Georgia guardsman [Vol. 1, Issue 8 (Aug. 22, 2009)]

Contents Vol. 1, No. 8

August 2009

State furloughs to effect National Guard

4

Civil engineer squadron facility to get face lift

5

The Georgia

Living the Soldiers' story: Journalists learning infantry tactics

6

Guardsman

ANA Master Gunners Graduate

7

Send comments,

Bowles: didn't win, but still a winner

8

suggestions, articles, photos or other

Communication, learning from others center of annual conference

10

contributions to:

Volunteer of the Year: A great woman

12

gaguardpao@gmail.com

August Guard History

13

The Georgia Guardsman is

National Guard embraces social media

14

published monthly under the provisions of AR 360-81 and

Braves take Flight

18

AF 6-1 by the Georgia Department of Defense Public Affairs

Brunswick exercise tests Georgia response to terrorist threat

17

Office. The views and opinions expressed in the Georgia

Army Guard graduates 28 new lieutenants

19

Guardsman are not necessarily those of the Departments of

DVIDS Transmission Unit installed at JFHQ in Marietta

21

the Army and Air Force or the Adjutant General of Georgia.

JSTARS Aircraft availability improved

22

The Georgia Guardsman is distributed free to members of the

Defense Travel System to modify reservation process

23

Georgia Army and Air National Guard, State Defense Force

RHIP...What does it mean?

24

and other interested persons at

their request.

Updated news and information on the Georgia DoD can be viewed at www.gadod.net

Want to submit a story for your unit?
All submissions for the Georgia Guardsman can be sent to Amanda Kenny at gaguardpao@gmail.com. Please submit your stories in a Word document. All photos should be in a JPEG format and NOT embedded in the document.

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Readership survey
Dear Readers and Guardsman,
As part of the new Georgia Guardsman, we want to know what you think about how we are doing. Below you will find a link to a readership survey. Please download the survey, you will need Adobe Acrobat reader, and fill it out. Conviently, we have included an e-mail feature at the top of the form. Once you have filled it out please click the button and e-mail it to us! You can also save it and e-mail it manually to gaguardpao@gmail.com.
Thank you for your participation! Your Georgia Guardsman Staff
Click here for the survey
Georgia DoD videos
To see videos, click on the name of the story.

3
Commander-In-Chief Gov. Sonny Perdue
Adjutant General of Georgia MG Terry Nesbitt
Publisher Lt Col (Ret) Kenneth R. Baldowski
Editorial Staff Dr. Beryl Diamond
SFC Roy Henry Amanda Kenny SPC Mike Perry
Video-Audio Editor David Howell
Contributing writers MAJ Eddie Williams - GSDF
SPC Adam Dean
National Guard Correspondents 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office
Army National Guard Unit Public Affairs Officers and Representatives
Air National Guard Wing Public Affairs Officers and Representatives

CJTF Phoenix IX Operations

Gospel Fest 48th 33rd Peachtree Road Race transition

Georgia National Guard 2009 Volunteer of the Year receives award Fun at the Georgia Family Readiness Conference banquet Pinning ceremony for Georgia National Guard OCS Graduates BG Dudney discusses preparations for Afghan Elections

Social Networking
The Georgia Guardsman is now on: Twitter Facebook Flickr
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4

State furloughs to effect National Guard

Public Affairs Office Georgia National Guard
All full-time regular salaried state employees of the Georgia Department of Defense, in accordance with Gov. Sonny Perdue's executive order, will be required to take three days of furlough between mid-September and the end of the calendar year. Furloughs were ordered due to a decrease in state revenues, and a downturn in the nation's and state's economy.
In a statement to employees, MG William T. Nesbitt, the Adjutant General, declared "we simply have no alternatives. I recognize this action will

impact you and your families." The General said he "personally [will] take furlough days, as are all state senior leaders, the same as every other state employee."
The furlough implementation plan mandates that State employees will take the first 8-hour furlough period during the Sept. 16-30, 2009 pay period. A second furlough period will occur during the Oct. 16-31 pay period, and the final furlough period occurs between Nov. 16-30. Pay deductions will show on end of month pay checks. The furlough applies to all state employees, regardless of the funding source(s) of
their program. Employees affected by this action
must schedule and get the approval of the furlough day in conjunction with the approval of their direct supervisor and location manager.
"Furloughs, though unpleasant for all of us," said Sandra Bruce, state personnel director, "are an effort on the part of General Nesbitt and the State leadership to save jobs. Our state benefits, such as leave and health care are not affected."
According to state personnel policies, employees cannot on their furlough day volunteer at either their usual workplace or at home.
For more information regarding the implementation of furloughs in the Georgia Department of Defense contact Bruce (sandra.k.bruce@ us.army.mil), or the State Personnel Office at 678-569-6022.
Nesbitt noted that "during these tough economic times, which now calls for a personal sacrifice from us all, I know that you (state employees) will continue the outstanding work you do for the Georgia Department of Defense."

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5

Civil engineer squadron facility to get facelift

Story by Maj Michael Norkett Project manager, 116th CES Georgia Air National Guard
WARNER ROBINS, Aug. 17, 2009 How does a Georgia Air Guard unit go from what some saw as having the second worst facility in the nation to a state of the art building? The leadership for the 116th Civil Engineering Squadron (CES) at Robins Air Force Base would answer that with "work, work and more hard work."
The $4.1 million makeover of the squadron's home will give the facility a complete facelift and will provide its Airmen 33,000 square feet of state of the art training, administration and shop space. This renovation has been in the works for more than a decade, and when finished, completes the plans made by a host of past and present wing commanders.
When the Air Guard's former 116th Bomb Wing moved to Robins in the late 1990s, it and other units occupied "temporary facilities" while new construction and renovation was done on the wing's current buildings. The 116th engineers, too, moved into a temporary building until construction of a permanent home was completed. However, several factors, such as the conversion of the bomb wing into an air control wing and the change over to JSTARS aircraft, the Global War on Terror and "force shaping," lead to the postponement of the engineer squadron finding a permanent home.
In 2006, the National Guard Bureau conducted a facility assessment and determined that the 116th CES was residing in the second worst engineering compound in the Air National Guard. This led to another building being identified for the squadron's new compound, and funding being appropriated for a concept study on how to adapt the facility for CES' needs.
Funding, squadron leadership was

told, to build the facility would have to wait until 2011, or so some believed. However, Lt Col Jeremy Simmons, the unit commander, successfully lobbied the bureau and obtained the funding for Fiscal Year 2009.
A full design of the new building was completed earlier this Spring, with bidding underway on the project by several construction companies. Once contracts are awarded, the winning firms have about six weeks to mobilize and start work. Construction should take between 8 and 12 months to complete.
When the work is done, the 116th engineers will have a new energy efficient facility. It will boast three training areas for wing personnel to obtain
readiness and explosive ordnance demolition training. The new facility also will play a major role in future Operational Readiness Exercises. An added feature is a help desk inside the front entrance, which will provide a common focal point for facility maintenance requests.

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Artist rendering of the new 116th CES facility

Living the Soldiers' story
Journalists learning infantry tactics

Story by SPC Adam Dean Photos by SGT Jerry De Avila 124th MPAD Georgia Army National Guard

FORT GILLEM, Ellenwood At-

lanta's 124th Mobile Public Affairs

Detachment (MPAD) is usually tasked

with the mission of "telling the Soldiers'

story." However, the unit got a glimpse

of what it is to live the story when the

MPAD put down their cameras and

note pads, and picked up their M-16

rifles for three days of infantry training

here, Aug.7

to 9, 2009.

By hel-

icopter and

ground

convoy, the

body armor

and weapon

clad jour-

nalists de-

scended on

the parcel

of gravel

and dirt that

would be

their area of

The 124th MPAD's Alpha Team "shoots and scoots" its way into an "enemy position."

operations, enduring

the intense

heat of Georgia's midsummer.

"This weekend the mission of the

124th is to conduct dismounted patrol

training to increase familiarity with tac-

tics, techniques and procedures, so that

we can better support front line units

that use them more often," announced

MAJ John Alderman, the unit's com-

mander.

In order to tell the Soldiers' story, it

is important that members of a public

affairs unit have the competence, and

the confidence, to travel with all kinds

of units without getting in the way of

their operations, said Alderman.

"Most of the MPAD Soldiers don't have any sort of infantry background or know dismounted patrolling techniques, so the first thing to do is to establish a baseline of tactics, techniques and procedures that would apply to the broadest number of missions," he explained.
Utilizing such time-honored movement drills as the "squad column fire team wedge, the ranger file and the staggered file," the journalists went out on dozens of missions over the course of the weekend. Mock opposing forces enhanced the realism of the exercise by hitting the group with everything from blank small arms fire to smoke grenades to artillery simulators.
SPC Denise Durbin-Carlton, a budding photojournalist who was drilling with the unit for only the second time, said the intensity of the training far surpassed her expectations.
"It was excellent! The way the leadership provided motivation to push us through was helpful. We did everything several times so we would learn to do it right, as opposed to just going through the motions once or twice," she said.
"The bottom line is that we're all Soldiers. A mobile public affairs detachment is designed to go into or near combat to provide coverage for Soldiers who are on the front lines. Our people need to be able to survive in that environment, and they need to understand the units they support," said Alderman.
In terms of how such training benefits the unit, Alderman said the leadership aspect of the training cannot be over emphasized.
"This really is a leadership exercise from top to bottom," he said. "It takes direct leadership to make this kind of mission successful, and it forces delegation because there are a lot of things

Georgia Guardsman : 6 : No. 8

that must be done. It also forces clear communication and an attention to discipline.
"It's a true leadership lab, in every sense of the word."
As a bonus, the Soldiers work together to solve problems they're not accustomed to handling. This shared adversity contributes greatly to the cohesiveness of the unit, said Alderman.
SGT Robert Freese agreed with him, saying that he thought the weekend was a huge success that honed not only his leadership abilities, but those of everyone involved.
"I saw leadership growth in everybody. Everyone was learning new things and coming together to solve problems as a team. I saw junior noncommissioned officers (NCOs) who're usually quiet and unsure, step up and show they could identify things that needed to get done and just do them," said Freese.
"What we did was intentionally difficult and intentionally challenging; we pushed each other, and we worked very hard, because we need to share that experience. Now that we have, we can be more confident in each other. Whether we're cold or hot or tired or whatever, we know we'll be there for one another," Alderman added.
SGT Jerry De Avila, another photojournalist who's only been with the unit

since March,

agreed on the

importance of

training like

this in terms

of leadership

and esprit de

corps.

"There's

something to

be said about the camaraderie and the

SSG Gerard Brown, readiness and training NCO and a broadcast journalist with the 124th MPAD, sets up along with fellow Soldiers to go after an

things we go through in

"insurgent position" during recent infantry training at Fort Gillem's Training site.

the field," he

said. "A lot of times, that's when a Sol-

dier's mettle is tested, and I think it's

important to know peoples' strengths

and weaknesses, and how we help each

other overcome any obstacles we may

face."

De Avila said also he didn't expect

this kind of training when he first joined

the MPAD, but now realizes how cru-

cial it is for any unit to have such train-

ing opportunities.

"At first I actually thought, `Man,

what the heck are we doing this for?

We're photographers, we're public af-

fairs people.' But," he said. "When you

start to think about it, whether you're

active Army or Army National Guard,

really you're a Soldier first."

ANA Master Gunners Graduate
201st Corps Hosts Afghanistan National Army Master Gunner Graduation Ceremony

Story by SGT Danny Durham CJTF Phoenix PAO
DERULAMAN, Afghanistan Camp Dubbs was the site of the Afghanistan National Army's (ANA) Master Gunner Course, Class 01-09 Graduation Ceremony. Twenty Soldiers from Headquarters Support Security Brigade and twenty Soldiers from Capital Division, 201st Corps, Kabul successfully completed the 14-day curriculum.

The course included three days of classroom instruction and eleven days of hands-on training to include weapons qualification events for the M-16A2 service rifle, the M240B machinegun and the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon.
Completing the Master Gunners Course qualifies the ANA soldiers as subject matter experts on the three weapon systems, and certifies them to return to their units and train other Sol-

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A 201st Corps Afghan National Army Soldier proudly displays his well-earned diploma from the Master Gunners Course, after completing the intensive 14-day training curriculum on various military weapons.

diers on how to properly handle and operate them.
The Master Gunners' newly gained knowledge will increase the proficiency of their units and the Afghan Military. "It was outstanding training; this will improve relationships and fighting capabilities between Afghanistan National Army and the Coalition Forces," said MAJ Robert McDougal of the Regional Division Advisory Command (RDAC).
Six Soldiers who qualified at the Expert level on the M-16A2 service rifle and displayed excellent

leadership qualities graduated with honors. The extra effort and enthusiasm displayed by these Soldiers boosted morale and interest among the class, noted classmates.
On hand to congratulate the graduates were COL Percy G. Hurtado, commander of the Afghanistan Regional Security Integration Command Kabul (ARSIC-K) and COL Louis J. Landreth the Regional Division Advisory Command (RDAC).
This occasion marked the first time ARSIC-K and the 201st Corps had teamed up, with ARSIC-K providing the trainers and 201st Corps, Kabul, providing the marksmanship ranges. There are three Master Gunner classes scheduled to begin after the upcoming elections in Kabul are complete.

Bowles: didn't win, but still a winner

Story by SFC Roy Henry Photo by SPC Mike Perry Georgia National Guard Public Affairs Office
MARIETTA, Aug. 17, 2009 SGT James Bowles, the Lawrenceville Soldier who returned from Afghanistan during the last week of July to compete for the Army National Guard's Best Warrior title, just missed earning the crown in the three-day competition held July 31 to Aug. 14 at Fort Benning's Warrior Training Center in Columbus. The honor went to SPC Guy Mellor of the Utah Army National Guard.
Regardless, Bowles is still a winner. In fact, said CSM Mike Hurndon, command sergeant major for Macon's 48th Infantry Brigade, in an email from Afghanistan, he's considered quite the hero by his fellow Soldiers.
According to Hurndon, "Bowles has been an inspiration to the entire 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) through his amazingly tireless efforts and commitment to exceeding all the standards set before him." Bowles leads a fire team for Lawrenceville's

Company A, 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry.
"This young man has impressed the brigade's sergeant major corps as much now, as he did when selected Soldier of the Year at the unit level on up through the regional competition in Kentucky," Hurndon wrote. "SGT Bowles is the truest of role models for his subordinates, his peers, and his leaders. We're fortunate as an organization to have such a great warrior in our ranks."
In a telephone interview from his Lawrenceville home, Bowles said that from the day he became the brigade Soldier-of-the-Year, he dedicated himself to doing everything necessary to take Georgia all the way in the competition.
Hurndon confirmed that even though Bowles is serving in a hostile environment, he has given of his own time to focus on and to prepare for as best he could competitng against others who also wanted the Best Warrior title.
The competition, admitted Bowles - and those he competed against - was grueling.

Georgia Guardsman : 8 : No. 8

"As much as I wanted to repre- but I'm telling you I got a run for my

sent Georgia, my unit and my fellow money from the others," Bowles said.

Guardsmen at All-Army, the Sol- "We were all good. Yeah, some did bet-

dier who won deservers to be there," ter than others on certain events, but in

Bowles said in a telephone interview the end we were all winners in our own

from his home. "I believe we all do, but right."

he'll be the one up against the best the With the competition over, and time

active Army and Army Reserve have, growing near for him to return to Af-

and I hope he wins."

ghanistan and his unit, Bowles said

In the end, he added, those who put he's concentrating now on spending as

themselves through what he and fellow much time with his wife and family as

competitors did deserve to win.

he can before going back.

Take for example, Bowles ex- He'll appreciate that time, he said,

plained, the

Combat Water

Survival Event.

Each Soldier

hits the Warrior

Training Center

pool in full battle

gear including

an M-4 rifle. It's

a timed event in

which competi-

tors must strip

their equipment,

excluding their

rifle; swim 15

meters to the 3

meter end of the

pool. There, a

senior sergeant

waits to shove

them back in,

patrol cap backward and pulled down over their

SGT Jame Bowles, then a specialist, checks the coordinates for the land navigation course at the Georgia Guard Soldier of the Year competition.

eyes, and they

must find their gear, put it back on and and when it's time to say goodbye,

get out where they started.

he'll wish he could stay a little longer,

"A lot of people lost their weapon on and had come away with the title of

that one," he recalled.

Best Warrior to his credit.

Other events included a 12 mile road "But I know that I gave it my best

march, followed by several other timed and that the best Soldier won," Bowles

events and no sleep until early the next said. "So, I'm not too disappointed.

morning. Then it was up at 3 a.m. and "Besides," he added, "As much as

into land navigation, and later a room I've missed my wife, and enjoyed be-

clearing exercise and a grenade throw- ing home, I miss my guys. In a crazy

ing event.

sort of way [to some], it'll be good to

"I did pretty well on all of them, be back with them."

Georgia Guardsman : 9 : No. 8

Communication, learning from others center of annual conference

For more photos click below:

Story and photos by Amanda Kenny
ATLANTA Hundreds of volunteers and their spouses from across the state converged on the Renaissance Hotel Aug. 14-16, 2009, for the annual Family Readiness Conference to discuss how they can better serve the families of Georgia's National Guardsmen.
"It's great to know that in these hard times there is one thing that is good, [and] that is you, the volunteers," said Letha Nesbitt, wife of MG Terry Nesbitt, Georgia's Adjutant General. "Volunteers bring things to the personal level. You need to listen to each other, and learn from each other. When you do this you find out things you'd have never thought about."

On the left MG Terry Nesbitt, Georgia's Adjutant General (back), along with Col. Dan Zachman, Col. Jay Peno, Letha Nesbitt, MAJ Blair Davis and several volunteers discuss what they can do to further the support they give to Soldiers and Airmen as part of a morning session at the annual Family Readiness Conference Aug. 15, 2009, in Atlanta.
Guest speaker at Saturday morning's opening session, Steve McCurley, author and trainer in the field of volunteerism, discussed the importance of conversation. "You made your first

mistake by sitting next to someone you know," said McCurley. "The point of these conferences is to `loot' someone else's brain."
He told the volunteers and Guardsmen to find someone in the room that they might not know and have a conversation with them about what "works and doesn't work" in their family readiness groups and attempt to glean some new ideas.
MG Scott Hammond, Air Guard commander, provided the group with an update on Georgia's Air Guard, and also added a few words of wisdom.
"If we can get so stressed out about such a little thing as a little bit of traffic on I-75, you can only imagine the
stress our Soldiers and Airmen are in over in theater if they're a couple minutes late for time over target and lives are in the balance.
"The problem is they're enduring those kinds of stresses and they don't have the decompression opportunity. This is where the things you do for us are so absolutely critical," Hammond added.
He said communication is vital and while the Army and Air Force don't do much of it, there's a lot of it between the pilots and mechanics. "If mechanics and pilots have a hard time communicating with each other," said Hammond, "then we need to understand that, in the dynamic in which we live, that with all the communication venues we have there's the potential for a lot of miscommunication. That's another thing that you all do in helping us with our communication."
The three-day conference was filled with classes and instruction ranging from how to deal with finances to how to keep relationships strong.
"Our family readiness groups

Georgia Guardsman : 10 : No. 8

(FRGs) are not just for deployments,"

said Darrell Partee, head of Georgia's

Family Readiness Program. "We also

have annual training and natural disas-

ters." The FRGs are still needed be-

cause these activities take Guardsmen

away from their families, he said.

Saturday evening's awards banquet

provided Guard leaders the opportunity

to recognize and thank volunteers for

their time and effort in working with

Guard families.

"We recruit Soldiers and Airmen,

but we keep the families," said BG Darrell Partee, head of the Georgia Family Readiness Pro-

Maria Britt, Georgia Army Guard com- gram, presents guest speaker Steve McCurley with a `glass

mander, during the dinner. Britt said brick' to thank him for his participation in the Family Readishe knows first hand what many of ness Conference.

these spouses endure when a loved one

is deployed. Her husband, COL Tim

Britt recently returned from deploy- The 12th Airborne Command and

ment. "I want to thank each of you who are part of that support."
Named as this year's Volunteer of the Year was Elaine Harvey, wife of TSgt George Harvey. She was selected for her work with Macon's 202nd Installation Engineering Squadron (see related story).

Control Squadron Key Spouse Group was awarded the Air Guard Unit of the Year, the 4th Civil Support Team Weapons of Mass Destruction FRG was awarded the Army Guard Unit of the Year and the Youth Volunteer of the year is Catherine Eaton.

Additional awardees include:
Angie Fountain Michelle Welliver
Jo Lane Weeks Traci Watson Lisa Lewis Sheryl Murphy
Ruth Lee

Amanda Cash

Courtney Richards

Freda Sinkfield

Mary Long

Loretta Rayburn

Eddie Bryant

Catherine Thomasson

Tracy Emery

Kimberly Johnson

Tiffany Connolly

Susan Morgan

Robert Stokely

Kate Walker

Naomi Eberhart

Julie Simpson

Derrick Johnson

City of Harlem

Aurie McMullen

Debra Barnard

Iris Wolff

Christina Tremblay

Mistee Lambert

Catherine Eaton, the Youth Volunteer of the Year, receives her award from MG Terry Nesbitt, Georgia's Adjutant General, Letha Nesbitt and Darrell Partee, head of Georgia's Family Readiness Program. The award is presented annually at the Family readiness

Sarah Buwa Marilyn Hillman
Tina Brents

Conference.

Denise Ratliff

Georgia Guardsman : 11 : No. 8

Volunteer of the Year: A great woman

Unselfish and patriotic service to The award also cited Harvey for her

families of National Guardsmen has "outstanding support for the change of

earned Elaine Harvey, the 2009 Fam- command ceremonies and receptions

ily Readiness Volunteer of the Year by providing help and directions to the

award. Harvey was presented with the FRG volunteers for set up, decoration,

award by MG Terry Nesbitt, Georgia's serving, cleaning up."

Adjutant General during the Readiness The Family Readiness Program se-

Group's annual awards banquet Aug. lects the Volunteer of the Year based on

15, in downtown Atlanta.

nominations sent in by the Army and

The wife of TSgt George Harvey of Air Guard units. Unit members nomi-

Macon's 202nd Engineer Installation nate the person whom they believe

Squadron, Elaine was chosen for her have made a significant and outstand-

exceptional service to the unit mem- ing contribution to the unit's welfare.

bers and their families. Harvey's nomi- Other criterion includes improvement

nation emphasized that she devotes a in the quality of life and a demonstra-

portion of her Saturdays to attend FRG tion of exceptional support to family

readiness in

the unit or

community.

Other

service for

which Har-

vey was

cited include

consistent-

ly serving

as liaison

for family

members,

providing

advice and

"concern-

ing support

to families

Volunteer of the Year Elaine Harvey (third fro mthe left) receives the Volunteer of the Year award from MG Terry Nesbitt, Letha Nesbitt and Darrell Partee. The award is given out every year at the annual Family Readiness Conference.

of deployed members," and show-

ing effective

meetings at the unit. As importantly, communication between family mem-

Harvey readily took on the duties of bers, unit personnel; and, assisting

treasurer of the FRG ensuring accuracy spouses with any needs that they may

and accountability of the FRG funds as require while their family members are

well as timely payment of all obliga- deployed.

tions.

Georgia Guardsman : 12 : No. 8

August Guard History

1900 MAJ J. Van Holt Nash, Jr. commanded Atlanta's 5th Regiment of Infantry at their encampment on Cumberland Island, Georgia in July. The regimental commander, COL Park Woodward, who was unable to attend, and Nash both sent written after-action reports to the Adjutant General, BG Phil Byrd. One suggestion by Woodward was to lengthen the encampment to two weeks, realizing that more training objectives could be achieved. He also thought that it should be under direct authority of the State government so that "much better discipline could be forced than when commands pay their own expenses".
In reading recommendations by other regimental commanders in the 1900 AG Report, remarks often addressed officers and men paying expenses for target practice as well as encampment costs. COL W. E. Wooten of the Fourth Regiment wrote, "The expenses of the encampment, even to the freightage on the tentage supplied by the State, were paid by the officers and men of the regiment."
In his report, MAJ Nash found the camp site to be poor because it was low and close to a salt marsh thus infested with mosquitoes and gnats. He also noted that most of the officers ignored orders concerning sanitary methods while allowing for the fact that there were just a few "utensils" for digging "sinks". Nash faulted officers as well for letting their men wear bathing suits or few clothes and go barefoot in the heat of the day causing cases of severe sunburn.
Because there was only one hospital tent and one litter for the sick, suggestions by both Woodward and Nash mirrored the need for field hospital tents, cots, sheets and other items at encampments.
The regiment did suffer the loss of

one of its captains at Locust Grove, Ga. when he fell from a train the evening they left Atlanta. CPT George S. Brown suffered brain injuries and subsequently died at Henry Grady Hospital after being returned to Atlanta via train. Nash in the detailed paragraph on this accident wrote, "This I understand is the first death which has occurred in the history of encampments in this State".
Nash overall felt the camp's training was successful and that he pointed out areas where improvements could occur for future encampments, in particular a fully equipped medical department and the practice of sanitary conditions.
1917 The Georgia National Guard was authorized a company of engineers by the War Department in April 1917. In correspondence to Georgia's Adjutant General, BG Joseph Van Holt Nash, Jr., the Chief of the Militia Bureau, BG William A. Mann, requested that "the company be presented as a Pioneer Company of Engineers". On May 12, Co. "A", 1st Battalion Pioneer Engineers, Waycross, Ga., was formally accepted into the Georgia National Guard.
Walter A. Gray, captain of the new unit, noted to BG Nash that the Waycross City Council had provided an armory in the newly constructed Municipal building and that it was fireproof. He also commented that the quarters would be free as well as water and lights and that the company would be given free use of the building's swimming pool.
Two months after the U. S. entry into World War I, Company A was drafted into federal service on June 20th, re-

Georgia Guardsman : 13 : No. 8

porting to Camp Wheeler outside of Augusta, Ga. Here the 106th Engineer Regiment of the 31st Division was formed with Company A of the Georgia National Guard the nucleus. The Waycross unit gave the regiment it's Regimental Staff and one Engineer Company. Six states eventually represented the regiment's war strength. The 106th Engineers were pioneer sappers and trained for that mission for more than a year.
In September 1918 they boarded the H.M.S. Balmoral Castle and joined a convoy consisting of transports, destroyers and battle cruisers, for England and then France.
Though the regiment was never sent to the front lines, they converted a sea of mud into Camp Pontanezen (where Napolean trained his armies), a large American camp that "entertains, feeds and houses one hundred thousand troops, a feat declared impossible by the French, who said that more than twenty-five thousand men could not be concentrated in one camp and taken

care of". They constructed buildings to include barracks, kitchens and mess halls, floored and walled tents that were "perfectly floored, drained and wired", water systems, a rail line, and roads. The command also constructed and operated saw mills, using the lumber for their construction projects as well as operated two quarries, the rock used on the roads in their area of operation.
"Camp Pontanezen is the portal thru which Americas Victorious Army is pouring, in a steady stream, on the last lap of the long, long, trail that leads to the new America made stronger and more glorious by their own sacrifices and achievements."
In addition they constructed a hospital complex in Kerhuon, warehouses at the Brest docks and a salvage plant at Lambezzelac.
*Accomplishments in France from, 106th Regt. Engrs. Of Dixie Division, Builders of Camp Pontanezen, published in France by the enlisted men of the regiment, circa 1919. This small book is in the history office archives.

National Guard embraces social media

Releatd Story: The `happy' medium between OPSEC and social networking: Can it be achieved?

By Army Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill National Guard Bureau
ARLINGTON, Va. Even in the 140-character brevity demanded of a tweet, the enthusiasm was evident:
"Just shot my first rounds from a M1A1 Main Battle Tank. Killed 3 of 4 targets. Best Tank on the planet!"
Among Twitter's millions of users (the company is private; the exact number of users is disputed but generally agreed to be in the millions) this one is rare: He wears four stars and is responsible for policies, programs and plans affecting more than 450,000 National Guard members.
Gen. Craig McKinley may be a Twitter rarity (follow him @ChiefNGB) but it's not unique to find a leader of his stature at the cyberspace water cooler.
Even as debate over social media

policy swirled in the Department of Defense this summer, someone tapped out this tweet:
"Obviously we need to find right balance between security and transparency. We are working on that. But am I still going to tweet? You bet."
The author? Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (follow him @ thejointstaff). There is healthy debate about the balance between the need for operational, information and network security and transparency, but the National Guard embraced social media in November. "The old way of communicating internal communications or command information, external communications or media relations and community rela-

Georgia Guardsman : 14 : No. 8

tions [is] a 20th century model," said month period," Harrison said. "That's

Jack Harrison, the National Guard Bu- a quantifiable benefit. ... We have a re-

reau's director of public affairs and stra- sponsibility to the American people to

tegic communication. "Gen. McKinley communicate with them, and the more

is a believer in communication ... col- people who are coming to our public

laborate, coordinate, communicate Website, [the better.] ... More people

and he is very much embracing social are more aware of the significant in-

media.

crease in the operationalization of the

"Our position on social media is that National Guard."

we ought to carefully learn these differ- One of the significant costs of shar-

ent methods of communicating, keep- ing the Guard story with Guardmem-

ing in mind our objective when we're bers has been reduced while the num-

communicating, who our audience is, ber of Guardmembers reached has

Noticed yesterday another great

increased and the frequency of con-

benefit our M-Day soldiers take

tact between Guard leaders and mem-

back to their civilian employers: bers has improved,

Safety training conducted at drill.

Harrison said. This was accom-

Tweet from @124mpad

plished by retiring the $550,000 per

year, 60,000-copy

who we're trying to talk to [and] follow print edition of the monthly "The On

[Defense Department] policy, which ... Guard," the official newspaper of the

is still being developed."

National Guard, and replacing it with

"I've seen people interact with the a significantly less expensive e-mail

National Guard and the National Guard subscription service that pushes out

leadership ... in a way that they've weekly updates and a quarterly e-mag-

never been able to interact with the or- azine to 347,000 Citizen-Soldiers and

ganization before," said Rick Breiten- Airmen.

feldt, chief of the social media branch The jury is still out on Department

in the National Guard Bureau's public of Defense social media policy.

affairs office. "If we're not one of the "The debate is about operational

voices out there, somebody's going to security and balancing the vulnerabili-

be there for us telling our story in a way ties of an entire network for the largest

that is inaccurate or that is maybe not government department in the United

the whole story. The conversation is States versus being open and transpar-

going to be held, and if we're not in- ent and inclusive," Breitenfeldt said.

volved in the conversation, we're miss- "It's about risk."

ing the point of social media: We have The Marine Corps banned social

to be there, where the people are."

media use on official computers for a

In the months since the National year. The Army, Navy and Air Force al-

Guard Bureau started embracing so- low it for now.

cial media, results have been immedi- "I don't think [the Defense Depart-

ate and measurable. First-time visits ment] really knows yet where it's going

to www.ng.mil, the National Guard's to fall with respect to social media,"

premier public Website, have doubled. Harrison said. The public is invited to

Public affairs officers believe much contribute to the policy discussion at

of the increase is being driven by the web20guidanceforum.dodlive.mil.

Guard's social media presence.

Harrison said the Guard's guidance

"That's a huge increase ... in a six- on personal involvement in social me-

Georgia Guardsman : 15 : No. 8

Name the social media site and the National Guard is there.
Facebook: The National Guard page that started in January had 3,000 fans through Tuesday. Users who sign up get updates on their Facebook Home page.
Twitter: @TheNatlGuard had gathered 1,489 followers through Friday since it started tweeting this spring. Followers had received 407 official tweets from the National Guard Bureau, most containing links to Guard news.
Flickr: The 2,216 photos posted on The National Guard page had been viewed 114,144 times through Friday.
YouTube: The NationalGuard channel had been viewed more than 2,000 times through Friday. Subscribers see National Guard videos.
The Georgia National Guard is there too.
Facebook: The Georgia Guardsman page that started in June had 134 fans through Thursday.
Twitter: @GAGuardsman had gathered 102 followers through Thursday since it started tweeting this summer. Followers had received 63 official tweets from the Georgia National Guard, most containing links to Guard news.
Flickr: The 51 photos posted on The Georgia Guard page had been viewed 78 times through Friday.

dia is clear: "It's the same as our guid- month.

ance would be for any sort of media "The speed at which we can com-

activity that our Guardsmen involve municate with Guardmembers is light-

themselves in. We're American citi- years ahead of where it was a year

zens. We all have the right to speak and ago," Harrison said.

speak honestly. ... As military mem- But social media and electronic

bers, we have a responsibility to be delivery are about more than reduced

costs and increased contacts. The

very nature of the interaction has

changed. The defining characteristic

of Web 2.0 is that it's interactive.

"Web 2.0 is choosing the informa-

tion that you want, when you want

it, how you want to see it," Breiten-

feldt said. "We're trying to be part of

that environment. I don't see us go-

ing back. The public is going to de-

mand this type of transparency and

this type of interactiveness. ... Gone

are the days where the public isn't

involved in the conversation."

The Internet in general and social

media in particular has removed a

filter from between the public and

public servants such as National

Guard members.

Among Twitter's millions of users is Gen. Craig McKinley, chief of the National Guard Bu-

Twenty years ago, an institution

reau. (U.S. Army photo illustration)

such as the Guard had to make a

compelling case to get its story out

professional."

to a limited range of traditional media

Some wonder about a knowledge operating within a much slower news

gap between people who have access cycle. The Guard had little or no con-

to the Internet and those who don't. A trol over the form a story took.

December 2008 Gallup poll found that Today, the Guard and every other

almost half of Americans are frequent social institution in every sector can

Internet users.

speak directly to the public and the

All things aside, the end of the print public can answer directly back.

edition of "The On Guard" was marked "It used to be one-way," Breitenfeldt

by deafening silence.

said. "We would push out press releas-

"Many people said when we made es. We would push out talking points.

this change, `Wow, there's going to be We would push out information. Now

a lot of people who are angry or upset we are asking for input. It's a two-way

that they don't have a piece of paper to street [now]."

look at every month'," Harrison said. Twenty years ago, the traditional

"I've not received one phone call, one media told the public what news was.

e-mail, one letter. Nothing."

Now, the public decides what it consid-

When necessary, GovDelivery helps ers news by interest measured in clicks,

the Guard contact its membership al- tweets, re-tweets, social bookmarks

most instantly, as happened after an and the like.

Army National Guard laptop was sto- "It's a revolution and an evolution in

len and 131,000 people's personal communication social media is just

data potentially compromised late last part of it," Harrison said. "I don't think

Georgia Guardsman : 16 : No. 8

it's just a news revolution. ... It's just another step in the evolutionary process of communicating.
"We have a responsibility to the American people to the taxpayer who provides the funding for us to be the National Guard -- ... to let them know what we're doing with their money. These tools ... are helping us do exactly that."
Some National Guard Bureau officials believe social media's true worth will shine during the next major natural or manmade disaster.
"Social media has an immediate impact," Breitenfeldt said. "North Dakota used Facebook and Twitter during the floods this spring, and they were putting out real-time, accurate, lifesaving

information that was being picked up by not only the citizens ... but also by media outlets."
Twitter was heavily used in 2008 during events such as August's Hurricane Gustav, October's earthquake in Pakistan and November's terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, according to mashable.com, the social media guide.
"I really see the value in these sites for our first hurricane of the season, or for the first time the Guard gets called out [domestically] in a large number," Breitenfeldt said. "People are going to be looking to ... social media sites for immediate, accurate and reliable information. We're in a position now where we can do that."

Braves take flight

MARIETTA -- Twelve Atlanta Braves baseball players and staff met with a team of "Braves" of the Georgia Army Guard's 832nd Air Ambulance Medical Company Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009, at Turner Field where the group boarded a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter and toured the Atlanta skyline.
The 832nd is part of 78th Aviation Troop Command stationed at Army Flight Facility No. 2 on Dobbins Air Reserve Base.
The players and staff included pitcher Peter Moylan (Inset), Brandon Bissell, executive vice president, sales and marketing (left); and entertainment manager Scott Cunningham (right). Also on the flight were vice president and general manager Frank Wren; batting coach Terry Pendleton; director of game entertainment Derek Schiller; field director Ed

Mangan; director of team travel and equipment manager, Bill Acree; production manager Matt Montemayor;
editor Jonathan Hillyard; and production trainee Stephen Ludlam.
The 832nd will soon include on its flight suits a new patch incorporating the ball club's official insignia.

Georgia Guardsman : 17 : No. 8

Brunswick exercise tests Georgia response to terrorist threat

ATLANTA, GA The scenario had morning with a report to Glynn County

the markings for a successful thriller. police of a mobile biological production

The obscure house on the Federal Law facility and the discovery of a suspi-

Enforcement Training Center property cious white-powder. Utilizing existing

in Brunswick, revealed few signs of the emergency response and notification

well-organized and sophisticated bio- protocols and procedures, local EMAs

terrorist attack being devel-

oped inside.

This realistic scenario was

the catalyst for a state-wide

emergency preparedness op-

eration called "Operation Vigi-

lant Sample II" which involved

more than 150 participants

from state, local and federal

agencies. A similar two-day

exercise organized in 2006 in

Brunswick was the first "real

time" operation to use state

military assets in testing Geor-

gia's response capability for a

biological terrorist attack.

This activity utilized re-

sources from many partners

including Georgia Department

of Human Resources' Divi-

sion of Public Health, Georgia

State Patrol, Georgia Emer-

gency Management Agency

(GEMA), Georgia Army National Guard, Georgia Public Health Laboratories, Federal Law Enforcement Training

An active biological agent is carefully collected by a member of the 4th CST before being flown to public health laboratories Atlanta for positive identification. Operation Vigilant Sample focused upon

Center, the Federal Bureau of the collection and analysis of substances found in Investigation, Coastal Health connection with a suspected bioterrorist attack.

District, Southeast Georgia

Health System, and Glynn

County Fire Department.

responded and established an incident

The Georgia Division of Public control headquarters. State assistance

Health and the Georgia National Guard was called in along with the activation

organized the comprehensive emer- of the National Guard 4th Weapons of

gency exercise to evaluate the state's Mass Destruction Civil Support Team.

response capability to a biological ter- The National Guard also mobilized air

rorist threat. The drill tested all areas and ground resources to respond to the

of emergency response to a biological emergency.

attack including on-scene assessment, The exercise's focus was on the col-

specimen collection, transport, analysis lection and analysis of the suspected

and medical treatment.

agent performed by the Guard's 4th

The exercise began early Monday CST. Guardsmen donned protective

Georgia Guardsman : 18 : No. 8

suits to enter the target area,

collect samples and provide a

preliminary assessment. Once

collected, the suspected mate-

rial was transported by Georgia

State Patrol helicopters to the

public health Laboratory Re-

sponse Network (LRN) labs in

Waycross and Decatur for bio-

terrorist agent confirmation.

"This exercise gave us bet-

ter knowledge of the timeline

from detection of a possible

biological threat to a confirmed

laboratory result and can isolate

specific challenges to allow for

continue improvement in our Guardsman make a tactical entry into a house suspected of being the location response and evaluation plans," of a biological terrorist operation during Operations Vigilant Sample. More

said Dr. Deborah Loveys, the than 150 local, state and federal agencies participated in the test of the state's Emergency Response Coordi- response to a bio-terrorist incident.

nator for the public health labo-

ratory.

this exercise was unprecedented," The

CPT Byron Marsh of the Georgia information we gained from this exer-

National Guard's 4th CST who coordi- cise will go to evaluate the effective-

nated much of the interagency activi- ness of our existing procedures during

ties for the exercise said, "the level of real emergencies."

cooperation between all participants in

Army Guard graduates 28 new lieutenants

Story and photos by SFC Roy Henry Georgia National Guard Public Affairs Office
MARIETTA, Aug. 15, 2009 More than 200 friends, families and fellow Soldiers watched and applauded as 28 new Georgia Army Guard second lieutenants graduated officer candidate training in a ceremony here.
Class 48's graduation doesn't just open a new chapter in the lives of the Soldiers joining the Army Guard's Officer Corps. It also marks the first class Georgia's 122nd Regional Training Institute (RTI) has trained and graduated since its move from Macon to Naval Air Station Atlanta, new home to the RTI and the Georgia National Guard.
The property on which the event was held - the Hilton Atlanta-Marietta Hotel and Conference Center -- was

once home to the Georgia Military Institute (GMI), RTI's predecessor. The institute, its staff and cadets left this
Newly promoted 2LT John W. Riddle salutes his cousin, COL Ken Riddle, garrison commander at Fort Drum, N.Y. and another family member after the younger Riddle is pinned with his new rank.

Georgia Guardsman : 19 : No. 8

northern metro city in 1864 to assist the Confederate Army in the defense of Atlanta during the Civil War. Decades later GMI was resurrected, first in Forsyth, then Milledgeville, at what is now Georgia Military College, and finally Macon where it eventually was renamed the Regional Training Institute.
"What better way to embrace our new status as officers than to take our oaths here on these hallowed grounds," said 2LT John W. Riddle of Kennesaw. Riddle, formerly an enlisted Soldier
LT Eboni N. Sherrer dons her beret bearing her new rank after family members switch out Sherrer's former Officer Candidate rank for her new gold bar.
with Augusta's 878th Engineer Battalion, who will become a military intelligence officer and move to Company C, 221st Military Intelligence Battalion at Fort Gillem in Ellenwood.
As is the tradition, each graduating officer had his, or her, officer candidate rank removed by a family member or friend, and replaced with the gold bar of a second lieutenant for which they'd worked long and hard to earn. Each stood tall and reaffirmed the oath as officers and their obligation to "uphold and defend" the constitutions of the United States and the state of Georgia.
"I charge you to take seriously your oath and your duties as officers," said MAJ William E. Bailey, Officer Can-

didate School Company Commander. "Listen to the words of your oath and internalize them.
"Ours is a sacred duty and a noble one," Bailey said. "You are the guardians of the constitutions of your country and of your state. God speed to you as you continue on your path as Soldiers, as leaders in the Georgia Army National Guard."
MG Terry Nesbitt, Georgia's Adjutant General took a moment to look over the new lieutenants and those who had come to witness their transformation from officer candidate to "officer."
In welcoming them to the Guard Officer Corps, Nesbitt congratulated them for making it through the difficult and demanding process that embodies the Officer Candidate Course. He also congratulated their families for their sacrifices.
"Whether your Soldier came up through the traditional yearlong course or the accelerated training, they're hard work and endless effort paid off, not just because of what they did, but because of your support and your commitment to them reaching their goal," he said. "You have all earned the praise of those with whom you serve."
Following the ceremony second lieutenants Soo J. Kim and Kevin D. Dieterich of Atlanta discussed their reasons for becoming officers. (Kim asked that her city of residence not be used for this story.)
Kim, a former sergeant and human resources specialist for Joint Forces Headquarters (JFHQ) Medical Command in Ellenwood, now becomes a quartermaster with Company E, 171st Aviation, Dobbins Air Reserve Base.
Having been around what she considered some "great leaders" while deployed to Iraq in 2005 with the New Jersey Army National Guard, "going after the gold," became a personal choice.
"Those [officers] I worked with, and for, inspired me to set a higher standard for myself," she explained. "I wanted

Georgia Guardsman : 20 : No. 8

to be that kind of leader, better than I am, and always striving toward an even higher ideal."
Deterich, who held the rank of specialist, was a military policeman with Kennesaw's 190th Military Police Company. He remains in that job, but moves on to platoon leader with Decatur's 170th Military Police Battalion. On the full-time side, he's a DEERS technician at JFHQ Personnel.

"For me, I didn't want to `just' be a follower, though I did need to learn to follow in order to become a leader," he said. "If you want to affect change," he said, "if you want people to follow you, you need to step up and step out. Whether you become an officer or remain enlisted and become a senior sergeant, lead from the front, not from behind."

DVIDS provides exciting new PA opportunity

Story and photos by David Howell and the Combined Joint Task Force Phoe-

SPC Mike Perry

nix Public Affairs Team. It will also

The Georgia Department of Defense provide remote interview capabilities

Public Affairs Office took a major for commanders to talk live with de-

leap in its ability to send and receive ployed units and send stories directly to

broadcast media by adding a Norsat Armed Forces Network facilities enter-

Newslink system to GaDOD headquar- taining and informing Georgia soldiers.

ters in Marietta this month. The Nor- Access to this system also allows the

sat Newslink system isn't new to the Guard to archive video, audio and print

Army. In fact, if you've ever sent or products at the DVIDS repository. Ac-

received a holiday greeting while de- cess to the repository is easy; just go

ployed or participated in a

"town hall meeting" in Iraq

or Afghanistan, chances are

it was courtesy of the Norsat.

The only catch is you prob-

ably heard it called by a dif-

ferent name...DVIDS.

DVIDS, or Digital Video

Imagery Distribution Sys-

tem, has since 2004 been in-

strumental in providing the

military with real time broad-

cast capabilities. Through a

network of portable Norsat Newslink satellite transmit-

DVIDS antenna in place on top of Building 2.

ters located in theater and

the distribution hub in Atlanta, DVIDS to the DVIDS webpage at http://www.

makes available real-time broadcast- dvidsnub.net and sign up.

quality video, photo and print products Units providing media products can

as well as immediate interview oppor- also create their own DVIDS webpage,

tunities with service members, com- highlighting their downloaded articles,

manders and subject matter experts. photo and video. The Georgia Depart-

The system installed in "building ment of Defense Public Affairs Office,

2" will enable the Public Affairs Of- 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detach-

fice to obtain audio and video prod- ment and 48th IBCT Public Affairs Of-

ucts directly from public affairs units fice in Afghanistan have DVIDS web

deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq, like pages.

Georgia Guardsman : 21 : No. 8

JSTARS Aircraft availability improved

Story by Lt Pamela Stauffer 116th Public Affairs Office

"Previously we used calendar days as a basis for flow time, we now use

Combatant commanders (COCOMs) fly-to-fly as a basis for flow time,"

require real-time information to gain MSgt Chris Carbajal, 116th MXS, pro-

battlefield superiority. To deliver this pulsion work lead, said.

service to the COCOMs, JSTARS uti- Since the event, two aircraft have

lizes a variety of command and control been inspected and met the flow time

(C2) and intelligence surveillance and goal of 14 days.

reconnaissance (ISR) data and voice During the Engine Change AFSO

systems which allow them to effective- 21 event, the goal was to reduce the

ly integrate air, ground and space sys- amount of time for an engine change

tems with their system services. Conse- by standardizing processes such as

quently, various Air Force, Army, and strut and nose cowling inspections.

Marine forces are more precise Improvement suggestions from the

in delivering missions such as team include having a dedicated engine

close air support, suppression change crew, standardizing thrust re-

of enemy defenses, and combat verser rigging, mobilizing the automat-

search and rescue.

ed maintenance systems, and pre-po-

Meeting the mark on aircraft sitioning engine tools and equipment.

availability is of primary con- The projected flow time was reduced

cern to the 116th Air Control from 78 to 48 hours, increasing aircraft

Wing and consequently to the availability by greater than 12 percent.

116th Maintenance Group. For "The Engine change event had de-

fiscal year `09, Air Staff estab- pendency on other processes in the

lished an aircraft availability Engine Shop, which drove a Rapid

goal for the E8-C at 64.2 per- Improvement Event, held in the back

cent, however, it is estimated that by as shop," said SMSgt Anthony Tomczak,

early as 2010, E-8C aircraft availabil- 116th MXS, chief inspector, Quality

ity will diminish by one aircraft. There- Assurance.

fore, in 2008, the 116th Maintenance Reducing the amount of time it takes

Squadron took a look at what they re- to fix an aircraft engine during sched-

fer to as "long poles in the tent;" major uled maintenance and unscheduled

processes that take the greatest amount maintenance was the primary focus

of time. They discovered room for im- during the back shop event. When there

provement in areas to include isochro- is a need to replace an engine for un-

nal (ISO) inspections, engine changes, scheduled maintenance, the engine ar-

and back shop maintenance processes. rives from the flight line and is induct-

Isochronal inspections are per- ed into the shop. It is then given a re-

formed at home station and are due ev- ceiving inspection and maintenance is

ery nine months. The goal for the AFSO performed to repair discrepancies. The

21 event was to reduce the amount of engine is then taken to test cell for a

time an aircraft stayed in ISO. Twenty- systems functional check and returned

seven maintenance experts from vari- to the shop where final quick engine

ous areas including maintenance, air- change kit items are installed followed

craft maintenance, logistics, and main- by a quality assurance inspection and

tenance operations were able to project returned to the serviceable spare line.

a reduction of flow time from 24 to 14 The Rapid Improvement Event cen-

days. Flow time is defined as total time tered around implementing the `point

of the process.

of use' concept. Originated from Hen-

Georgia Guardsman : 22 : No. 8

ry Ford in the 1950s and 1960s, improved by Peter Drucker, and adopted by Toyota, point of use practices place frequently used items in close proximity so that it maximizes efficiency and minimizes cost. Ten team members proposed standardizing work bays so that tools are placed at the point of use. As a result, parts and consumables required to convert an engine received from Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., into a spare ready JSTARS TF-33 engine, are shadowed out for close retrieval. This helped to significantly reduce flow time by 59 hours.
"Through innovative planning, thinking and solutions the men and

women of the 116th Propulsion Flight provide second to none quality aircraft engines for the E-8 aircraft regardless of its location be it deployed, in ISO on the flight-line or in our back-shop," said SMSgt James Swartz, 116th MXS, Propulsion Flight chief.
The 116th MXS has a vital role in assisting combatant commanders to gain the information they need to obtain battlefield superiority and assists various services attain success in their individual missions. By continuing to focus on improving aircraft availability, the wing will continue to meet the war fighting demands of the 21st century.

Defense Travel System to modify reservation process

Story by Army SFC Michael J. Carden tions will be prompted by a pop-up

American Forces Press Service

screen from the DTS Web site to add

WASHINGTON - Minor changes their date of birth, gender and name as

are scheduled to take place within the it appears on their CAC Card. This is

Defense Department's travel reserva- a one-time prompt and once completed tion system later this summer to sup- travel will be as normal. The change is

port the Transportation Security Ad- seamless and will not affect any current

ministration's new pre-flight screening travel reservation in DTS." program, a Defense Department offi- Defense travelers will be prompted

cial said recently.

by a pop-up screen from the DTS Web

Under the current format, when site to add the information, as well as to travelers arrange flight, hotel and rental enter their name as it appears on their

car reservations online at the Defense government-issued identification card.

Travel System Web site, the only per- The change will be minimally inconvesonal information the site processes nient to the traveler, as the information

through to the vendors is the traveler's will be entered only once then saved to

first name, last name and middle initial. their profile, Mitchell said. But after the system and Web site mod- The program is an outcome of the

ifications take effect, the traveler's date 9/11 Commission, and it basically

of birth and gender will be included to streamlines the process of identifycomply with the TSA's Secure Flight ing potential passengers deemed a

Program, said Pam Mitchell, director match on the FBI-generated watch list

of the Defense Travel Management Of- screened by the airlines, Paul Leyh, the

fice.

program's director, said.

"The TSA Secure Flight Program Before the program officially began

implementation for DTS is sched- last month, the various airlines each uled to take place on Saturday, Aug. had their own screening processes,

15, 2009," said 2LT Chad Tyson, ac- which was inconsistent and inconve-

counting officer for the Georgia Guard. nient for many travelers, Leyh said. "After this date, all Georgia National It's not uncommon for a passenger's

Guard service members utilizing DTS information to be identified as a match

for flight, hotel or rental car reserva- on one airline's list but cleared through

Georgia Guardsman : 23 : No. 8

Command Chief Betty L G Morgan

another's, he added. "From carrier to carrier, because the
process is different, it's inconsistent across all carriers," he said. "Throughout the world there are hundreds of carriers, and it could be kind of a crap shoot for people. But with Secure Flight, it's going to be the same process for that person regardless of the carrier."
With the Secure Flight Program, the TSA eventually will become the sole prescreening agency for all airline pas-
sengers. The program officially started in May with several domestic airlines, but within 18 months, every airline international and domestic - that travels within, to, from and over the United States will be phased into the program,

he said. This will improve the safety of more
than 2.5 million people, Leyh added. Also, travelers who've been misidentified as a close-enough match on the watch list can apply for a redress number through TSA to prevent future inconveniences. If cleared, the redress number also will be added to their profile in DTS.
"With nearly every commercial airline participating, watch list matching is going to be more effective, which is going to allow us to clear more people and focus on those potential travelers that are considered as a close enough match," he said.
The program will virtually go unnoticed by the passengers, officials said, as no changes to the airline check-in or security checkpoint procedures are involved. Once defense travelers make the initial modifications to their profile on the DTS Web site, officials added, the program's changes will not affect them unless their information matches the watch list.

RHIP...What does it mean?

Story by Command Chief Betty Morgan
In today's military, the combination of letters RHIP is used among members to express a specific order in which to follow. RHIP; what does it mean; well to many of us it means that Rank Has Its Privileges. That simply means that the person who has more rank than you deserves to be given the highest level of respect at all times.
Unfortunately, for some, RHIP seems to mean `Ripping Hearts Into Pieces'. Let's not get it wrong. Just because you out rank someone does not give you the right to disrespect, control, or degrade anyone at any time. All ranks should be treated with the upmost respect always. No one should take advantage of the lower ranking person.
RHIP simply means to stay in your lane; watch what you say; watch how

you say it; watch to whom you say it; learn to listen more, and talk less; phrase your words carefully; support your leading person; react to situations slowly and carefully; respond with positives first; share your thoughts, but prepare to stand alone; watch your body language for sometimes that tells your answer more than your verbal responses; think before you speak; offer solutions to problems, etc.
RHIP means more to some than to others, regardless of what you think it means, one thing for sure, it does not mean Ripping Hearts Into Pieces. Remember this when you are with someone of higher or lower ranking than you. Above all, no matter what you think, feel, or do, someone is always watching you...Go Rule!!! But Rule with Respect...

Georgia Guardsman : 24 : No. 8