Vol. 1, Issue 1 Serving the National Guard and State Defense Force of Georgia The Georgia Guardsman 3 Contents Vol. 1, Issue 1 4 Georgia Soldiers bid families, others farewell; head for Mississippi then Afghanistan 6 Army dominates Air in first Army-Air basketball challenge at Philips 8 Air Guard hosts aggressor training squadron 10 Institute changes commanders 11 History: A look at 1955 12 Record rains cause flooding in South Georgia 14 Supervisors train to improve Georgia DOD 15 "2nd Foot" gets pre-deployment brief 16 Employers honored for supporting Guardsmen 18 Unit conducts helicopter insertion into Preston drop zone Online at www.dod.state.ga.us Commander-In-Chief Gov. Sonny Perdue Adjutant General of Georgia Maj. Gen. Terry Nesbitt Publisher Lt. Col. (Ret.) Kenneth R. Baldowski Historian/Editor Dr. Beryl Diamond Managing Editor Amanda Kenny Assistant Editor Sgt. 1st Class Roy Henry Video-Audio Editor David Howell Contributing writers Sgt. Tracy Smith Spc. Adam Dean Spc. Mike Perry National Guard Correspondents 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office Unit Public Affairs Officers and Representatives Air National Guard Wing Public Affairs Officers and Representatives Send comments, suggestions, articles, photo or contributions to: doc@ga.ngb.army.mil The Georgia Guardsman is published monthly under the provisions of AR 360-81 and AF 6-1 by the Directorate of Communications, Georgia Department of Defense. The views and opinions expressed in the Georgia Guardsman are not necessarily those of the Departments of the Army and Air Force or the Adjutant General of Georgia. The Georgia Guardsman is distributed free to members of the Georgia Army and Air National Guard, State Defense Force and other interested persons at their request. Welcome to The Georgia Guardsman... Soldiers, Airmen, Civilian employees of the Georgia National Guard, this is the inaugural edition of The Georgia Guardsman. The Georgia Guardsman was first published nearly half century ago as a quarterly periodical letting Soldiers and Airmen know the issues and events affecting them and the Georgia National Guard. It has won several National Guard awards for excellence in reporting and creative design. We hope that this launch of The Georgia Guardsman as an electronic magazine will again garner such acclaim. The Georgia Guardsman will be published twice monthly. You will readily notice the addition of many more pictures and exciting new graphics and layout. In the future, we will be introducing guest columns from our leadership, a feedback section where you will hear from the bosses, and special features on your health, career and family. Because of its frequency, we can cover more activities in a timely manner. In time, we will begin to hyperlink to important video and audio links for a more enjoyable reading experience. However, the purpose of The Georgia Guardsman is clearly to report news and information concerning the Georgia National Guard to every Guardsman and employee. There are many stories that need to be told to our internal audience, and we see The Georgia Guardsman as being the primary vehicle for this communication. To accomplish this, we need your help. The names, telephone numbers and emails addresses of our team of writers are listed in this publication. You are invited to call or email us with story ideas and suggestions. Let us know about interesting events and people in your unit or office. Since our staff is very small, we might ask you to provide us with an outline of an interesting story idea, provide us with pictures whenever possible, and give us a contact number to help us to write your story. As we launch this electronic version of The Georgia Guardsman, we invite your participation and feedback. The Georgia Guardsman is in a PDF file format which makes it easy to access and read. We welcome your ideas on ways of making it more convenient and interesting for you. We hope you will enjoy the new Georgia Guardsman. Thank you, Editors and staff The Georgia Guardsman 4 5 Major Gen. William T. Nesbitt, Georgia's Adjutant General, thanks the members of Newnan's Company B for their dedication and what they do for their communities, their state and the nation. The unit deploys to Afghanistan for a year. Georgia Soldiers bid families, friends farewell; head for Mississippi then Afghanistan Story and photos by Spc. Mike Perry SOUTHWEST GEORGIA More than 600 Soldiers of Newnan's Company B, Griffin's Headquarters Company and other units of 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry said goodbye to family, friends and colleagues during farewell ceremonies at armories across the region, Thursday, April 9, 2009. They are among the estimated 2,000 Georgia Guardsmen of the Macon-based 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team getting ready to deploy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Second Battalion boarded buses the following Monday, and departed for six months of mobilization training at Camp Shelby, Miss., before moving on to Afghanistan. During their yearlong deployment, these Citizen-Soldiers have the mission of training their Afghan army counterparts and National Security Force. Major Gen. Terry Nesbitt, Georgia's Adjutant General, visited with the Newnan unit during its send-off ceremony. Although this isn't the first time 2nd Battalion has deployed, the location and the mission are entirely different than when the unit supported Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005, 2006. "This time, they will deploy to a different area of responsibility," he said. "But these Soldiers are extremely prepared and extremely professional, and they are among the best trained in the world." Turning his comments toward the families, Nesbitt said, "We recognize your sacrifice, and we know that your Soldier's absence will be difficult. And even though your husband, your son, your wife or significant other will be gone, you are not alone." "The Family Support Group and the Georgia Army National Guard are here for you," he added. Nesbitt re-emphasized the Georgia Guard's stead-fast commitment to the families, and those needs will be addressed. As it is among most Georgia units, many of 2nd Battalion's members have been there and back when it comes to being deployed. Newly promoted Capt. Michael Persley, Company B's commander, is one of several who have. Persely, who received his captain's bars from Nesbitt during the send-off ceremony, is from Albany and a police officer there. "I've deployed to Bosnia and Iraq, and what makes this mission more exciting, for me, is that I get a chance to watch and mentor my Soldiers," he said. "It gives me the opportunity to see how they perform and complete the missions given to them." For some who've never deployed, being in a combat zone for a year may give them slight cause for hesitation. Specialist Cameron Quick, an indirect fire infantryman, and an interstate transfer from the Kansas Army National Guard, said, "I'm excited about the deployment. That's why I volunteered, because it's an entirely different experience." Quick said he left his civilian job as a supervisor for the Harper County, Kan., Jail for the experience he will gain in Afghanistan. He added that he found out about the deployment from a group of Georgia Guardsmen who were attending infantry training with him last year at Fort Benning in Columbus. 6 7 Army dominates Air in first Army-Air basketball game at Philips Story by Lt. Col. Ken Baldowski and photos by Tech. Sgt. Tim Neville ATLANTA - It was not the NBA playoffs, but for the first Army vs. Air Guard basketball game held on the hard court of Philips Arena, April 10, 2009, it was a hard-fought and exciting game with both teams showing their "best stuff," and making their individual services proud. With more than 200 Georgia Guardsmen on hand to see the matchup, which had been a year in the planning, the high flying Army team outscored the Air in four grueling quarters. Few can say the competition was not spirited, with the Airmen jumping on a lead, and outscoring the Soldiers by as much as 12 points. However, the Army found its rhythm halfway through the first quarter, and the lead evaporated never to swing back to the airmen. The `boys in green' continued to hold the lead from then on. The final score was a respectable 66 to 57, with the Army taking home the trophy. "It was a very respectable showing by both teams," said Maj. Gen. Nesbitt, Georgia's Adjutant General. Nesbitt remained non-partial, but was noted to rise more often with hoops made by the Army. "Our team did play very well," admitted Air Guard coach Col. Bobby Shannon. "Another quarter of play, and we could have closed the gap and taken the cup." Foundation benefits from basketball matchup ATLANTA Along with the fun and excitement of the first Army-Air National Guard basketball game at Philips Arena, and the benefits to Guard members and their family at "Military Night" with the Hawks, was another special benefit to the events of April 10, 2009 at the Philips Arena. At center court before the start of the Hawks- Indiana Pacers game, Maj. Gen. Terry Nesbitt, Georgia's Adjutant General, accepted a $3,000 check on behalf of the Georgia National Guard Family Support Foundation from the Atlanta Hawks organization. Accompanying Nesbitt at the presentation was Maj. Gen. Scott Hammond, Georgia Air National Guard commander and Brig. Gen. Maria Britt, the Army Guard commander. Five dollars from ticket sales to the Army-Air challenge and the Hawks-Pacers game was directed to the Georgia National Guard Family Support Foundation on behalf of the Atlanta Hawks. Colonel Bobby Shannon and his assistant, Brittany Walden, were key organizers of the event, and Shannon's law firm of Hall, Booth, Smith and Slover, purchased tickets for the Army and Air players and coaches. Colonel Jay Peno, president of the Family Support Foundation, said, "The time and efforts of all involved to raise this level of awareness and funds, are greatly appreciated by the foundation, which remains dedicated to providing assistance to our Citizen-Soldiers and their families." 8 9 Air Guard hosts aggressor training squadron Story by Lt. Col. Ken Baldowski and Maj. Dave Simons SAVANNAH - At first glance, the distinctive Soviet markings on the eight fighter jets parked on the ramp of the Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC) sends a chill up the spine of those who remember the anxious days of the Cold War. These are the weapons of America's imaginary "aggressors" lying in wait to ambush American fighter pilots. In reality, the highly colored aircraft with red Soviet markings are from the 64th Aggressor Squadron, 57th Adversary Tactics Group stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Their mission is to prepare joint and allied aircrews today for tomorrow's aerial victories. They accomplish this through exposing American pilots to Soviet air tactics in addition to providing specific training support and academic measures. For two weeks, the Aggressors used the CRTC to conduct air-to-air combat training against the F-15s of the 125th Fighter Wing of the Florida National Guard. In the unobstructed airspace off the coast of Savannah, the jets were locked in combat. The Florida Air Guard unit fought the 64th's F-16s to fine-tune their air-to-air combat skills in anticipation of an upcoming Operational Readiness Inspection. "The exercise was a huge success," said Maj. Chris Rachael, scheduler for the CRTC who noted that the 125th successfully accomplished its mission. The training center routinely hosts fighter units from across the U.S. that are drawn to the Georgia coast because of the center's excellent facilities, its available airspace over the Atlantic, and its highly sophisticated Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation capability, or ACMI . The ACMI is a state of the art training aid for combat aircrews that provides a three-dimensional tracking and recording system to test air-to-air tactics. The Aggressors flew more than 14 sorties each day, and more than 120 over the two week period. 10 The passing of the guidon represents the transfer of power between the outgoing commander and the incoming commander. Soldiers of the Regional Training Institute look on as Lt. Col. Steven Kistler accepts command from Lt. Col. Barry Deaton. Institute changes commanders Story by Pfc. Derek Ellyson and photos by Sgt. 1st Class John Lane MARIETTA - Georgia's Regional Training Institute (RTI) cel- ebrated the ending of one era and the beginning of another, April 4, 2009. Lieutenant Col. Steven Kistler assumed command of the 2nd Battalion, 122nd Regiment from Lt. Col. Barry Deaton. Attending the ceremony were Maj. Gen. Terry Nesbitt, Georgia's Adjutant General, Brig. Gen. Maria Britt, commander Georgia Army Guard and Col. Randall S. Carter, 122nd Regiment commander. Britt and Carter praised Deaton for his hard work, dedication and leadership in what some say has been a challenging year for RTI. The organization converted from a General Studies Battalion to a Modular Training Battalion and moved from Macon, while continuing its assigned training missions. Deaton's leadership was instrumental in the success of the battalion said Britt. His new assignment is an investigations and inquiries specialist with the Georgia DoD, Inspector General Office. Kistler began his career as an enlisted infantryman in 1983. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers through the South Dakota Army National Guard State OCS program. Before assuming command of RTI, Kistler served as intelligence and operations officer for the 265th Regional Support Group in Metter. His leadership and planning abilities, said Carter, will be greatly appreciated as the institute moves forward with its complex and vital mission preparing Soldiers for success. Georgia National GuardHistory 11 A look at what happened in 1955: LaGrange: Organized, and then granted federal recognition by the Department of Army in 1948, the 48th Reconnaissance Company (Mech), 48th Infantry Division, occupied the Troup County Stockade for its first armory. The county commissioners also included free lights and water with the repaired stockade. Five years later, the unit needed another armory because of the stockade being slated again for use as a prison. A committee composed of the unit commander, Capt. Sidney D. Dell, and Sgt. 1st Class Julian T. Pool appealed to citizens and businesses in a fund raising drive for a new armory. They raised $50,000 to add to the $67,000 from the federal and state governments, and on Nov. 11, 1955, a new armory on five acres, with a 22-acre drill field and tank range, was dedicated. The local paper, The LaGrange Daily News, in describing the grounds and building wrote, "LaGrange can proudly boast of having the most beautiful armory in Georgia." That same month, the unit was redesignated Company A, 48th Reconnaissance Battalion. Americus: Local unit changes and a new armory made headlines in The Weekly Times Recorder of Americus in November. Headquarters, 190th Tank Battalion, commanded by Lt. Col. Thomas Nesbitt, Jr., moved to Americus from Forsyth. The Americus unit, commanded by Capt. William H. Hairston, Jr., was reorganized as Headquarters and Service Company, 190th Tank Battalion. These changes, and others in the state, occurred with the conversion of the 48th Infantry Division to the 48th Armored Division. Also, Americus Guard units moved into a new $90,000 armory on eight acres of land. The dedication followed in the spring, with the completion of landscaping around the facility. Winder: A new brick and steel armory, built with federal, state, county and city funds was dedicated in late October after 16 months of planning and construction. The $90,000 armory was one of several built or being planned statewide under the state's National Guard Construction Program. It housed Headquarters Battery, 108th Anti Aircraft Artillery Brigade. The Winder News reported that it was the only one of its kind in the state, and that the mission of all the officers and enlisted men at the armory was to plan and supervise AAA units in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and South Carolina. The armory was dedicated to Sen. Richard B. Russell,* who spoke at the ceremony. Lieutenant Gov. Ernest Vandiver and Maj. Gen. George J. Hearn, Adjutant General, and Commanding General of the 108th AAA Brigade, also spoke. *Lt. Richard B. Russell III, commanded Headquarters Battery. Compiled by Gail Parnell Command Historian 12 The Black Hawk helicopter carrying Georgia's Adjutant General and GEMA officials passes over one of a number of homes and out buildings hit by flood waters from the Flint River. This home is in a low-lying area away from the river just above Albany. 13 Record rains cause flooding in South Georgia Story and photos by Sgt. 1st Class Roy Henry As a result of the severe weather that plagued Central and Southwest Georgia between late March and into the first week of April 2009, Army and Air Guard units were told to be prepared for possible activation to assist residents, local governments and emergency response agencies across the region. On April 3 and 4, with torrential rains having stopped and the skies clear, officials with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) and the Georgia Adjutant General's Office, boarded UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters of 78th Aviation Troop Command at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta for an aerial assessment of the flood waters from the Flint and Ocmulgee rivers. The amount of damage and destruction done to roads, bridges and property both public and private was bad, but nothing like it was during the 1994 floods when thousands of homes, businesses and infrastructures were destroyed. Joining the Black Hawks, and conducting video surveillance of the region down to Lake Seminole on the Georgia-Florida border, were two OH-58 Kiowa Scout helicopters, also from Dobbins. Based on the two-day assessment, it was determined that Army and Air units ready for call up were told to stand down. Just another example, said Maj. Gen. Terry Nesbitt, Georgia's Adjutant General, of the Guard fulfilling its responsibility of being "Always ready, always there." "Had it been necessary to call our Guardsmen up, they would have been on the move, in place and out lending a hand in a short amount of time, Nesbitt said. "Our Soldiers and Airmen know their jobs. They've proven, time and again, that they're ready, willing and able to meet any challenge head on, and to persevere." Gary Kelly (left), deputy director of homeland security for the Georgia Emergency Management Agency; Maj. Gen. Terry Nesbitt, Georgia's Adjutant General; and Ralph Reichert, GEMA's Terrorism Emergency Response Preparedness director, make an aerial assessment of flooding along the Flint River between Albany and Bainbridge in South Georgia, Friday, April 3, 2009. 14 Supervisors train to improve Georgia DOD Story and photos by Maj. Larry Deaton DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE - A team of Georgia Guard first line supervisors and three guest students from Florida and Nebraska completed a comprehensive 40-hour course on business management and process improvement conducted by the Georgia Department of Defense Strategic Management Office in late March. The students underwent four days of classroom and hands-on project training. Each gained an understanding of using the Malcolm Baldridge Business Model and Army Performance Improvement Criteria (APIC) to identify benefits to the command, and to the Georgia DoD business transformation. Major Gen. Terry Nesbitt, Georgia's Adjutant General, said he believes it's vital that all organizational leaders understand the importance of the Baldridge process, and it is the reason he selected it as the business model for the GA DoD. Addressing the class, Nesbitt noted that, "in this challenging fiscal environment, it's important to take measured steps to improve our processes, manage by facts to control costs, and ensure resources are applied to the most critical requirements." "TheAPIC process initiatives help streamline processes within our organization to make our recruiters more customer focused," said Maj. Chris Kemper, of the Georgia Army Guard Recruiting and Retention Battalion, and a member of the class. "The training placed a great deal of emphasis on determining the requirements of our customers, and on our ability to meet or satisfy those requirements. This course has exceeded my expectations." During the class, students were exposed to the main business function of the Baldridge model which includes leadership, strategic planning, customer focus, knowledge management, human resources, internal process, and providing result outcomes. Students worked in groups to review the Georgia Guard's 2009 Army Communities of Excellence submission as a case study. 15 Britt talks with teens about parents' deployment Brigadier Gen. Maria Britt, Georgia Army Guard commander, talks with a group of teens during a pre-deployment brief at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, about how the Family Readiness Group of 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry helps Soldiers and their families deal with separation, April 3, 2009. Second Battalion will spend a year in Afghanistan supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. (Georgia National Guard photo by Spc. Mike Perry) 16 Employers honored for supporting Guardsmen Story and photos by Sgt. 1st Class Roy Henry ATLANTA Officials with the Georgia Chapter of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve paid tribute to 23 area employers who have signed, or resigned, statements of support, April 10, 2009. Employer Appreciation Night, which annually celebrates the support shown to Georgia Army and Air Guardsmen, and their families, by small and big businesses, local and state government offices, was held at Phillips Arena in conjunction with the Hawks vs. Indian Pacers basketball game. Among those that ESGR and the Georgia National Guard honored were: Delta Airlines Inc. Clayton County Police Department Clayton County Chamber of Commerce Costco Wholesale Macon-Bibb County Fire Department DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce Fulton County Superior Court Atlanta Metropolitan College Best Buy Mobile Advance Auto Parts Georgia State University "This is our way of recognizing the outstanding support you put forward toward our Guard and Reserve," said retired Maj. Gen. Tom Wessels, who heads the Georgia ESGR Committee. "At least one out of every 300 citizens in our state is in the Guard and Reserve. What you do for them, and for their families, is something we hope inspires others to step forward and make that foundation of support ever stronger." Major Gen. Terry Nesbitt, Georgia's Adjutant General, compared today's employer to a leg on a three-legged stool. The other two, he said, are the Soldier or Airman and the family. Without the one, the other two cannot hold up the stool. Right now, at least 25 to 50 percent of the Guard and Reserve is deployed "in theater," Nesbitt said. As The Global War on Terror continues, more than 2,000 members of Macon's 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team are in the process of moving to mobilization sites in Mississippi and Indiana before deploying to Afghanistan. "Without the support you provide, without your understanding of who our Guardsmen are and the important role they play in the defense of our communities, our state and our nation, they would not be able to stand strong and do what's asked of them," Nesbitt said. "I can only say `thank you' for all you do for them." Sergeant Kevin Scott, an aviation hydraulics specialist with Marietta's 171st Aviation, 78th Aviation Troop Command, joined his employer, David Watson, Delta's vice president of operations, as Watson accepted the Five-Star Statement of Support the airline has signed. Scott, who's been a Guardsman for three years, is general manager of Delta's In-flight Crew Training program. When he's not in uniform, Scott spends a lot time traveling between the airline's Atlanta complex, Salt Lake City and Memphis making sure crews know what they're doing in the air and on the ground. "Delta has given me and my family unwavering loyalty and support during my nine years with the company," he explained. "I've not been deployed, but I've been called away from my job to participate in a variety of missions or to attend some military school more than once during my time there. "While some other company might see my being gone as a loss, mine tells me, `Go do what you have to do, and don't worry about your family. They'll be taken care of, and so will you,''' Scott added. Watson said Delta sees employees like Scott as a valuable asset. Those who serve in the Guard and Reserve bring to their civilian positions a better understanding of "team work," and a level of maturity and leadership that earns them the respect of their superiors and fellow employees. "They do us proud, and we have their backs," Watson said. "That relationship remains strong because of employees like Kevin." 17 David Watson (center left), with Delta Airlines, and Sgt. Kevin Scott (center right) accept an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Five-Star Statement of Support from Maj. Gen. Terry Nesbitt (far left), Georgia's Adjutant General, and retired Maj. Gen. Tom Wessels, chair of the Georgia ESGR Committee. 18 LRS conducts helicopter insertion into Preston drop zone Georgia National Guard Public Affairs Office AUGUSTA Company H, 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry, Georgia's long range surveillance (LRS) unit, recently conducted an airborne insertion via two Black Hawk helicopters into Fort Gordon's Preston Drop Zone. Jumpers left the UH60 from 1,500 feet, with 12 paratroopers "hitting the silk" on each pass over the narrow patch of earth that is Preston. Parachute riggers from the Marrietta-based 165th Quartermaster Company, and Soldiers of the 560th Battlefield Surveillance Battalion based at Ellenwood's Fort Gillem, assisted with the training. The 560th is the quartermaster company's parent headquarters. Fifty-three paratroopers completed the jumps, and then moved on foot to Training Area No. 24, where they established a patrol base. The following morning, the unit continued training by conducting annual weapons qualification and a communications exercise before returning to Charlie Brown Airfield. The next time Company H "stands in the door" and waits for the green light, will be at Arkman Drop Zone on Fort Benning, Georgia in May. Using rotorary wing aircraft as opposed to fixed wing aircraft in airborne operations is a little different, explained Lt. Justin Tonellie, Company H executive officer and one of the unit's jumpmasters. The jumpmasters rig a "doughnut" on the floor of the aircraft and attach a troopers' parachute static lines to the doughnut as soon as he sits down. Jumpers are held in place by small nylon straps that run along their chests just above their reserve parachute as the aircraft climbs upward. As the helicopter approaches the drop zone, Tonellie continued, the jumper at the end of the strap removes it and passes it down the jumper on the other end. The "fun part" of using a Black Hawk is that the paratrooper gets to see everything that's going on. Some find this reassuring; others not so much. "Overall, though, we always like working with the Black Hawks," Tonellis said. "We worked a lot with UH-60 in Iraq, because it's ideal for inserting a LRS team." Since returning from Iraq in 2007, Georgia's LRS Soldiers have conducted airborne operations with several types of aircraft. These include the C-130 Hercules, C-23 Sherpa, and the CH47 Chinook helicopter. Captain William M. Parker, Company H commander, added, "We like working with aircraft that fit us, and Army Aviation gives us that." During its support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the unit conducted platoon-level operations as opposed to team operations, but they can be, and are, done. Unit members, Parker said, like working with Chinook because they can fit a platoon on each aircraft being used. Black Hawks, he continued, are ideal for teams. Company-level operations are another matter. "The reason we like to focus on platoon and team level operations, as opposed to company level, is because that's how LRS operates," Parker said. "We have to foster a sense of self-reliance in the platoons and teams because a platoon leader or team leader could find his platoon or team in a tense situation, on their own, and with little or no support." UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from Marietta-based 171st Aviation start skyward with Soldiers from Company H, 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry, aboard and ready for their jump into a Fort Gordon drop zone. 19