c-flctfdsman Contents Special Edition Features 4 Different Mission Georgia's 122nd ROC steps down from force protection and steps up to a new challenge in Afghanistan. 6-7 Operation Skyguard Photos tell the story ofthe mission to protect and reassure the flying publie. 8 At the Forefront Members ofthe state's 4th Civil Support Team talk about what the unit has been doing in support ofhomeland defense. 10 Long Road Home Members ofthe 283rd Combat Communications Squadron had their return from Operation Bright Star delayed. 12 New Recruits A new crop ofvolunteers join the ranks ofthe State Defense Force, many because ofa local media personality. About the cover: Flags fly at "full staff" over Atlanta's Turner Field in a display of American patriotism. (Photo by Spc. J.M. Lowry) Georgia Guardsman Maj. Gen. David B. Poythress The Adjutant General Special Edition The Georgia Guardsman is published quarterly 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. Commander-In-Chief Gov. Roy E. Barnes Jr. Adjutant General of Georgia Maj. Gen. David B. Poythress Director of Communications Lt. Col. Jim Driscoll Associate Publisher Lt. Col. Kenneth R. Baldowski Managing Editor Ist Lt. Thomas C. Meeks Deputy Editor Sgt. Roy Henry Assistant Editor Spc. Jeff Lowry National Guard Correspondents l 24th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment Unit Public Affairs Officers Unit Public Affairs Reprsentatives Send comments, articles, photo suggestions or contributions to: The Georgia Guardsman c/o Directorate of Communications Georgia Department of Defense P.O. Box 17965 Atlanta, Ga. 30316-0965 E-mail comments or suggestions to: DOC@ga.ngb.army.mil Past reminds us freedom isn't free L eaving my office not long ago, I glanced at the stars and stripes waving in the spring breeze just outside our building and heard above me the thunder of aircraft engines. A moment later I caught the unmistakable profile of an old "warhorse" gliding over the flag. A patriotic picture if ever there was one. That warhorse was a B-1 7 " Fly i.ng Fortress," a workhorse of another era and another war, but a reminder of why we fight today ... . freedom isn't free and has never been. Almost nine months ago Georgians in blue and in green left their homes and jobs to answer freedom 's call. Unquestionably we have succeeded in many areas. We have sent a regime bent on enslaving its own people packing and begun the rigorous task of restoring a government "of the people." Fellow Guardsmen have carried out missions to increase security at our airports and our military posts, and security at our most sensitive facilities . Also, the highly trained 4th Civil Support Team has donned its "space suits" more than once over the last nine months, while the Georgia State Defense Force has supported the Guard and its mission with manpower and expertise demonstrating a commitment that hasn ' t existed for many years. No one knows what the future holds for Georgia Nationa l Guardsmen and their families , or the state and federal emp loyees who support them. There is no doubt our fathers , mothers and grandparents would be filled with pride. We shall continue to march forward for as long as it takes to meet the challenges of this new and dangerous world. Our soldiers and airmen must go into the fray knowing full well that their families accept the hazards of the military profession, and that they understand the reason why we fight. .. to keep this nation free of fear for them and every citizen who wants to stride into the sun li ght of freedom. Like that old warhorse that flew so proudly over the stars and stripes, our soldiers and airmen have become instruments of war, but more importantly they are a mechanism to protect the peace and defend our freedom. In this special issue of the Georgia Guardsmen we feature some of the people and missions that have been ongoing since that terrible morning of Sept. 11 . I think you wi ll take pride in reading abo ut the men and women of this organizat ion who have been forced by fanatics far away to "make war so that we can live in peace." 178th on duty in Cuba As the Georgia Guardsman went to press members of Monroe's l 78th Mi litary Police Company were fee ling the full effects of summer at Guantanamo Bay Naval Station in Cuba. At least 89 ofthe l 78th's members are at "GTMO" guarding al-Qaida and Taliban detainees at Camp Delta, formerly known as Camp X-ray. They replace active duty soldiers of the 988th MP Company who have returned to Fort Benning after six months at Guantanamo. The remainder of the l 78th (69 Guardsmen) is a lso at Benning. "Being here (Cuba) is a great opportunity for this unit," said Capt. Jeff Carlisle, the 178th's commander. "We have been escorting detainees and taking on 'other' responsibilities as they have been assigned ," he said . Georgia Guardsman 2 224th linking U.S. war units A lthough their location remain s classified, the 200 members of the Georgia Air Guard's 224th Joi nt Communications Support Squadron based in Brunswick continue doing their part in America's war on terrorism. On active duty since Sept. 22 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, the unit is providing comm un ications between the Joint Special Operations Task Force Commander in Southwest Asia Theatre of Operations and the commander-in-chief of Central Command and Special Operations Command in the United States. The 224th estab li shes sophisticated a nd reliable communications for Special Forces units in the field, which gives those organizations near-real time intelligence data, voice and fax capabilities. The 224th, which is expected to remain on active duty for up to a year, is equipped with state of the art commercial communications systems and equipment that enhances coordination and cooperation among the services during mission tasks. Having th.is kind of capability, many believe, greatly increases the 224th 's ability to better serve the units that depend on it for their links between each other and other elements on the battlefield. Georgia's 224th JCSS is one of only a handful of joint communications units that are specifically assigned to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Over the past five years, the unit has deployed to Southwest Asia on at least two occasions. Air controlers answers call, gives up all to homeland defense They were supposed to be enjoying time with their families and friends. It was supposed to be a time of reunion and rest for these "watchers of the skies." But that just wasn't to be. A member of the 117th Air Control Squadron scans a radar screen while watching for signs that will tell him a terrorist attack is about to happen. T he 230 members of Georgia's l l 7th Air Control Squadron instead had only a brief reprose from their previous four months in the deserts of Kuwait when the nation called on them to join America's war on terrorism. The squadron was one of Georgia 's first National Guard units to be activated in the wake of Sept. 11 , and it continues to serve. Controlling the air space over any given battlefield is the l l 7th's primary mission. It accomplishes this with the help of giant mob il e antennas and sop hi sticated monitoring equipment that can detect aircraft from the surface to tens of thousands of feet above the ground . It's because of that capability that the squadron was called on to help protect U.S. cities from the threat of aircraft delivering terrorist weapons. Members of the ! 17th now look skyward from undisclosed sites across the country. Under their watchful eyes, they scan U .S . skies for unidentified aircraft that could slip under existing control networks. "While the majority of the unit remains at our home location, each and every airmen is ready to deploy when and if the situation requires," said Lt. Col. William Downing, who commands the l l 7th. "Everyone understands the sacrafices that have to be made and they are ready to make them ." For four months prior to Sept. 11, the airmen of the l l 7th kept a constant vigil on the skies of southern Iraq in the United Nations "no-fly" zone. The unit was the lead element for the 386th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron at Ali Al Salem Airbase in Kuwait. "Organized into three 11-man crews working four day, twelve hours shifts, we constantly searched the skies over southern Iraq for aircraft violating the United Nations no-fly restrictions," Downing explained. Georgia Guardsmen were at the radarscopes during several incidents of Iraqi violations of the no-fly zone. The most notable incident happened when the Iraqis fired a surface-to-air missile at an Air Force U-2 reconnaisance plane. American aircraft were "scrambled" to destroy the Iraqi site. Georgia Guardsmen contro ll ed flight operations of fig hter aircraft from U.S. naval carriers. They also co ntroll ed flig hts of Kuwaiti and British combat aircraft based in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Georgia Guardsman 3 ROC Unit helps with Afghan humanitarian mission Story by Sgt. Roy Henry !24th MPAD W hat the Georgia Army Guard's Savannah-based 122nd Rear Operations Command is trained to do is provide rear-area force protection in times of conflict. Today, in thi s war on terrorism, it has taken on a new mission: one of giving a ren ewed sense of hope to a distraught people. With million s of Afghans in need of food, c lothi ng a nd s helte r, getting humanitarian aid safely into Afghan istan is just as important as defeati ng the Taliban and al Qaida, and finding Usama Bin Laden. It 's not an easy task but it 's one the U.S. lead coalition knows has to be addressed. That 's why providing a "rapid, appropri ate response to requests for mil itary assistance to the international relief efforts" in Afghanistan has become the job ofthe ROC and Third Army/Army Central Co mmand 's new ly fo rm ed Joint Civi lMi litary Operations Task Force or JCMOTF as it is known . The !22nd, based near the cap ital of Kabul, is believed to be the on ly Army ati onal Guard unit fully deployed to Contributed photo by CP/C-Kabul Maj. Frank Beesley (left) and Maj. Anthony Abbott, both of the 122nd ROC, in "civilian battlefield attire" at Bagram Airfield in Afghanastan. Afghani stan for this war on terrorism . Staff Sgt. Cr ist in a Marin, Sgt. Patrick Grover, Sgt. Paul Tremblay and Spc. Kacy Jones are among the ROC 's 27 soldiers ass igned to the task fo rce. Marin and Grover are operations and pl a nnin g specialists with the unit's intelligence section. So are Tremblay and Jones who work as intelligence analysts. "I bel ieve I speak for all of us when I say we're glad Photo by Sgt. Roy Henry Staff Sgt. Cristian Marin and Sgt. Paul Tremblay discuss the 12nd ROC's mission to Afghanistan. to be doing our part to make this mission a success," Marin said. "We' re all quite excited about being part of the effort to let the Afghan people know the Un ited States, is not the ' Great Satan' as Bin Laden and others have described us," Tremblay added. Part of the ROC's mission since it arrived in Afghan istan has been to work with the interim national goverment and local officials across the country to begi n what they believe are vital rebuilding projects, sa id Co l. C .J. Nutter, who commands the ! 22nd. Over the past three months, the unit has identified 150 proj ects it and Afghan officials believe are vital.These include c leanin g silt clogged cana ls, repairng bombed-out bridges and damaged hospitals and helping women's groups get organized. Afghan national officials are a part of every proj ect, Nutter sa id. It helps demonstrate to the Afghan people that progress is being made , even wh il e the wa r co ntinues. "We are fac ilitators, for the most part," he said. "We go out and find local contractors to do the work. Among the projects many ROC members have been focused on is getting Afghanistan 's schools in shape for the new school year that began March 23. Many schoo ls have been damaged or destroyed by war over the past two decades, they lack basic supplies and are also without electricity or running water, Nutter said. It 's not an easy task but one the members of the joint task force have taken on with great passion . "We try to bring them back up to where they can co ndu ct c lasses ," he sa id . "Making that happen is so important." The unit had to tum away from that task during the last week of March when a devastating earthquake struck northeastern Afghan istan. ROC soldiers were tasked with finding supplies, arranging transportation , determining what threat the Taliban and al Qa ida might be and ensuring security was ava ilable when aid workers arrived. It took only 45 minutes to plan the entire operation, which saw more than 90 tons of supp lies find their way into the region, sa id Lt. Co l. Rick Barr, the ROC 's deputy commander. He likened thi s to work the unit has done during hurricanes, F lorida wildfires and the 1994 flood in A lbany. " We have to react, we have react quickly, and we have to react with decisive measures," he said. Georgia Guardsman 4 Answering the Call Georgia's 190th and 178th Military Police companies were mobilized to protect several military bases throughout the state. Story and photo by Sgt. Roy Henry, 124th MPAD Sgt. Donnell Denson, with the Georgia Army Guard's l 90th Military Police Company, looks down at the driver of a van trying to enter the main gate at Fort Gillem in Ellenwood. The man, dressed in civilian clothes, explains that he's late for a luncheon date and doesn't have his identification card with him. Behind the van, a long line of vehicles begins to form . Other drivers are waiting their turn to get onto the post. "You cannot enter without that ID card," Denson says in a firm but courteous voice. "Unless you can contact the person you 're supposed to meet have them come here, you ' ll have to tum aro und and go back out." Grumbling a bit as he pulls away, the man makes a U-tum behind the guard shack and then heads his van back the way it came. "You can ' t please everyone," Denson says as the next vehicle begins to move forward. "But it's a' 100 percent ID check situation ' and we gotta do what we gotta do ." Sgt. 1st Class Duane Johnson, the unit's operations sergeant, is with the l 90th 's main element at McPherson. He says that, so far, it's been a smooth deployment and an interesting one. "Our people are really into this mission," Johnson says in a telephone interview with the Georgia Guardsmen. "That's because it's providing them the opportunity to get involved in traditional police work, and a chance to do their part in the war on terrorism." Sgt. Cynthia Hannon, who is with the group patrolling Fort Gi llem, says this deployment is especially good for her. Being a traditional Guardsmen and a recent graduate of the Military Police School at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., she gets to put her newly acquired skills to work on a fu lltime basis. "And because we may be deployed for up to a year, I've gotten plenty of time to sharpen those skills and learn even more from the soldi ers who have several years of experience behind them," she says whi le her partner, Sgt. Cedric Spence, gets ready to relieve Denson. The l 90th's deployment to McPherson and Gillem is no different than any other deployment because it takes unit members away from family and friends fora long time. B ut unlike other missions, this is an "instate" deployment, wh ich a ll ows the Guardsmen to travel home when they have time off, Spence said. "Our soldiers put in some long hours here at McPherson and Gillem," said Sgt. Bruce Wiggs from the guard shack doorway at Gi llem's main gate. "There 's plenty to keep them busy at the gate or on patrol." "That's right," Spence adds as he heads out the door for his tum at checking IDs at the gate. "Being able to see your family and friends is a great benefit," he said. That way, the Fairburn native said, one comes back rested and ready for duty. Denson and his fellow soldiers are at Fort McPherson working with the installation's Law Enforcement Activity, which is responsible for post security at McPherson and Gillem. In addition, Guardsmen of the I78th Military Police Company who are now attached to the l 90th, are patrolling Camp Merrill in Dahlonega. Soldi ers of the I78th who remained behind were activated in Early February and are at Fort Benning. They have taken over the law enforcement duties of the 988th Military Police Company, which has been focusing on "other missions" since Sept. 11. Georgia Guardsman 5 Operation Sky Guard helped travelers fly 'friendlier skies' F or the thousands of airline passengers passing through Georgia's nine major airports after Sept. 11 , the sight ofarmed National Guardsmen standing watch became an everyday sight. The Guard responded quickly in October 2001 to President George W. Bush's request to enhance existing airport security across the country. Gov. Roy Barnes called upon Georgia Guardsmen to fulfill that request. Eventually, nearly 200 Georgia Guardsmen were on duty across the state. "This assignment presented enormous challenges, but it was fully within the capabi liti es of our people," said Col. Bruce Wood, who commanded Georgia's "Operation Sky Guard." Protecting travelers meant Army and Air Guardsmen who weren't military policemen had to train with the weapons they would carry, learn how to deal with the public and how to control security violators. Army Guardsman 1st Sgt. Mike Hurndon supervised the soldiers and airmen who were on duty at Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport. His group learned quickly and knew their mission down to the last detail, he said. "They are a super individuals," said Hurndon, who temporai ly left his work with the Drug Demand Reduction program to be part of Operation Sky Guard. "Their confidence helped reassure travelers they were safe and that they would remain that way. " M D II II 4th CST fights new kind of W hen the Georgia National Guard stood-up a team to respond to weapons of mass destruction, few people noticed. It was 1998, and most ofGeorgia and the nation had little awareness of the threat of anthrax, sarin and other biochemical weapons. But in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, public concern has skyrocketed, and the Georgia Guard 's 4th Civil Support Team has fo und itself at the "tip of the spear" in response to potential attacks. While the 22-member member team has not yet been involved in any actual weapons of mass destruction cases, it has been called upon on a number of occasions to respond to suspected attacks, or to "scan" key areas for possible contamination. One such incident happened just weeks after the ten-orist attacks. The 4th CST was airlifted to the city ofForsyth after authorities found a suspicious vial ofchemical in the city's post office. Several people, including law enfo rcement officers, had fallen ill after inhaling the fumes. Clad in their bio-chemical protective suits, team members collected samples which were analyzed in the CST's Mobile Analytical Lab vehicle. The incident turned out to be a prank, and although the chemical induced nausea, it was relatively ham1less. High Profile Missions Although the team's primary role is to respond in cases of suspected attacks, it also is prepared to conduct precautionary "sweeps" of high-threat areas. Following a rash of anthrax incidents in network television newsrooms in New York, Gov. Roy Barnes called the 4th CST to do a search of CNN headquarters. Un it members spent more than eight hours at the network's Atlanta studios. The Guardsmen took air samples and swabbed computers and public surfaces in more than seven newsrooms as well as several executi ve offices and the network 's mailroom, but found no agents. Days later, the unit was again called on to help make sure Turner Field was safe for players and fans during the 200 1National League Championship Series. While players war111ed up on the field , Georgia Guardsmen took samples from dugouts, locker rooms and press boxes. Again, the sweep was purely precautionary, and no agents were found . Well Prepared While they potentially could work in the most dangeruous enviro1m1ents, members of the 4th CST are not only confident in their abilities, they are anxious to be of service should it be needed. "Our people are comfortable working in a potential bio-chem environment because they are technically and tactically proficient," explained Maj. JeffAllen, 4th CST commander. "Everybody is cross-trained to do more than one job." Last year members of the 4th CST spent an average of 260 days in various military schools as well as training conducted by other agencies. That training, said Sgt. 1st Class Ray Ippolito, has paid-off and has made him and his fe llow CST members ready to serve. "President Bush said it best when he said, ' We wi ll not tire, we will not falter, we wi ll not fail,"' Ippolito explained. "We' re in this thing for the long haul." Photo by Spc. JM Lowry Cpl. Brodie Kirkland, a 4th CST survey team member, scans for biological weapons in the Braves dugout prior to the second game of the National League Championship. Georgia Guardsman 8 Photo by Spc. Jeff Lowry A Georgia Army National Guard Black Hawk helicopter delivers a 4th CST M-Gator to Turner Field as part of the unit's training exercise. Inside The 4th Civil Support Team Based at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, the 4th CST was one of 10 original teams actived by the United States Department of Defense in 1997 and is responsible for eight states in the southeast. At least 17 more teams have been added and have gone through the process of being equipped and trained. The mission of the 22-man unit is to support a loca l incident commander by assessing a suspected weapons of mass destruction incident. The 4th CST advises civilian responders about appropriate actions and works to facilitate and expedite the arrival of additional military forces if they are n eeded. Being able to respond appropriately to a given situation creates quite a challenge. Team members meet that challenge by undergoing an estimated 600 hours of initial training above their military occupational skill qualifications or professional military education requirements. Instruction is provided by several DoD schools as well as other agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Energy. The 4th CST is equipped with high-end detection, analytical, and protective equipment. It has satellite, and secure and cellular telephone communications to provide connectivity with civil and military forces within the operational conditions. All dressed up: 4th CST member Staff Sgt. Craig Keller (left) suits up to protect himself from simulated contaminated material. Georgia Guardrnian 9 'No place like home' Terrorist attacks delayed return of Guardsmen from joint exercise M ore than 90 members of Georgia's 283rd Combat Communications Squadron were participating in Operation Bright Star when the war on terrorism began. Shortly after Sept. 11 they were put in the position of possibly being activated while in Egypt. "We fully expected to be deployed in support of operations Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom, and we believed we would be mobilized while our people were still overseas," said Lt. Col. Robert L. Shannon, who commands the 220-member unit stationed at Dobbins Air Reserve Base. At the time, the 283rd's detachment had been in Egypt since early September. It was the lead combat communications squadron for the multinational Southwest Asia exercise. Bright Star is the largest coalition military exercise conducted by Central Command. It involves military units from France, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Spain, the United Kingdom and the U.S. Origin al plans called for the 283rd to be in the "land of the Pharaohs" for about a month. When it was time for the unit to return to the States, it would be relieved by the 263rd from North Carolina and the 282nd from Rhode Island. Instead, it wasn't until Oct. 22 that the 283rd would touch down on the Dobbins flight line. "Once the war started and the demands for airlift resources became critical, all bets were off on when we would finally get a fljght '1, I ,1 I I' I Contributed photo Members of Georgia's 283rd Combat Communications Squadrons continue working while waiting for a ride home after Sept. 11. home," said Maj. Tom Dixon, who commanded the 90-member detachment. While Air Force schedulers worked to get the airmen of the 283rd back from Egypt, the squadron 's communications resources were put to use in the mission to move people and equipment into Southwest Asia. "Our people stepped up to the challenge and accomplished the mission. They stayed focused on what they had to do," Dixon said with pride in his voice. There was plenty to keep the detachment busy, but its members still were anxious to return to their loved ones. Orders eventually ran out for many of the stranded Guardsmen while, back in the U.S ., families and businesses inquired about constant delays and changes. The 283rd's family support organization stepped in and kept everyone informed about the unit's progress to get home. When the detachment did return , it was a smTeal experience, Dixon said. Barricades and armed guards blocked entrances to military and other government facilities. One also saw signs of renewed patriotism everywhere, he added. "Home (the U.S .) had become a completely different place," Dixon said. "I doubt we as a country will ever be the same." Soldiers, airmen continue to serve As the Georiga Guardsman went to press, soldi ers and airmen of the Georgia Guard continued playing a vital role in operations Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom. Those units still on duty, include: 224th Joint Communications Support Squadron. 117th Air Control Squadron. 116th Security Police Squadron. 16Sth Security Police Squadron. 190th Military Police Company. 178th Military Police Company. 122nd Rear Operations Center. Detachment 2, Headquarters Company, 93rd Signal Brigade. A number of individual Army and Air Guardsmen were activated because of their particular job specialty. More than 700 Georgia Army and Air National Guardsmen continue on federal active duty in support of homeland defense and the war in Afghanistan. An estimated 180 Guard members served at the state's nine commercial airports as part of Operation Sky Guard. Another 34 soldiers participated in force protection measures at several state faci lities, which included Oglethorpe Armory and the Department of Defense complex on Confederate Avenue. Nationally, more than 73,000 National Guardsmen have been called to active duty. Georgia Guardsman JO All around us are reminders of how life has changed since Sept. 11. One of the most visible changes to take place has been the increase In... Force protection Since the terrorists attacks on New York and the Pentagon, and the crash of hijacked United Airlines Flight No. 93 near Shanksville, Pa. , the safety of personnel working at government facilities across Georgia and the nation became more ofa priority than ever before. Before, the gates of many faci lities stood open to the public. Now they are surrounded by concrete barriers, extra concertina wire, sandbags and reinforced guard shacks. Am1ed guards, 100 percent identification checks and random vehicle searches are also the norm. And as the threat of terrorism continues, so, it seems, will the importance of protecting the force. Georgia Guardsman I I State Defense Force offers many a chance to serve In defense of their state and country Editor's Note: The follo wing is excerpted from an article originally published in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Reprinted by permission. Bill Torpy - Staff Writer "D addy, iftbe bad guys come, will you protect us?" The question posed by 6-year-old Nicholas Williamson zapped through bis father like electricity. "I will ," Ben Williamson told his three young sons as they bung a flag from their front porch. It was Sept. 11 . Williamson , 37, is a serious and stout Carroll County native who talks to bis boys about about integrity, decency and honor. The terrorist attacks got Williamson pondering his role. What difference could he make? He found the answer to his question by joined the Georgia State Defense Force. The call to don a uniform is nothing new. Williamson served with pride for six years as a U.S. Marine. But in 1987, a car slammed into his motorcycle - severing his left leg below the knee. The limb was reattached and Williamson doggedly went through rehabilitation to walk and eventually run again. He asked the Marine Corps to reactivate him as a drill instructor when the Gulf War loomed. But the Corps no longer wanted him. He was damaged goods. The refusal bit hard. Williamson chokes up when recounting bis son's question. Some of that emotion comes from beholding the innocence and trust of a child. Some comes from reflecting on a military career tom away from him . The defense force bas "given me the chance to serve my country again; I'm glad for that," said Williamson , who works as a loss prevention investigator for Six Flags Over Georgia. The defense force is authorized as a backup to the Georgia National Guard. It is organized to have 1,000 members but has never been near that strength The terrorist attacks changed all that. Now, all citizens are on the front lines. Everyone is asked to serve. President Bush called for Americans to join up in the homeland security effort. And such calls to action give State De- Maj. Gen. David B. Poythress, Georgia's Adjutant General, administers the enlistment oath to Clark Howard, Atlanta radio and television consumer advocate. fense Force members hope that their orga- "If the bell rings, you will be called upon nization will see a resurgence. The possibil- and expected to perform your duties," he ity of being given a more active role in the said. increasingly vital homeland defense effort The old Marine in Petaros comes out is making the force more attractive to new when he tells the recruits, who are snapped recruits. Since Sept. 11 , the force has had to attention, that their training " is designed more than 250 inquiries and at least 35 re- to keep you alive. " emits, bringing the force total to about 300 Later, National Guard Cpl. Scott members, the highest since the Gulf War. Lombardi, sporting a crew cut, black T-shirt In November, recent recruits of the 2nd and muscular arms , drills the new recruits Battalion, Ist Brigade of the defense force through marching and saluting exercises. attend a 48-hour "boot camp" at a National Lombardi was impressed that men and Guard Armory in Kennesaw. Some of those women volunteered for something that de- recruits are gray; others should stay clear mands time but gives nothing back but sat- ofthe buffet table. But all are eager and ear- isfaction. nest, volunteering for a job that pays noth- "There's a basic human need of feeling ing and is often called upon to perform un- needed, offeeling wanted, of being a part of sung grunt work, like doing paperwork for something larger," he said. National Guard members' families when those units are called to duty. GSDF receives endorsement "There's quite a dis- from radio host Clark Howard crepancy between those who are making monetary donations and those will ing to walk the walk," Maj. Dion A. Petaros, a former Marine and an airline pilot furloughed because of the terrorist attacks, told the recruits in an introductory pep talk. The Georgia State Defense force has received quite a lot of high profile attention from one of Georgia's most credible spokesmen. Clark Howard, a popular consumer advocate, talk show host and author, endorsed the GSDF on bis radio program. Howard recommended the organization as an alternative for individuals who want to help, but might not see service in the Guard and Reserve or active components as an option. Georgia Guardsman 12 Georgi'l Guarasman C/O Directorate of Communications Georgia Department ofDefense P 0. Box 17965 Atlanta, Ga., 30316-0965 PRSRTSTD US POSTAGE PAID ATLANTA, GA PERMIT NO. 7050