation Battalion. Air Guard support came from the 283rd Combat Communications Squadron, Dobbins Air Reserve Base; 202nd Engineering and Installation Squadron, Macon; 165th Airlift Wing, Savannah; and 116th Air Control Wing, Warner Robins Full Story

CERF-P Conducts Initial Training at
Savannah's CRTC
More than 200 Army and Air National Guardsmen, all members of the Georgia National Guard's newly formed CERF-P capability, trained for a week at the Savannah CRTC in early March.

Georgia is one of fourteen states possessing the unique CERFP function that provides a full realm of National Guard resources in response to natural disasters or terrorist incidences anywhere within the continental United States. Full Story

From the left Sgt. 1st Class Willie Osborn, Staff Sgt. James Steel and Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth Jackson mark duffle bags and other baggage. (Georgia National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Roy Henry)
1230th Begins 2nd Deployment Sixteen members of the 1230th Transportation Company in Bainbridge have left for Camp Atterbury, Ind., where the South Georgia unit will begin the first leg of its deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The unit's main body will follow. Full Story
ASOS Guardsmen Aid Local Community in Search for Missing Brunswick Child Thirty members of the Georgia's 165th ASOS were called out recently to help local authorities search for six-year-old Christopher Michael Barrios Jr., reported to have disappeared from a trailer park near the unit's Canal Road headquarters.
The Guardsmen were part of an intensive search and recovery effort involving local and state search parties. The areas searched by the 165th covered about two square miles of very dense brush, briars, and coastal palms. Days later Glynn County authorities took several persons into custody in connection with the disappearance. A body, identified as that of the missing child, was later found authorities said.

202nd Helps Byron Following Storm
Macon's 202nd Engineering Installation Squadron got real world training recently when its members assisted Byron, Ga., in restoring a fallen communications antenna. Full Story

4th CST, 202nd EOD, Aviation
Participate In Gordon County
Disaster Exercise
Shortly after classes began at Sonoraville High and Middle schools about 6 miles from Calhoun, emergency klaxons alerted students and faculty to trouble inside the high school's hallowed halls. What the more than 800 people who evacuated the two schools didn't know was that two "gunmen," one packing explosives, the other an "unknown chemical agent," darted from a "stolen sedan" into the high school's main hall, downed a Gordon County sheriff's deputy and began roaming the building looking for victims. Read More

Van Kampen, Mastin Chosen
Army's 'Best of the Best'
Two Georgia Army National Guardsmen, out of a field of eight competitors, have been named the best among their fellow Soldiers during a two-day competition held on the grounds of Macon's Regional Training Institute (RTI). Named Noncommissioned Officer of the Year for 2007 is Sgt. Heather D. Van Kampen of Norcross. Chosen Soldier of the Year is Spc. Amie Mastin. Full Story

116th ACW Welcomes Moore
As New Commander
Colonel Thomas Moore assumed command of the 116th Air Control Wing, at a change of command ceremony at Robins AFB, Ga. Lieutenant Gen. Robert Elder, Eighth Air Force commander, officiated. Joining General Elder was Maj. Gen. Scott Hammond, commander, Georgia Air National Guard. Full Story

Lieutenant Col. (Ret.) Charles L. Moulton Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Charles L. Moulton, age 59, of Eatonton died Friday March 23. Col. Moulton was employed as a civilian consultant to the Georgia National Guard's Human Resources Office. Funeral services were held March 26.
Survivors include his wife, Janice, four children and five grandchildren. Full Obituary
Historical Society Needs YOU! 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. Cost of an annual membership is $15 Individual; $25 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.

48th's Deputy Promoted To Full Bird Georgia Army National Guard Lt. Col. John King, deputy commander, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, was promoted to the rank of colonel during a ceremony held in March. In addition to Guard personnel, members of the Doraville Police Department and the mayor of Doraville, Ray Jenkins, attended the promotion ceremony. In his civilian life, King serves as chief-of police for the city of Doraville.

Governor Honors Guard During
Annual National Guard Day
Members of the Georgia Army and Air National Guard and the Georgia State Defense Force were honored by the Governor during National Guard Day in Georgia. As he issued issued his annual proclamation, Gov. Sonny Perdue applauded the thousands of men and women in the Guard for their hard work and perseverance in Iraq, Afghanistan and along the Nation's Southwest border. He also thanked the Guardsmen who recently went to the aid of tornado victims in Southwest Georgia. Full Story

A look at what happened in March in Georgia National Guard history:...
1958 - First Lieutenant Robert H. Sprayberry, assistant aviation maintenance officer, Georgia Army National Guard, wrote a memorandum dated April 23, for Maj. Gen. Charlie Camp, the Adjutant General, presenting a proposal and the cost for a five week instrument school at Travis Field in Savannah. Colonel William Robinette, director of training, noted in another memo to Camp that both he and Lt. Col. Donald Mees, executive officer, Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, thought Sprayberry's proposal "the only workable solution to

Wing Vice-Commander Doehling
Retires Following 38 Year Career
It started when a low flying F-104 Thunderchief shot by leaving a plume of exhaust and a newfound dream. A young Air Force ROTC cadet decided to become a fighter pilot that day and the fruition of his aspirations is an admirable 38-year career which recently came to an end. Colonel Bob Doehling, 116th Air Control Wing vice commander, who retired March 10, left behind a long and distinguished career. Full Story

Army Guard's David Young Inducted
Into Infantry Hall of Fame
Georgia Army National Guard Col. David K. Young, joint director of military support at Joint Forces Headquarters, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, was inducted into the U.S. Army's Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame during a ceremony at Fort Benning. Induction into the hall is the highest honor that the officer training school can give to a former graduate. Young was one of 47 Soldiers to be honored this year. Full Story

'Military Women Moving Forward'
Guard Chief Britt Says
Georgia Army National Guard chief of staff Col. Maria Britt related her experiences growing up and as a woman in the military to an audience of more than 100 gathered at Fort McPherson's Commons Club in celebration of Women's History Month. Britt, who's been with the Guard for more than 20 years, and was its first female battalion commander, focused her comments on the theme, "Generations of women moving history forward." Full Story

Annual Top-Gun For Children Slated for Kennesaw The Top Gun For Children motorcycle ride, an annual event to raise funds for deserving charities, will be held April 21. The Georgia National Guard Family Support Foundation is this year a cobeneficiary. The 1/171 Aviation Group will provide a UH-6- Black Hawk helicopter as a static display. Call the Foundation at 678569-6023 or The Center at 770-333-9447 or view the website: www.
topgunrideatlanta.com for more information

get our pilots qualified." Moreover, he wrote, "Lt. Sprayberry would like you to bring this matter up on your trip to the Bureau..."
Recently these documents, as well as many others, belonging to the estate of the late Robert Sprayberry were part of a donation to the Georgia National Guard history effort by Mrs. Robert Sprayberry. The donation was accepted by Gail Parnelle who picked them up in late February and who is now processing them in the History Office. Parnelle remarked, "This donation is like a master key to Georgia Army National Guard aviation history in that Sprayberry was instrumental in developing programs, training and facilities for our aviation units."
Sprayberry began his Guard career in 1949 as a private with the 179th Field Artillery. Later, as Aviation became his specialty he was assigned to HHD, Georgia Army National Guard as a flight instructor and to the Adjutant General's office as pilot and assistant army aviation supervisor. In 1969, then Lt. Col. Sprayberry was named as the civilian director of the newly formed State of Georgia Department of Air Transportation. Two years later he returned to full time duty with the Adjutant General's office to oversee Army Guard aviation units. In early 1972 he was named state aviation officer and served in that capacity until 1980 when left to assume the post of deputy commandant at Fort Hauchuca's (Arizona) Intelligence Center. Colonel Sprayberry retired from the National Guard in 1983.
Complied by Gail Parnelle, GaARNG Historical Section

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

April 11, 2007 Time: 11:21 am Security Notice

Army National Guard FAQ The latest news from the Georgia Army National Guard. | 1230th Departs for Training | Young Inducted Into Infantry Hall | It's Now Colonel King | CST, 202nd Participate in Disaster Drill | 'Miliatary Women Moving Forward, ' Chief says | 2007 NCO, soldier Named | 1230th Deploys Again | CERF-P Conducts Initial Exercise | Hurricane Exercise Tests Readines | Guard Deploys to Americus To Aid Relief Effort | G-RAP 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 Governor Honors Guard Click Here
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National Guard Deploys to Americus To Aid Storm-Stricken Area

AMERICUS, Mar. 3, 2007- Members of the Georgia Army and Air Guard were called to duty in the wake of a deadly tornado that ripped through portions of southwest Georgia Thursday night.

More than 130 Guardsmen participated including members of Company C, 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry from Americus

The Soldiers were supported by the 148th Support Battalion along with aviation assets from the 185th Aviation Battalion. Air Guard support came from the 283rd Combat Communications Squadron, Dobbins Air Reserve Base; 202nd Engineering and Installation Squadron, Macon; 165th Airlift Wing, Savannah; and 116th Air Control Wing, Warner Robins..

"The Army and Air Guardsmen here this weekend couldn't have performed better," said Lt. Gen. David B. Poythress, Georgia's Adjutant General. "Thanks to the cooperation of Guardsmen and police, there have been zero law enforcement problems."

President George W. Bush greets Guardsman, residents of Americus on tour of the storm-stricken area.
law enforcement agencies."

Captain Brian Lassetter, Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry said, "Our mission here is to assist and provide stability and support for local and state

Originally called in Friday, Guardsmen manned 36 checkpoints in and around devastated portions of Americus, where they helped police to enforce the "dusk till dawn" curfew, and to keep traffic and pedestrians away from unsafe areas, Lassetter said.

Army Guard medevac support was also on hand to help evacuate wounded civilians and those displaced from Sumter Regional Hospital, which was forced to shut down due to extensive damage from a direct hit by the tornado, according to Lassetter.

In addition, the Air Guard provided communications support, and high-powered light sets and generators around checkpoints where power was out, said Lassetter.

In remarks to troops gathered at the National Guard Armory in Americus, Maj. Gen. Terry Nesbitt, commander, Georgia Army Guard, applauded the efforts of Guardsmen in response to the tragedy. "Your presence here really adds a sense of security to the people of Americus."

William Bowen, chairman of the Sumter County Board of Commissioners, and former engineer with the Guard, agreed with Poythress and Nesbit on the contribution of Soldiers and Airmen.

"They have definitely been an asset to us this weekend. They have been invaluable in adding to the level of security and comfort the citizens of Americus feel," he said.

Specialist Roberto Martinez, 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry, was one of the Guardsmen pulling duty at a checkpoint.

"I was impressed how the people around here reacted," Martinez said. "I saw everybody helping one another out a lot, from the people of Americus, to the police and the Guard."

Sergeant Russ Covington, Georgia State Patrol, commenting on the teamwork between law enforcement and Guardsmen said, "I think it worked out well."

Standing beside Covington at the same checkpoint was Spc. David Lowary, 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry.

"I've never worked in partnership with police units before, so it was great for me to see how we could pull together and do this," added Lowary.

Outside of manning checkpoints, some Guardsmen found other ways to support the victims of the tornado.

Specialist John Lennon, recruiting and retention specialist, 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry, found some towels and toiletry supplies he had leftover from the mission to support those displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Together with Pfcs. Shane Untch and Cody White, both Americus natives, Lennon brought the supplies to those in need at the Red Cross relief shelter housed in the First Baptist Church of Americus.
While they were there, the three Soldiers assisted Red Cross workers by carrying boxes of supplies into the shelter.
"Any way we can help out, we're happy to do it," said Lennon.
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Macon's 202nd Assists Byron Following Tornado
Macon, Ga., March 10 --Macon's 202nd Engineering Installation Squadron recently got real world training recently when its members assisted Byron, Ga., in restoring radio operations by repairing a portion of an emergency services antenna blown down by tornadic winds which whipped the area.
The unit, based only 20 miles north of the small middle Georgia city, was already participating in an annual statewide hurricane response exercise, when Lieutenant Colonel Deborah Nezimiec, 202nd commander, was notified that the unit should prepare to deploy to Byron.
Following the initial call from the city, Georgia's Joint Operations Center obtained a quick set of approvals from the Adjutant General and the Assistant Adjutant General, Air for the 202nd to assist the city. Once in the city, Air Guard engineers surveyed the damage and made minor repairs and hardware adjustments to the antennas. They also began preparing the ground work for raising the downed tower.
While only 80 feet of the 150feet tower could be repaired, it provided a temporary solution that restored mobile radio capability for Byron.
The 202nd's response, said Major William Lipko, the detachment commander of the 202nd underscores the ability of units to respond quickly along with resources and a high degree of expertise to an emergency situation. "We're glad to be able to help the local community in times of need, especially during natural disasters", said Lipko, "that's one of the reasons we're here."
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Soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry, leave the processing center at Warner Robins Air Force Base and head to the convoy that would take them downrange in response to a major hurricane.
Hurricane Exercise Tests Guard Readiness
Story and photos by Pfc. Adam Dean Georgia National Guard Public Affairs Office
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Mar. 10, 2007- Elements of the Georgia Air and Army National Guard teamed up here and at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta with members of Georgia's State Defense Force to face Hurricane Sierra, a fictitious storm created by the Georgia Department of Defense to judge the rapid response capabilities of the Guard in the event of a major hurricane.
At Robins, facilities of the 116th Air Control Wing served as a Reception Staging Onward Movement and Integration (RSOI) site where Guardsmen geared up before deploying to carryout their assigned missions.
The early stages of such a mobilization were simulated to include personnel,medical and dental processing, communications link-ups with sites that expected to be hit by the hurricane, as well as vehicle, weapons and equipment checks.
Army Guard Lt. Col. Rowell Stanley, who commands Augusta's 878th Engineers said Robins makes a sensible Logistics Support Area (LSA) because of its central location.
"Part of our purpose here is to validate the site, and to make sure that it meets all of our requirements," said Stanley. "The other is to see how quickly we can get personnel through the RSOI, and then determine from the feed back we get what we need to improve on to make it better for the real thing."

Nearly 500 Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry, along with elements of the 148th Support Battalion arrived via convoy at Robins, where the 878th Engineer Battalion provided logistics support, shelter, fuel, meals ready to eat, weapons and ammunition and other supplies.
The Georgia Air National Guard provided logistics and communications support from Savannah's 165th Air Support Operations Squadron and the 116th Air Control Wing.
Major Gregory B. Brown, executive officer, 878th Engineers, said he found the level of preparedness high, and credited cooperation between Air and Army Guard personnel with the exercise's success. "I think we not only met our goals here, but in some ways exceeded them," he said.
Brown also praised the 30 State Defense Force volunteers who performed command and control duties, manning checkpoints and guiding traffic throughout the facility.
"Those guys have been instrumental in helping us. They really stepped up to the plate and provided incredible interior and exterior control of the site," he said
Teams of administrative personnel from Joint Forces Headquarters in Ellenwood were on hand to run the Personnel Processing Center set up inside one of the 116th's hangars and the wing's Combat Training Center. During the process JFHQ Soldiers helped those of the Quick Reaction Force (QRF) resolve finance and pay issues and made sure ID cards were up-to-date. QRF members also received medical and dental checkups and immunizations from JFHQ's Medical Command and Defense Force Medical Detachment.
Command Sgt. Maj. Neil Russell, the Army Guard's state command sergeant major, said the administrative process is an important part of making sure that the troops are ready to go in the wake of a hurricane.
"This is probably the most critical thing we do in terms of accountability for those folks we send out," he said. "We need to make sure those Soldiers are equipped and medically fit here so they can do what they need to do down range."
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More than 200 Army and Air National Guardsmen, all members of the Georgia National Guard's newly formed CERF-P capability, conducted initial training at Savannah's CRTC in early March.
CERF-P Conducts Initial Training At Savannah's CRTC
Savannah, Ga., March 10, 2007 -- More than 200 Army and Air National Guardsmen, all members of the Georgia National Guard's newly formed CERF-P capability, trained for a week at the Savannah CRTC in early March.
Georgia is one of fourteen states possessing the unique CERFP function that provides a full realm of National Guard resources in response to natural disasters or terrorist incidences anywhere within the continental United States.
"We are now in the `crawl' phase of this training leading toward a full validation of the CERF-P mission in the fall," said Lt. Col. Jeff Allen, commander, Joint Task Force 781st CERFP commander.
CERFP (Chemical, biological, radiological/nuclear and high explosive) Response Force Package is composed of units from both the Army and Air National Guard. Units include the 781st CERFP Battalion, which is comprised of the 202nd Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, the 248th Medical Company, and the 116th Medical Group. Also making up the package are elements of the 878th Engineers, the 4th Civil Support Team (WMD) and elements of the Georgia Air National Guard.
The weeklong exercise culminated on Friday, March 9 in a mission tasking every aspect of the CERF-P's unique capability. A simulated building collapse with injuries put in motion a myriad of coordinated CERFP activities. Engineers carefully extracted wounded from the rubble, then personnel guided the wounded through fully staffed decontamination units, and then the patients were taken to waiting emergency medical personnel.
"In an actual incident, we would be on scene in a matter of six hours to assist civilian doctors and emergency response personnel heavily involved with the disaster," said CERFP medical director, Lt. Col. Alan Peasley, Commander of the 116th Medical Group of the Georgia Air National Guard.
"Here, our doctors and medical personnel are working closely with Army counterparts to coordinate individual efforts and standardize procedures," continued Peasley.
According to NGB officials on hand to train and observe the exercise, Georgia's CERFP capacity is well on its way toward an expected fall validation.
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Sixteen members of the 1230th Transportation Company in Bainbridge have left for Camp Atterbury, Ind., where the South Georgia unit will begin the first leg of its deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The unit's main body will follow in two to three weeks.
1230th Transportation Units Begins 2nd War-Time Mobilization
Story by Staff Sgt. Roy Henry Publlic Affairs Officer Georgia National Guard
Bainbridge, March 22, 2007 For the second time since war in Iraq began, Soldiers of Georgia's 1230th Transportation Company are being deployed. This time, however, they won't be pulling security duty in-state.
Sixteen members of the unit, including its commander, first sergeant and other senior leaders left this rural South Georgia Community are the advance party traveling to Camp Atterbury, Ind., where the 1230th will conduct 60 days of mobilization training for deployment to Camp Arifjon, Kuwait.
The 1230th's main body, about 180 Soldiers, many of them volunteers from other units from across the state, is expected to depart here for Atterbury around April 9.
This mission is going to be much different than the first, said Capt. Joshua Emerson, who commands the unit.
"The last time this group left home, was in 2003 to provide security at several different active duty and reserve military instillations around Georgia," he said. "That deployment lasted for the better part of two years.
"This time, our Soldiers will move into Arifjon where they'll be driving trucks and running supplies and personnel in and out of Kuwait and Iraq in support of Coalition and Iraqi forces," he explained. "Expected time `over the pond' is one year, but like anything else, that can change."
Like all Soldiers, his are ready to "get to it," and do what they trained for, and then get back to their families and their civilian jobs.
"These are all good people, who know what's expected of them, and they're ready to that, and more when asked," Emerson said.
The 1230th, he said, is in his opinion one of the best transportation companies in the state, and they'll get the job done -but that's just his opinion, and his Soldiers, he said.
Among the less senior Soldiers of this first group is Sgt. Diana Meredith. Meredith, 21, is the unit's admin specialist, and it's her job to make sure pay, personnel records and the like are kept in order during training and throughout the

deployment.
Although she's been with the Guard for four years, this is her first war-time mission, and it's one she's just a bit apprehensive about, she said. "Of course I'm a little scared, I mean we're going to a place where people most likely will try to hurt us," Meredith said. "But I think the training we'll get before we go will prepare us for that."
As she said goodbye to members of her family, she noted that not all of them would be staying at home. Her 23-year-old brother Spc. John Meredith, a truck driver with the unit for the past four years, will follow along with the main body in April.
"Like Diana, I'm nervous, who wouldn't be. But having someone whose close to me who'll be going the same thing will make it, I believe, a bit easier to handle," he said. "We'll come home together. We will all come home from this."
Such nervousness is to be expected, especially among younger Soldiers and those who have never been to war, related Iraq war veteran and the 1230th's armorer Sgt. Susie Cotterell.
Cotterell, 46, saw duty at the beginning of the war as an armorer with Georgia's 221st Military Intelligence Battalion out of Ellenwood when it deployed to Iraq. Although she said that going in harm's way, living day-to-day with the threat of being shot at, is part of being a Soldier. "To tell someone not to be nervous is a bit crazy, but you (the veteran) help them, the young ones, the ones who have never been in such a situation see that they can handle it, and do what's expected of them, of us all," Cotterell explained. Someone who's never been in the military may not understand that kind of thinking, she added, "but as Soldiers it's our job. When it's time to go, we back our bags, kiss our loved ones goodbye and get on the bus."
And as she reassures those younger Soldiers that they'll accomplish the mission with pride, she also instills in them that the time spent away from home will go by quickly, she said. Before they realize it, the job will be done, and they'll be back in the arms of those they left behind.
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Georgia's 4th Civil Support Team heads for the west entrance of Sonoraville High School near Calhoun during a disaster training exercise. (Georgia National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Roy Henry)
4th CST, 202nd EOD, Aviation Participate In Gordon County Disaster Exercise
Story and photos by Staff Sgt. Roy Henry Georgia National Guard Public Affairs Office
GORDON COUNTY, April 2, 2007 Shortly after classes began at Sonoraville High and Middle schools about 6 miles from Calhoun, emergency klaxons alerted students and faculty to trouble inside the high school's hallowed halls. What the more than 800 people who evacuated the two schools didn't know was that two "gunmen," one packing explosives, the other an "unknown chemical agent," darted from a "stolen sedan" into the high school's main hall, downed a Gordon County sheriff's deputy and began roaming the building looking for victims.
What some among the students and faculty also didn't realize, for the moment, was that this was a disaster drill aimed at evaluating the response of Georgia National Guard emergency assets and civil emergency responders to such a catastrophe as the one played out in this rural school. Such drills, whether they involve schools or other "facilities" are carried out at least twice each year, at different locations across the state.
Among the Georgia units to respond, said Army Guard Maj. Darrin Smith, was Marietta's 4th Civil Support Team, 202nd Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team and 1st Battalion, 171st Aviation, as well as Winder's Detachment 1, 832nd Air Medical Company.
"In a scenario such as this, civil authorities would certainly need all the assets they can get their hands," said Smith, who command the 4th CST. "Our goal is not only to remind them that such assets are always available to them, but also to evaluate the `interoperability' between civil and military authority."
Anyone, Smith said, among the bystanders watching the drill play out would most certainly have seen what they would have defined as utter chaos among the agencies in getting on the scene, getting set up and getting "into play." "That's certainly a normal reaction," he explained. "With so many responders involved in may look that way...to someone on the outside.
"But the reality is everyone from us to the Gordon County Sheriff's Office to Calhoun Police and Fire to Gordon County Emergency Medical Service, Northwest Georgia Special Operations Unit and Georgia Emergency Management and a host of other agencies from the surrounding area, knows what it takes to get the job done," Smith said while watching members of the CST get suited up for their part of the mission.
CST Soldiers were the first Georgia assets into play, calling in a 171st Aviation Black Hawk helicopter carrying needed supplies and men, and an 832nd Medical Company UH-1N Huey for getting the injured safely to an area medical facility. One of those "casualties" was the CST's survey team leader, 1st Lt. Craig Keller.
Part of the scenario, Smith said, calls for CST members to enter the building, locate the simulated spill of an "unknown chemical and then try to identify and retrieve a sample of that substance. In the process, one of the team, Keller, would be

injured. During the team's exit from the school, he removed from the building, be decontaminated and then flown to a nearby hospital for treatment by the 832nd.
"It's a very important part of the drill for us," Smith said, watching Gordon County paramedics load Keller onto a waiting stretcher for the ride to the Huey standing by on the school football field. "This allows us to train on the `downed man rescue' according to the CST's mission tasking. "Not matter what precautions one takes, such a situation could happen, so we must be able to respond quickly and correctly," he said.
While the CST did its job, so did the 202nd EOD. Explosive ordnance specialists Staff Sgt. David Courtney and Pfc. Jack Bullock used the unit's two remotely controlled robots to search and locate improvised explosive devices inside the school and the gunmen's car. Both "packages" were disposed of at the scene.
After the drill ended and everyone else packed up and headed home or into a review of how the drill went, EOD stuck around to show off their "tools" to one of the high school science classes.
"Being involved in the exercise is great training, and a great way to display the assets we and the Guard have available," Courtney said.
Working with the students, or other groups when the chance presents its self, is an added bonus he and his fellow Soldiers always take advantage of, he added.
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Col. Moore To Command 116th

Robins AFB, Ga., March 22, 2007 Colonel Thomas Moore will assume command of the 116th Air Control Wing, Friday, March 23, 2007. Lt. Gen. Robert Elder, Eighth Air Force Commander, will officiate the change of command ceremony. Moore replaces Colonel James Jones. Joining General Elder will be Major General. Scott Hammond, commander, Georgia Air National Guard.

As wing commander Moore will be responsible for the worldwide employment of the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System aircraft. The 116th is the only Total Force wing in the Air Force, combining more than 2,600 Air National Guard, active-duty Airmen, Army personnel and civilian contractors into a single cohesive unit. Moore was with the 116th from 1996 to 2003 holding various positions including Deputy Operations Group commander.

The colonel's previous assignment was Wing Commander of the 165th Airlift Wing (AMC), Georgia Air National Guard at Savannah International Airport, Georgia.

Col. Thomas Moore
Officer Training Corp program in 1981. He is a master navigator with more than 3,500 total flying hours.

Moore graduated from the University of South Carolina and received his commission through the Reserve

He has been awarded the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Air Force Commendation Medal.

Jones, who became the first Active Duty commander of the 116th Air Control Wing in 2005, leaves to become the commander of the 55th Wing at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. He will be responsible for organizing, equipping and training six groups and 32 squadrons executing worldwide reconnaissance, intelligence, information warfare, command and control, presidential support, treaty verification and airlift missions. He will also be responsible for base support to 93 associate units, including U.S. Strategic Command, Air Force Weather Agency, Defense Finance and Accounting Service, and more than 57,000 active-duty members, civilians, family members and retirees.

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Van Kampen, Mastin Named Soldiers of the Year
Two Georgia Army National Guardsmen, out of a field of eight competitors, have been named the best among their fellow Soldiers to represent their state during a two-day competition held on the grounds of Macon's Regional Training Institute (RTI) and at the Macon Police weapons qualification range.
Named Noncommissioned officer of the Year for 2007 is Sgt. Heather D. Van Kampen of Norcross. Chosen Soldier of the Year is Spc. Amie Mastin. The two found out they'd been chosen by their respective selection boards during an evening awards banquet held at RTI's dinning facility.
According to board members, it's the first time two female Soldiers have won both titles in the same year.
Van Kampen, 26, and three-year Guard veteran, is the noncommissioned officer-in-charge of the intelligence section of Fulton County's 265th Engineer Group. Mastin, 20, also with the Guard for three years, is a human intelligence collector with Ellenwood's Company A, 221st Military Intelligence Battalion at Fort Gillem.
Both will go on to the regional competition set for April at Tullahoma, Tenn., were they will compete against Soldiers from seven other states and two territories. Should one or both win at Tullahoma, they will compete for the national title of Noncommissioned Officer and Soldier of the year. The day and place for that competition has yet to be announced, said Command Sgt. Maj. Neil Russell, Georgia's state command sergeant major.
At top left: Georgia Army National Guard Spc. Amie Mastin of the Company A, 221st Military Intelligence Battalion, and the Army Guard's Soldier of the Year for 2007, adjusts the front sight on her M-16 rifle during weapon qualifications for Soldier of the Year competition. (Georgia National Guard photo by Pfc. Adam Dean).
At bottom left: Georgia Army National Guard Sgt. Heather D. Van Kampen of the 265th Engineer Group, and the Army Guard's NCO of the Year for 2007, is presented the Georgia Meritorious Service Medal by Maj. Terry Nesbit, commander Georgia Army Guard. (Georgia National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Roy Henry).
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Army and Air Guardsmen, and State Defense Force members listen from the steps of the state capitol's north rotunda to remarks celebrating March 6, 2007, as National Guard Day. (Georgia National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Roy Henry)
Governor Lauds Guard During '2007 National Guard Day';
ATLANTA, March 6, 2007 Members of the Georgia Army and Air National Guard and the Georgia State Defense Force listened from the steps of the state capitol's north rotunda as Gov. Sonny Perdue issued his annual proclamation naming this as National Guard Day.
Perdue applauded the hundreds of men and women in the Guard for their hard work and perseverance in Iraq, Afghanistan and along the Nation's Southwest border. He also thanked the Guardsmen who recently went to the aid of tornado victims in Southwest Georgia.
Major Gen. David B. Poythress, Georgia's Adjutant General, accepted the signed proclamation, holding it high for all to see as he stepped to the podium.
As the ceremony continued, Poythress presented Perdue with the Charles B. Dick Medal of Merit. He thanked Perdue as the two shook hands for the governor's longstanding dedication to the Georgia Guard. Perdue, Poythress said, continues to go far above and beyond his responsibilities to help the state's CitizenSoldiers and Airmen.
Perdue wasn't the only honoree at this event.

Colonel Lois Stark, 116th Air Control Wing chief of staff, receives the Air Force Out standing Unit Award from Gov. Sonny Perdue during the National Guard Day celebration at the state capitol in Atlanta. (Georgia National Guard photo by Spc. Amanda Luksic)

Atlanta Businessman and entrepreneur Sunny Park receives the 2007 National Guard Youth Challenge Lifetime Achievement Award from Maj. Gen. David B. Poythress, Georgia's Adjutant General, for his dedication and extensive work with YCA program. (Georgia National Guard photo by Spc. Amanda Luksic)

Also recognized was Atlanta businessman Sunny Park, who received The Youth Challenge Academy Life Time Achievement Award. Park, a native Korean who has made his fortune over the years as an entrepreneur, was honored for his work with not only Georgia's YCA program, but also those in several other states.
Others recognized for their commitment to the Guard were Pete Wheeler, Georgia's commissioner on Veteran Affairs; state Sen. John Douglas, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee; and Atlanta artist Steve Penley for his creation and donation of the painting entitled "Freedom." Each received the National Guard Association of Georgia Patrick Henry Award.
Receiving the association's Meritorious Service award was retired Army Guard Brig. Gen. Thomas Norman and his wife Margaret, and Col. Maria Britt, Army Guard chief of staff.

Ending the ceremony was the presentation by Poythress of three Air Force Outstanding Unit awards. These went to Macon's 202nd Engineering Installation Squadron, Warner Robin's 116th Air Control Wing, and Marietta's 283rd Combat Communications Squadron.

Margret Norman receives the National Guard Association of Georgia Meritorious Service Award from Maj. Gen. David B. Poythress, Georgia's Adjutant General, for her late husband retired Army Guard Brig. Gen. Thomas Norman. Norman was honored for his outstanding achievements of behalf of the National Guard and the National Guard Association of the United States. (Georgia National Guard photo by Spc. Amanda Luksic)

Veterans Affairs commissioner Pete Wheeler receives the Patrick Henry award from Maj. Gen. David B. Poythress, Georgia's Adjutant General, for his outstanding support of state veterans and the Georgia National Guard during the annual National Guard Day celebration. (Georgia National Guard photo by Spc. Amanda Luksic)

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Lt. Col. (Retired) Charles L. Moulton, 59
Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Charles L. Moulton, age 59, of Eatonton died Friday March 23. Col. Moulton was employed as a civilian consultant to the Georgia National Guard's Human Resources Office. Funeral services were held March 26.
Survivors include his wife, Janice B. Moulton four children, and five grandchildren.
Moulton enlisted in the Georgia Army National Guard in January 1968, and spent four years as an Enlisted Soldier, attaining the rank of SGT. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant from Georgia Military Institute in September 1971. He was a graduate of the Infantry Officer Basic Course, Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Quartermaster Advanced Course, Ordnance Advanced Course, and Command and General Staff College.
Moulton's military assignments included Company Commander, Battalion Executive Officer, Brigade Operations Officer (S3), Brigade Material Management Officer, State Human Relations/Equal Opportunity Officer, and Joint Staff Headquarters.
During Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm Moulton was mobilized with the 48th Infantry Brigade.
LTC Moulton's full time career included positions as Battalion Administrative Officer, Brigade Material Management Officer, State Equal Employment Manager, Human Resources Specialist-Labor Relations, Supervisory Personnel Management Specialist, and Deputy Human Resources Officer for the Georgia National Guard since 1996.
His military awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal (3OLC), Army Achievement Medal (5OLC), Air Force Commendation Medal, State of Rhode Island National Guard Commendation Medal, and other numerous awards. The colonel was also a certified mediator with the State of Georgia and the Atlanta Justice Center, a certified hearing examiner with the National Guard Bureau, as well a certified Equal Opportunity and Employment Opportunity investigator with National Guard Bureau. He was also a trained Diversity Facilitator.
Lt. Col. Moulton retired from the Georgia Army National Guard In July 2005, following more than 37 years of service.
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116th Vice Cmdr Retires Following More Than 3 Decades of Service
By Senior Airman Paul Ross 116th Air Control Wing Public Affairs Office
Robins AFB, Ga., Mach 10, 2007 -- It started when a low flying F-104 Thunderchief shot by leaving a plume of exhaust and a newfound dream.
A young Air Force ROTC cadet decided to become a fighter pilot that day and the fruition of his aspirations is an admirable 38year career that is coming to its end.
Col. Bob Doehling, 116th Air CCoontlroonl eWl iBngob Doehling vice commander, retires Mar. 10 and is leaving behind a long and distinguished career.
"I've always enjoyed everything I've done," said Col. Doehling. "There's been nothing bad in my career, nothing that I look back on and wish I hadn't done. I wouldn't change anything."
Col. Doehling has logged more than 14,000 flying hours on various aircraft and loves each of them for their own reasons. "The F-15 is clearly my favorite because it is the most capable aircraft in the mission I love which is air-to-air," said the colonel. "Although, every airplane I've flown I've loved for one reason or another. I loved the F-100 because it was challenging and one of the more demanding airplanes that I ever flew. You could not be slow. The A-10 is the best air-to-ground airplane ever built as far as I'm concerned. It's absolutely phenomenal. If I had to go to war in this day and age it I would want to go in the A-10 because that's were all the action is. The B-1 was pretty awesome. I've never had fire power like that before. One B-1 carried almost a squadron of F-16s worth of munitions in one load, and of course I the love the capabilities the E-8C brings to the fight."
With 26 years spent as a fighter pilot, the colonel is at home in the cockpit. "My favorite flying assignment and probably the most fun I've had, flying wise, was the F-5s," said Col. Doehling. "We flew about seven to ten times a week. We flew everyday. If you didn't fly you felt like you weren't doing something. For a fighter pilot flying two to three times a day is why you joined the Air Force."
Some of the more significant events in Col. Doehling's career came when he achieved the goals he set for himself . "The first of my significant events is of course the day I got commissioned," said Col. Doehling. "Entering the Air Force was a major event for me. Going to pilot training and graduating was another major event. It was something I had my heart set on. I think the next significant events were my transitions into different fighters. I flew fighters for 26 years. Some more key events were moving into the B-1 Bomber, moving into higher positions of command and finally the transition to the 116th ACW. And of course retirement is a major event."
There have been many changes in the Air Force since the colonel was first commissioned on Dec. 12 1969. "The Air Force has gotten a lot smaller and more modern," said the colonel. "The culture has changed from a primarily dominate male service when I first entered. Now women are authorized in combat arms and all career fields that I'm aware of. The only career fields that they were allowed in, in the mid '60s, were the medical field and what they called the 702 which is today's information management. The Air Force is also a lot more health consciences today then it was back then."
With changes to the Air Force there have also been changes in global threats. "The threat in the world, although great, is a different kind of threat," said the colonel. "Terrorism is an unseen threat. In the '60s, '70s and '80s there was the possibility of a global war with the Soviet Union. I think that has created a major difference in the philosophy of the Air Force. Now we are going for smaller quantities of highly capable weapons systems, very diverse. We are very much into the technology where in the '60s and '70s it was brute force. Now we use precision, smaller weapons. We'll seek out to destroy a single target. That target may be a person, it may be a vehicle, it may be a building, but we do it with very fine equipment. Vietnam was very much like World War II."
Col. Doehling fought in Vietnam and in one way or another been a part of all the wars and conflicts the United States has been involved in over the past forty years. He has flown some of the nation's most superior aircraft. He witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall and the fall of the World Trade Center all while wearing the Air Force uniform. Now he looks forward to a more relaxing life. "I bought a fishing boat recently," said the colonel. "I have a log home up in north Georgia and a house in Niceville, Fla. at Bluewater Bay. So, I plan on doing some fishing and traveling. I'll spend time with my friends down in Florida

and my family in Georgia and stay busy with projects and stay out of uniform."
For those in the middle of or those just launching their military careers, Col. Doehling offers some advice."Take advantage of your career, there's marvelous opportunities and it can last a long time if you want it to," said Col. Doehling. "If one thing isn't exactly what you'd like to be doing look for something else. Stay interested. If you aren't having fun, it is time to move on."
The colonel will leave his years of military service with a deep appreciation for those he served with for many years. "My life was enriched by my military family, friends and associates -- I will miss `you' most of all," said Col. Doehling.
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Colonel Maria Britt (left), Georgia Army Guard chief of staff, talks with Sgt. Celia Reid, an administrative specialist serving with Forces Command.
'Military Women Moving Forward' Army Guard Chief Chief Says
Story and photos by Staff Sgt. Roy Henry Georgia National Guard Public Affairs Office
ATLANTA, March 30, 2007 Georgia Army National Guard chief of staff Col. Maria Britt related her experiences growing up and as a woman in the military to an audience of more than 100 gathered at Fort McPherson's Commons Club in celebration of Women's History Month.
Britt, who's been with the Guard for more than 20 years, and was its first female battalion commander, focused her comments on the theme, "Generations of women moving history forward,"
In part, Britt explained, the theme celebrates the power and impact of past and present generations of women moving history forward. It is that process of individuals coming together for the greater good of society, that is so important, she said.
"I equate that phrase, `greater good of society," with what we do in the military," Britt said. "It's something continually strive for as Soldiers, something on which we, as a group, set our sights in working toward a better tomorrow for those who come after us."
Among the personal experiences she related was her time as a 19-year-old cadet at West Point in the early 1980s and what happened while attending jungle warfare school at the Army's former Fort Sherman in Panama.
Although she it didn't realize it then, Britt said, she was the first woman to ever attend and possibly graduate from the jungle school. It didn't hit home until she arrived at Sherman, when several of her male counterparts made clear that she wasn't welcome, and that she wasn't wanted or expected to stay, let alone graduate.
"Yeah, I didn't like it, but I also knew that I walked away a graduate, that I'd earned the badge just as my male counterparts had

done," she said with a smile. Since then, she said, other women have attended and graduated from the school.
"Being a part of that, of helping `move history forward,' makes it all worthwhile," she said.
"Women must try to do things as men have tried. But when women fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others," said Britt, quoting aviatrix Amelia Earhart.
Britt said, she really admires such spirit because it reminds her of her own...to go ahead and take a risk; fail but get up and try again.
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Col. David Young
Col. Young Latest Inductee to Infantry Hall of Fame
Story by Pfc. Adam Dean Publlic Affairs Officer Georgia National Guard
FORT BENNING, March 30, 2007 - Georgia Army National Guard Col. David K. Young of Richmond Hill has been inducted into the active Army's Officer Candidate School (OCS) Hall of Fame in a ceremony here before a packed house at Marshall Auditorium.
Young, who is joint director of military support, Joint Forces Headquarters (JFHQ) at Marietta's Dobbins Air Reserve Base was one of 47 Soldiers to be installed. "It was great to come back and be a part of this after having gone through here so long ago," said Young.
Officials with the school consider induction into the hall of fame the highest honor they can bestow upon a former graduate. To be eligible, graduates must attain the rank of colonel, receive a Medal of Honor, or distinguish themselves in their civilian occupation. In his civilian life, Young is the facility manager for the National Guard Training Center at Fort Stewart near Savannah.
Officer candidate training meant everything to me. It was probably the defining time in my life," Young said about his experience at, and graduation from, the program. He credits the program with teaching him leadership skills that he has found useful both in and out of uniform.
Young, who entered the reserve component of officer candidate training in 1980, had already been serving as an enlisted Guardsman since 1969. He received his commission as a second lieutenant on Jan. 4, 1982.
From November 1990 through April 1991 Young was called to active duty to serve in Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield in the Persian Gulf. Before becoming joint director of military support at JFHQ, Young served as chief of Headquarters Detachment, Facilities Management Office, Ellenwood. Over the course of his military career, Young has received two Meritorious Service medals, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, three Army Commendation medals, three Georgia Meritorious Service medals, two Georgia Commendation medals, and the Georgia Special Operations Medal, along with several other awards.
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