First Friday briefing [June 1, 2007]

Please ensure widest distribution of this publication
Georgia DOD Home
First Friday Briefing for June 2007

Deployment Update

State Partnership task force
trains Georgians for Iraq
A brigade of Georgians is preparing for deployment to Iraq in support of the Global War on Terror. But this time, it's a unit from the country of Georgia. And helping them prepare is a task force of more than 30 Georgia National Guardsmen from the 48th Infantry Brigade and other Army and Air Guard units in the state. The project is the latest in a series of ongoing training, humanitarian and familiarization missions that are part of the State Partnership Program. The relationship between the Georgia National Guard and the nation of Georgia dates back to the mid-1990's. Full
Story

Guard continues to battle state's worst
fire; 3 million gallons already dropped
Georgia National Guard helicopters continue the aerial battle against the largest forest fire ever recorded in Georgia. To date Army Guard helicopters have flown more than 353 hours dropping more than 3100 "bambi bags" of water, equivalent to more than 3 million gallons of water. Since the fire erupted in April, close to 600,000 acres have been scorched in southeast Georgia and eighteen homes destroyed. Fortunately, there have been no fatalities reported. Full Story

USPFO Warehouse supervisor
Keeps parts moving in Iraq
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Terri Byers is deployed in support of Operation Iraq Freedom and assigned to Balad Air Base, Iraq where she has been a key part of the operation of the largest Supply Support activity in the theater of operations. With over 8,000 items onhand to support over 500 aircraft, the warehouse supplies all of Iraq with critical aviation parts. When not deployed, Byers is the USPFO Warehouse Supervisor in Atlanta and is scheduled to return home this summer. Full Story

'Number 25' wins one for the Guard
Nearly 30 Georgians were among those honored over the Memorial Day weekend as their names were written on the deck lid of Casey Mears' winning car as he drove his No. 25 National Guard/GMAC "American Heroes" Chevrolet, to victory in the Coca-Cola 600. Mears' National Guard/ GMAC "American Heroes" Chevrolet featured a special paint scheme as part of the American Heroes Memorial Day salute to the Armed Forces. Full Story

Hansen promoted to colonel;
first director, HQ Air Staff
Murray A. Hansen of Warner Robins was promoted to the rank of Colonel in the Georgia Air National Guard at formal promotion ceremonies held at the Museum of Aviation at Robins AFB, Ga. Hansen, an 18-year Air Force veteran is currently the Director of Staff, Headquarters, Georgia Air National Guard. In this position, Colonel Hansen serves as a principal advisor to the Adjutant General of Georgia and the Assistant Adjutant General for Air on a broad range of matters concerning the U.S. Air Force and the Air National Guard. Full Story

214th unit prepares for deployment
Waynesboro's Battery C, 1st Battalion, 214th Field Artillery will report to the unit's armory June 4, to prepare for its upcoming yearlong deployment to Iraq. The unit will head to Fort Bliss, Texas June 12 for advanced mobilization training. Full Story

Savannah's 117th earns

AF meritorious unit award Ninety-eight members of the Savannahbased 117th Air Control Squadron of the Georgia Air National Guard have received the Air Force Meritorious Unit Award as a result of superior performance during Operation Iraqi Freedom from January through May 2006. While deployed to Iraq, the 117th had sole airspace control of the more than 270,000 square miles of Iraqi airspace. Full Story
Georgians take on mission to aid Afghan forces Nine Georgia Army Guard officers and seven senior NCOs have arrived in Afghanistan's Helmand Province where they will spend a year working along side the Afghan National Security Force (ANSF) and Afghan Uniformed Police (AUP). The mission of the Transition Training Team Georgia is to provide, advisory support and direct access to coalition assistance to enhance the ability of the ANSF and AUP to operate independently of coalition forces. Full Story
Congressman Johnson visits Georgia Guard Georgia's freshman U.S. Representative Hank Johnson, a member of the House Armed Services Committee spent two days recently visiting active duty, Guard and Reserve facilities around the state, and becoming acquainted with Georgia's military community.

202nd completes 'high-tech' Air Ops Center for 1st Air Force The Georgia Air Guard's 202d Engineering Installation Squadron played a key role recently installing a significant communication project for the new Air Operations Center at Tyndall AFB, Fla. The new AOC will support 1st Air Forces' new homeland security mission. The project involved installing cabinets, racks, fiber optic and shielded CAT 6 cable throughout the communications, operations and intelligence areas. Airmen of the 202nd also bayed, and grounded 77 cabinets, as well as the grounding grid system in the communications rooms. Full Story
Commander of Medical Command earns promotion Kirk Austin, M.D., of Dublin, was recently promoted to the rank of Colonel in the Georgia Army National Guard. He serves as commander of the Georgia Guard's Medical Command and State Surgeon at the Guard's headquarters in Atlanta. In his civilian capacity, Dr. Austin is a hospitalist and chief of Specialty and Ancillary Services at Carl Vinson VA Medical Center in Dublin. A 25-year military veteran, Dr. Austin has served two deployments to Iraq. Full Story

'Tuskegee Airman' visits with ANG staff Lt. Col. Hiram E. Mann (seated center), one of the original Tuskegee Airmen visited with the Georgia Air Guard's Equal Employment Opportunity staff during the Military Equal Opportunity Conference held recently in Minneapolis. Mann was a member of the famed 332 Fighter Group during its deployment in Italy in 1944.
A look at what happened in June in Georgia National Guard history:...
1970 - The 151st Aviation Battalion, composed of the 158th and 159th Aviation Companies, conducted its first operational training for two weeks with the OV1 Mohawk aircraft at Savannah's Municipal Airport. The training, begun in late June, was observed by Major General John Finn of the Third US Army Reserve Forces, Major General George Hearn, The Adjutant General, who was on active duty with the aviation units; and, Major General Francis Greenlief of the National Guard Bureau. While Georgia Army Guard Mohawk pilots flew missions each day, photo technicians and imagery interpreters of the units processed incoming data from the flights.
1976 - 1160th Transportation Company members and Col. Robert Sprayberry, State Aviation Officer, greeted the arrival of the first of nine CH54 Skycrane helicopters assigned to the unit. Training of aircrews for the Skycrane and support personnel began at the start of the month.
*The 1160th was activated and given F/ R that February; in 1987 it would become Co. B, 244th Aviation Battalion. The Skycranes would serve in GaARNG aviation for sixteen years.
1962 - Bids were opened on the 65th armory to be constructed in Georgia since the armory construction program was initiated in 1952 by Governor Ernest Vandiver when he served as Adjutant General.

Georgians compete in Nebraska's 'All Guard' marathon Two Georgia National Guard Soldiers

165th Firechief earns leadership award
Greg Delahunty, deputy fire chief with Savannah's 165th Airlift Wing, is this year's recipient of the DOD 2007 Individual Award for Leadership. He was nominated by Fire Chief Tim Horton. Full Story

The armory building program provided units with modern facilities, replacing the armories of barns, attics, warehouses, upper level spaces above businesses and other types of inadequate locations. By June, 1962, 58 armories were completed with six others in various stages of construction.
The 65th armory construction bidding was for Moultrie, Ga; the unit was Co. D, 4th Med. Tank Battalion, 108th

competed in this year's 26.2 mile "All Guard" Marathon. Lt. Col. Jeff Olive of Ellenwood 's Headquarters Detachment, Joint Force Headquarters finished 14th among Guardsmen and 26th overall among the more than 770 competitors in the men's division. In the female division Sergeant 1st Class Devika Hull with Ellenwood's 221st Military Intelligence Battalion, finished 23rd among Guard competitors and 145th overall in a field of more than 300 women runners.

'Ride' nets $11,000 for foundation
The 5th Annual "Top Gun Ride for Children" held in Kennesaw, Ga., in April raised more than $11,000 for the Georgia National Guard Foundation. The annual event involved more than 300 motorcyclists from the Cobb County and Atlanta areas. The funds were awarded to the foundation in early May. Full Story

Armor.
Complied by Gail Parnelle, GaARNG Historical Section

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

June 4, 2007 Time: 11:46 am Security Notice

Army National Guard FAQ The latest news from the Georgia Army National Guard. | Guard helps Afghan forces | Waynesboro unit prepares for deployment | Army Guard marathoners compete in annual run | 'Ride' nets foundation $11,000 | 48th soldiers prepare 'Georgian' troops for Iraq | National Guard car wins honors Georgians | 1230th Deploys | 214th soldiers earn Freedom Award | Austin gets eagles | 214th soldiers return | Thomason dedicates post office to fallen soldier | Family Volunteers named | Co. A, 878th Earns Freedom Award | Guard Chopper Moves Civil War era Canon | Mohawk Reunion Brings Back Memories | 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 |

Air National Guard FAQ The latest news from the Georgia Air National Guard. | Tuskegee Airman visits with ANG EEO | Hansen promoted | 202nd wires new Ops Center | 117th earns merit award | 165th firechief earns leadership award | Turkey Shoot shows air power | 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 |

About GADOD ESGR YCA Fort Stewart YCA Fort Gordon Facilities Inspector General Jobs Family Readiness Organizational Development Strategic Plan

Guard choppers continue fighting south Georgia wild fires

Georgia National Guard helicopters continue the aerial battle against the largest forest fire ever recorded in Georgia. To date Army Guard helicopters have flown more than 353 hours dropping more than 3100 "bambi bags" of water, equivalent to more than 3 million gallons of water. Since the fire erupted in April, close to 600,000 acres have been scorched in southeast Georgia and eighteen homes destroyed. Fortunately, there have been no fatalities reported. .
Read More

Turkey Shoot demonstrates Guard, military air power Click Here 2007 NCO, Soldier of the Year Named Click Here Governor Honors Guard Click Here
Need the IG? Click Here

Agency Biographies Annual Report Command Briefing First Friday History Ga Air Guard
Boarstale HRO Joint Customer Service Team Joint Operations

National Guard Assoc. of Georgia National Guard Bureau
Photo Gallery (on "gadod.net")
Photo Gallery Retirements, Awards Requesting Com. Relations Support Safety Speakers' Resource Center UPAR News Upcoming Events Warrant Officers' Web

Jobs Money National Guard Foundation

Youth Challenge National Program 48th BCT In Iraq

Google Search
Security Notice
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.

State Partnership task force trains Georgians for Iraq

By Pfc. Adam Dean Georgia National Guard Public Affairs Office

May 31, 2007 - A brigade of Georgians is preparing for deployment to Iraq in support of the Global War on Terror. But this time, it's a unit from the nation of Georgia. And helping them prepare is a task force of more than 30 Georgia National Guardsmen from the 48th Infantry Brigade and other Army and Air Guard units in the state.

The project is the latest in a series of ongoing training, humanitarian and familiarization missions that are part of the State Partnership Program. The relationship between the Georgia National Guard and the nation of Georgia dates back to the mid-1990's.

Above: 48th Brigade soliders prepare nation of Georgia troops for deployment.

Officially known as "Task Force Georgian Sustainment and Support Program II," the training team arrived in Tiblisi, the nation's capitol, in April. The mission is expected to last through mid-summer.

The Georgian 3rd Infantry Brigade, the unit the Guardsmen are training, numbers more than 2,000 soldiers and is expected to deploy to Iraq later this year. It will make the country of Georgia one of the largest contributors to the Coalition Forces in Iraq, behind the U.S. and the United Kingdom.

"2,000 soldiers is significant, considering that the total population of the country is only 4.6 million people," said Maj. Matthew Saxton, manager of the State Partnership Program at the Joint Operations Directorate. "That is a large percentage of the population and represents a major commitment on behalf of the country."

Much of the training is held at KTA National Training Center, a 5,400 acre installation about 10 miles south of Tiblisi. The larger Vaziani Training Area to the southeast of the capitol is used for urban operations and live fire, and the Kodjori Training Area to the west is used for force-on-force and land navigation.

"The Georgians have been very receptive and appreciative of all of the training we have given them." Said Major Anthony Fournier, the task force commander. "The Georgia Guard task force is comprised largely of recent veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom, some of whom served in the area the Georgians will soon control."

The 12-week schedule includes individual soldier skills and small unit tactics such as land navigation, first aid, rifle marksmanship and team and squad movement techniques. Later the training will include company and battalion operations.

Situated in the Caucasus region along the east coast of the Black Sea, Georgia is bordered to the north by Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the east by Azerbaijan.

| Back | GaDOD Home |

'Number 25' wins one for the Guard

May 27, 2007 -- Nearly 30 Georgians were honored over the Memorial Day weekend as their names were written on the deck lid of Casey Mears' winning car as he drove his No. 25 National Guard/GMAC "American Heroes" Chevrolet, to victory in the Coca-Cola 600.

Casey Mears races the National Guard car to victory track."

Mears' No. 25 National Guard/GMAC "American Heroes" Chevrolet featured a special paint scheme as part of the American Heroes Memorial Day salute to the Armed Forces. The car featured an ACU pattern (camouflage) paint scheme with the names of National Guard soldiers, including those of Georgia Guardsmen, who lost their lives in the Global War on Terror. "This is a special weekend for me," said Mears, "obviously because of my family's history with Indianapolis 500, but also because it's Memorial Day weekend and we have the privilege to represent the National Guard. It was an honor for me to have those names on our car, and to win with them on board is amazing.
"I'm so glad we could get it done for the Guard, GMAC and everyone who supports us every weekend at the

The 29-year-old driver gambled his way to Victory Lane after running in the Top 10 for much of the 400-lap race. With less than 10 laps to go, crew chief Darian Grubb made the call to stay out as the leaders pitted, and Mears was able to stretch his fuel to the finish line --just barely.

"This win is unreal --it's been a long time coming, and I'm so proud of the team," said Mears, who ran out of gas on the cool-down lap after taking the checkered flag. "Darian made a great call and told me to conserve fuel. That was the call that won it for us, and turned our third or fourth-place car into the winning car."

Mears, who qualified 16th-fastest for the event, was especially satisfied with the end result after his team fought through a race riddled with various challenges.

Early on, Mears struggled with a tight race car and just missed being involved in several significant wrecks. He was able to drive through a multi-car accident that happened after Jimmie Johnson lost a tire tread in traffic on Lap 53 and avoided a Lap 63 accident involving teammate Jeff Gordon.

Just past the race's halfway mark, Mears was again able to thread the needle and somehow missed hitting anyone when the No. 99 car lost a tire while running third and collected the No. 6 car as a result.

From a performance perspective, Mears and the No. 25 National Guard/GMAC "American Heroes" Chevrolet team also dealt with alternator difficulties that surfaced on Lap 149. Mears reported the car was showing no volts, and Grubb made the call to switch to the back-up battery before bringing his driver in for a primary battery replacement on Lap 170.

Due to the quick work of the No. 25 team, Mears was able to stay on the lead lap despite changing batteries and for the remainder of the race, he periodically switched back and forth between the primary and back-up batteries to ensure engine power.

"The alternator definitely had me worried, but Darian was calm and we got through it," Mears said. "The crew did a great job not only with that swap, but with keeping up with race track. The track conditions forced us to make a lot of changes as the sun went down, and we ended up with just a completely different car than we started with."

Mears, who pitted a total of 12 times for various combinations of air pressure, wedge and track-bar adjustments, as well as both two and four-tire changes with fuel, felt the car was too tight to drive the high side of race track during the closing segment of the race. However, he was able to maintain a strong bottom line after moving out of two-wide traffic, and put himself in position to challenge for the victory.

Mears said it was especially meaningful that his first Cup Series victory came on Memorial Day weekend. His uncle, Rick Mears, won the Indianapolis 500 on this same weekend in 1979, 1984, 1988 and 1991.

After the race, Mears jumped six spots in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings to move into 29th.

| Back | GaDOD Home |

117th earns AF meritorious unit award
Savannah, GA, May 18, 2007 -- Ninety-eight members of the Savannah-based 117th Air Control Squadron of the Georgia Air National Guard have received the Air Force Meritorious Unit Award as a result of superior performance during Operation Iraqi Freedom from January through May 2006.
The Meritorious Unit Award is among the highest unit awards presented to Air Force active duty, Air Force Reserve, and Air National Guard units. It recognizes exceptionally meritorious service in direct support of combat operations against an armed enemy of the US.
According to Lt. Col. Joe Ferrero, 117th Commander, "The men and women of the 117th will wear this award with pride. While in theater we controlled over 20,000 combat missions, including 350 close air support missions providing air cover for soldiers and Marines under fire. And we did all of this while being subjected to daily mortar and rocket fire. Our people are simply outstanding."
Members of the 117th were part of 332d Expeditionary Air Wing (EAW) as a subordinate unit, of the 727 Expeditionary Air Control Squadron (EACS). The award was authorized by the U.S. Central Command at McDill, AFB.
While deployed to Iraq, the 117th had sole airspace control of the more than 270,000 square miles of Iraqi airspace.
According to Air Force officials, the level of achievement required by the unit to receive the Air Force Meritorious Service Award is the same as that which would warrant the individual award of the Legion of Merit, the highest individual award for noncombat related performance of duty.
| Back | GaDOD Home |

Army, Air, SDF continue wildfire fight
June 1 -- Georgia National Guard helicopters continue the aerial battle against the largest forest fire ever recorded in Georgia. To date Army Guard helicopters have flown more than 353 hours dropping more than 3100 "bambi bags" of water, equivalent to more than 3 million gallons of water. Since the fire erupted in April, close to 600,000 acres have been scorched in southeast Georgia and eighteen homes destroyed. Fortunately, there have been no fatalities reported.
Despite official reports that the two main fires, Sweat Farm Road and Big Turnaround are 85 percent and 50 percent contained respectively, dry, hot and gusty winds continue to fan the fire. Drought conditions throughout the state have reached critical levels and have hindered firefighters. According to GEMA officials, crews are fighting more than 66 smaller fires.
Georgia Army National Guard aviation assets continue their month-long battle against the fires. Currently Georgia National Guard assets include a CH47 Chinook and two UH-60 Black Hawks. The Chinook flown by members of the 169th Aviation Regiment from Hunter Army Airfield and the two Black Hawks from the Dobbinsbased 171st Aviation Battalion dump thousands of gallons of water each day on the spreading fire.
The air battle against the fires is supplemented by 20 National Guard A Guard UH-60 Black Hawk heliciopter drops water on the wildfire. (Georgia personnel. An additional 33 personnel National Guard photo by LTC (ret.) Jim Driscoll) on state active duty recently arrived at the scene with nine vehicles and one water buffalo to provide logistical support. The Georgia Air Guard has deployed two members from the 283rd CBCS at Dobbins to provide communications support. The Georgia State Defense Force is also supporting the firefighting efforts. The GSDF is providing security, fire watch, and traffic control support. As many as 20 GSDF personnel at a time have been assigned to the mission. The Ware County EMA continues to use the National Guard armory in Waycross to coordinate the massive fire campaign. In all, more than 1,200 personnel from 33 states are engaged in suppressing the fire.
Georgia National Guard officials indicate the current level of support will continue until the Georgia Forestry Commission officials indicate that the spread of the fires have been contained.
| More Pictures | GaDOD Home |

Hansen promoted to colonel; first director, HQ Air Staff
May 18, 2007 -- Murray A. Hansen of Warner Robins was promoted to the rank of Colonel in the Georgia Air National Guard at formal promotion ceremonies held at the Museum of Aviation at Robins AFB, Ga.
Hansen, an 18-year Air Force veteran is currently the Director of Staff, Headquarters, Georgia Air National Guard. In this position, Colonel Hansen serves as a principal advisor to the Adjutant General of Georgia and the Assistant Adjutant General for Air on a broad range of matters concerning the U.S. Air Force and the Air National Guard. He is responsible for oversight of a variety of functions including, but not limited to logistics, finance, information systems, manpower and personnel; public affairs; recruiting and retention; civil engineering; medical and state emergency response, working with two flying Wings, five Geographically Separated Units (GSUs) and the Combat Readiness Training Center.
Col Hansen serves on the Board of Directors of the National Guard Association of Georgia and as the President-elect and the National Guard Association of the United States as the Area III Air Representative for seven states.
Col. Hansen was commissioned through ROTC at Valdosta State College. He began his officer career as a B-52 Navigator at Barksdale AFB, LA where he deployed as part of the 62nd Bomb Wing in support of Operation Desert Storm. His unit held the distinction as being the only dual nuclear/conventional qualified B-52 squadron and was one of the last aircrews to pull nuclear alert in the Strategic Air Command prior to the fall of the USSR. As a member of Barksdale's START Treaty Team, he served as a host to the first Russian Bear Bomber aircraft and crew to visit the United States.
Col Hansen joined the Georgia Air National Guard in January 1996 as a Weapons Systems Officer (WSO) with the 116th Bomb Wing, Robins AFB, GA. He was a distinguished graduate in his B-1 Initial Qualification Training. He upgraded to instructor and flew nearly 1000 hours while serving as Assistant Chief of Training, Chief of Scheduling and later Chief of the Wing Operations Center. While in this capacity, the Wing earned the first Air Combat Command operational readiness inspection for a B-1 Wing. Hansen was one of eight WSOs who transitioned to the Air Battle Manager rating, during the conversion to the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (J-STARS) aircraft.
Hansen again deployed to Southwest Asia supporting Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. He also served in the 128th Airborne Command & Control Squadron as Assistant Director of the Operations, Chief of Staff, then Director of Operations for the 116th Operations Support Squadron.
Colonel Hansen is married to the former Sharon Fowler of Moultrie, GA. The couple has three grown children and three grandchildren and currently resides in Warner Robins.
| Back | GaDOD Home |

Return to First Friday Briefing
USPFO Warehouse supervisor keeps parts moving in Iraq
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Terri Byers is deployed in support of Operation Iraq Freedom and assigned to Balad Air Base Iraq where she has been a key part of the operation of the largest Supply Support Activity in the theater of operations. With over 8,000 items on-hand to support over 500 aircraft, the warehouse supplies all of Iraq with critical aviation parts. When not deployed, Byers is the USPFO Warehouse Supervisor in Atlanta and is scheduled to return home this summer.
Return to First Friday Briefing

After returning from Iraq, 1st Sgt. Kenneth Bennett and Pfc. Jeffery Taylor hoist the guidon for Elberton's Security Company, 214th Field Artillery, April 18, 2007. In the next few weeks Waynesboro's Battery C, 1st Battalion, 214th Field Artillery will follow as it prepares to deploy to Iraq. (Georgia National Guard photo by Spc. Amanda Luksic)
Waynesboro unit prepares for deployment
June 1, 2007 - Waynesboro's Battery C, 1st Battalion, 214th Field Artillery will report to the unit's armory June 4, to prepare for its upcoming yearlong deployment to Iraq. The unit will head to Fort Bliss, Texas June 12 for advanced mobilization training.
After further training at Fort Bliss, the unit will leave for a detainee facility in Iraq's southern region.
Numbering near 180 Guardsmen, the Soldiers of the 214th will be accompanied by elements from the 78th Troop Command, 48th Brigade Combat Team and Joint Forces Headquarters.
This marks the third time in recent years that the 214th has mobilized in support of operations in the Global War on Terrorism.
In April, the 214th's Security Force out of Elberton returned from a twelve-month tour-of-duty at Camp Cedar near Nasiriyah.
In 2003, the 214th's first deployment sent them to Fort Campbell, Ky., and Fort Bragg, N.C., to conduct security operations in association with Operation Noble Eagle.
| Back | GaDOD Home |

Members of Transition Training Team Georgia are briefed on their upcoming Afghan deployment before leaving Fort Riley, Kan., where they trained for three months. (Georgia National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Roy Henry)
Georgians aid Afghan forces
Friday, June 1, 2007 Nine Georgia Army Guard officers and seven senior NCOs have arrived in Afghanistan's Helmand Province where they will spend a year working along side the Afghan National Security Force (ANSF) and Afghan Uniformed Police (AUP).
The mission of the Transition Training Team Georgia's mission is to provide, advisory support and direct access to coalition assistance to enhance the ability of the ANSF and AUP to operate independently of coalition forces.
Much of that training, said Maj. Reed Berry, is to help the Afghans with their tactical and counter-insurgency warfare operations and urban combat skills. Berry, a former company commander with Georgia's 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry, left a position with National Guard Bureau's Operations and Training to lead Team Georgia. Team members, working two-man sections, also will assist with the military decision-making process, leadership, team work and communications, he explained.
"Our mission changed not long after we arrived at Fort Riley, Kansas from one of training the Afghan Army in light infantry operations and warfare to the one with which we're now tasked," Berry said in a recent interview. The reason for the change, he said, is that corruption among the security force and uniformed police is bad. The idea of putting teams like his with the two organizations is to "plus up their validity" among the Afghan people, Berry added.
"The switch in missions doesn't affect what we all volunteered to do. The job now is just as important as before...nothing's changed except the mission," he said. "We'll give the 110 percent effort to accomplishing this mission, and more, that we'd always intended."
Team Georgia had been at Riley since March training at Fort Riley's simulated Forward Operating Base (FOB) Army Strong. Now that Berry and his team are in Afghanistan, they've been assigned to 3rd Brigade, 205 Corps and FOB Tombstone, which falls under British command, according to Maj. Matthew Moore, executive officer of 1st Battalion, 34th Armor. It is 34th Armor that conducted Team Georgia's mobilization training.
When the team arrives at Tombstone, Berry told members of the Georgia Army Guard command staff that had gone to Riley to find out how he and his Soldiers were doing, will split into three sections. A three-man section will run team operations out of

Tombstone, while one of two four-man teams will work with Afghan Security Forces. The other will assist uniformed police, he said.
Master Sgt. Felix Castro, Team Georgia's NCOIC, was the Infantry Course branch chief at Macon's Regional Training Institute. Castro said he finds the Afghanistan mission to be one of the most important assignments he's ever had.
The security forces and uniformed police, will be the one carrying on the job of keeping the peace long after coalition forces leave their country, he said. The significance of getting those organizations in the position of being able to do that can never be overstated, he continued. "Eventually, they'll have to meet whatever challenges the future holds for their country and their countrymen. With our help, they'll be able to do that, better than in the past, with pride and with more confidence in their abilities," Castro said.
One of the greatest tools Team Georgia's trainers have given it to do its job has been the cultural immersion training, Berry said. The other, is the opportunity to work directly with Afghan nationals at Fort Riley who act as role players and worked along side team members just as they would in-country, he added.
What better way to be able to get the job done and get it done right the first time, Castro said.
| Back | GaDOD Home |

SFC Devika Olive and Lt. Col Jeff Hull
Two compete in 'All Guard' marathon; finish 14th, 23rd in men's, women's fields
May 31, 2007 Two Georgia National Guard Soldiers competed in this year's 26.2 mile "All Guard" Marathon. Lt. Col. Jeff Olive of Ellenwood 's Headquarter Detachment, Joint Force Headquarters finished 14th among Guardsmen and 26th overall among the more than 770 competitors in the men's division.The event was part of the Lincoln Marathon, hosted in Lincoln, Neb., May 6.
In the female division Sergeant 1st Class Devika Hull with Ellenwood's 221st Military Intelligence Battalion, finished 23rd among Guard competitors and 145th overall in a field of more thatn 300 women runners.
For Hull, this is the second time he has competed, while Olive returned to the marathon for the third time.
"The weekend consists of recruiting workshop and get-togethers," said Olive. "Every state puts together a team."
The marathon is largely viewed as a recruiting and retention event within the All Guard sports program. Each state sends two to five runners, and those who qualify for the team tour the country and compete in several different marathons.
"This year's All Guard women's team was the most competitive in history," explained Olive. That team, he added, finished the run in less than 3 hours and 40 minutes.
To qualify for the All Guard team, men must finish in the top 40 of all National Guard male runners. Olive's 14th place finish landed him a spot on the team. Women must be within the top 15 of all female runners. Hull missed making the team by 4 places.

| Back | GaDOD Home |

202nd completes 'high tech' ops center for 1st Air Force

May 18, 2007 - The 202d Engineering Installation Squadron of the Georgia Air National Guard was joined by other E&I squadrons from Tennessee, Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania installing a significant communication project for the new Air Operations Center at Tyndall AFB, Florida. The new AOC will support 1st Air Forces' new mission of homeland security.

With the mission focus of 1st Air Force changing more toward detecting and intercepting possible threats to U.S. airspace security, the requirements for a highly sophisticated communications and intelligence system were apparent. Interceptors of the North American Aerospace Defense Command whose support is provided by 1st Air Force, have logged tens of thousands of sorties per year, flown predominantly by Air Guard pilots.

The telecommunications requirements for 1st Air Force are managed by engineers of Macon's 202d EIS. Officials consulted with CMSgt Mike Robinson, System Telecommunications Engineering Manager about the project and the decision was made to turn a large part of the massive engineering project over to the Air Force's E&I community.

The outside-plant work included installing and terminating 2,900 feet of fiber optic cable interconnecting the AOC with two other existing buildings. According to MSgt Glenn Dalton, the 202nd project engineer, the hard part was the interior work, especially as construction modifications required 19 significant engineering changes.

"It's like trying to hit a moving target which kept changing direction," admitted Dalton.

A 202nd Engineer works to prepare wiring at the new Ops Center. network cabinets.

The sophisticated comm network involved the installation of cabinets, racks, fiber optic and shielded CAT 6 cable throughout the communications, operations and intelligence areas. More specifically, Guardsmen installed, bayed, and grounded 77 cabinets, as well as the grounding grid system in the communications rooms. Under the Center's raised flooring was installed 1,100 feet of wire baskets for cable. Another 143 feet of ladder rack was installed overall, and 63 cable troughs were placed above the

Engineers installed and terminated more than 5,000 feet of fiber optic cable in the communications room. Another 7,500 feet of shielded cable for 25 secure phone drops in the OPS and INTEL areas were placed. A total of 18,400 feet of CAT 6 cable for 64 Voice over IP drops in the OPS area. And 14,000 feet of fiber optic cable to connect 68 fiber drops of 12 fibers each in the INTEL area were placed and terminated. More than 45,000 feet of cable were installed and. the Georgia Air Guard engineers spliced and tested a total of 5,256 fibers throughout the new facility.

Work on the AOC began at the end of November 2006, and was scheduled to finish at the end of March. However, E&I engineers working

split shifts and weekends expedited the project finishing almost one month earlier to avoid Florida's hurricane season. Brigadier General Steven Westgate, Chief of staff, Georgia Air Guard, currently on an AEF rotation as Air Commander at the AOC at Tyndall, noted that the 202nd's work was outstanding work and greatly enhances the communications capabilities of the Noble Eagle mission.
At right: 202nd members splice cable and fibre for the new Operations Center at Tyndall AFB, Fla.
| Back | GaDOD Home |

Dublin's Austin earns promotion

Kirk Austin, M.D., of Dublin, was recently promoted to the rank of Colonel in the Georgia Army National Guard. He serves as commander of the Georgia Guard's Medical Command and State Surgeon at the Guard's headquarters in Atlanta.

In his civilian capacity, Dr. Austin is a hospitalist and chief of Specialty and Ancillary Services at Carl Vinson VA Medical Center in Dublin.

A 25-year military veteran, Dr. Austin has served two deployments to Iraq.

His military career began in 1970 when he enlisted in the Air Force and saw service in Thailand during the Vietnam War. Dr. Austin was initially commissioned in the Georgia Guard in 1986. His military education includes the Army Medical Department officer basic and advanced courses, the pre-command course, and the medical review officer course. His decorations include the Combat Medical Badge, the Vietnam Campaign Medal and the Iraq Campaign Medal.

Dr. Austin's civilian education includes a bachelor's in biology from Grand Valley State College, a bachelor's in medicine from Western Michigan University and a doctorate from the Mercer University School of Medicine.

Above: Dublin physician Kirk Austin, M.D., is promoted to the rank of Colonel during a pinning ceremony by Colonel Andy Durden, Georgia National Guard Command Administrative Officer. (Georgia Army National Guard photo)

Austin lives in Dublin with his wife, Maj. Jacqueline Cheek Austin. | Back | GaDOD Home |

Savannah chief earns leadership award
Greg Delahunty, deputy fire chief with Savannah's 165th Airlift Wing, is this year's recipient of the DOD 2007 Individual Award for Leadership. He was nominated by Fire Chief Tim Horton.
According to the nomination, "Since assuming his duties in August of 2006, Deputy Fire Chief Greg Delahunty's initiatives and superb leadership moved the fire department forward."
Delahunty assumed the duties after a sudden illness forced the retirement of his predecessor. With no transition period, he quickly and aggressively went about prioritizing critical projects that were left unfinished and delegated many of the tasks to those he knew could best handle the work load. This left Delahunty to focus on the future needs of the department as well as personally focusing on issues he felt was important.
| Back | GaDOD Home |

Rob Feller (left) and Mike Worley (right) present Lt. Col. Jay Peno, president of the Georgia National Guard Foundtion with a check for $11,000.
'Top-Gun' ride nets foundation $11,000
May 2007 -- The 5th Annual "Top Gun Ride for Children" held in Kennesaw, Ga., in April raised more than $11,000 for the Georgia National Guard Foundation. The annual event involved more than 300 motorcyclists from the Cobb County and Atlanta areas. The "Top Gun Ride for Children" motored through West Cobb County ending at the Flight Works hangar at McCollum Air Field where food, a live band, a silent auction, and a static display of a UH-1 Huey helicopter from Georgia's 171st Aviation Battalion culminated the day long series of special events. The funds were awarded to the foundation in early May.
"This annual biking event benefits two very worthwhile and important programs, "said Mike Worley, assistant to the Executive Vice President of External Affairs for the Georgia Power Company and co-chair of the Top Gun Ride organizing committee. Cochairman Bob Fremin, from Earl Small's Harley Davidson, was able to mobilize the hundreds of Georgia motorcyclists to participate.
The Georgia National Guard Foundation and The Center for Children and Young Adults in Marietta, GA. were designated as co-beneficiaries of the annual bike event. The Center provides facilities and support programs for abused, neglected and abandoned children in the Metropolitan area of Atlanta. Both The Georgia National Guard Foundation and The Center for Children and Young Adults depend on private and public donations for support.
| Back | GaDOD Home |