January 2011 Governor Deal new state commander-in-chief takes reigns Patriot Winter 2011 Georgia Guard steps up to help communities through winter storm 165th Airlift Wing deploys for ninth time since 9/11 3 15 17 1 | The Georgia Guardsman 7 C TABLE OF ONTENTS Patriot Winter 2011 3 NCO Notepad 6 NATO helps Afghanistan stand on its own 7 Georgia AG team sharpens anguage skills, prepares for Afghanistan 8 New Signal Academy offers much to communications specialists 9 165th Airlift Wing deploys for ninth time since 9/11 11 Guard Engineers work alongside civilian contractors on new JFHQ 13 Third Annual Purple Pig 5k Run 13 :DUUDQW2IFHUVLQGHPDQG Kennesaw's 190th MPs come home 15 Georgia's Counterdrug Task Force amongst best in nation 16 New program to help unit, Soldiers deal with stress 16 New state Commander-in-chief 17 *RY'HDOUHDIUPV0DM*HQ1HVELWW *HRUJLD1DWLRQDO*XDUG+5)FKDQJHVVHUJHDQWVPDMRU Professional Development Bookshelf 20 Around the Georgia Guard 21 Commander-in-Chief: Gov. Sonny Perdue Adjutant General of Georgia: Maj. Gen. William T. Nesbitt 6WDWH3XEOLF$IIDLUV2IFHU Maj. John H. Alderman IV Managing Editor, Layout & Design: Seth G. Stuck Media Relations: Lt. Col. (Ret.) Kenneth R. Baldowski Operations NCO: Master Sgt. John Kinnaman Contributing Ga. DoD Organizations: 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs, Army National Guard Unit Public Affairs Representatives, Air National Guard Wing Public Affairs Representatives, Georgia State Defense Force Public Affairs. Editorial Inquiry and Submissions: Seth.G.Stuck@us.army.mil or (678) 569-3663 The Georgia Guardsman is published monthly under the provisions of AR 360-81 and AF 6-1 by the Georgia 'HSDUWPHQW RI 'HIHQVH 3XEOLF $IIDLUV 2IFH 7KH YLHZV and opinions expressed in the Georgia Guardsman are not necessarily those of the Departments of the Army and Air )RUFH RU WKH $GMXWDQW *HQHUDO RI *HRUJLD 7KH *HRUJLD Guardsman is distributed free-of-charge to members of the Georgia Army and Air National Guard, State Defense )RUFHDQGRWKHULQWHUHVWHGSHUVRQVXSRQUHTXHVW Up-to-the-minute Ga. DoD news and information can be found at www.gadod.net www.Facebook.com/GeorgiaGuard feeds.FeedBurner.com/GeorgiaGuard www.Flickr.com/GaNatlGuard www.Twitter.com/GeorgiaGuard www.youtube.com/GeorgiaNationalGuard January 2011 | 2 PATRIOT WINTER 2011 NATIONAL GUARD HELPS GEORGIA COMMUNITIES WEATHER SNOW STORM 6WRU\DQGSKRWRVE\WKH3XEOLF$IIDLUV2IFH Georgia Department of Defense CLAY NATIONAL GUARD CENTER, Marietta, Ga., Jan. 13, 2011 -- A rare winter storm descended upon Metro Atlanta and much of North Georgia Jan. 9, 2011. What brought the northern half of the peach state to a grinding halt, however, was not the snow but the dangerous combination of snow, followed by sleet and freezing rain, followed by frigid temperatures that turned much of the area into a virtual skating rink for much of the week. According to PoltiFact Georgia, over the past eight decades, there have been 11 snowstorms of 4 inches or more in the city of Atlanta. The largest amount of snow came on Jan. 23, 1940, when "8.3 inches of the white stuff fell on Atlanta." But most of these storms quickly subsided, the snow melted, most of the roads dried off, and life returned to normal within a couple days. This time, however, a wave of freezing temperatures and Arctic wind rushed in after the storm to turn the snow Specialists Adam Schroeder (left) and Bernard Satchell, both with Marietta's 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, preposition the unit's tents to house unit members should they be called out to assist during the storm. into ice, resulting in a perfect mixture of winter mayhem the likes of which Atlanta hasn't seen since January of 2000. Yet, as severe and rare as the storm was, the Georgia National Guard was prepared for it. The weekend before the storm, the Georgia Guard had already started preparing equipment and issuing plans to support communities in the event that the governor should order their mobilization. "Soldiers and Airmen of the Georgia National Guard stand ready to do our part to help local communities recover, if we are needed," said Maj. Gen. William T. Nesbitt, Georgia's Adjutant General. Guardsmen, who were already conducting their monthly drills that weekend, prepared humvees, loaded equipment, prepositioned supplies, and updated plans to mobilize, should the Governor call upon them. The Georgia Guard's Joint Forces Headquarters also brought LWV -RLQW 2SHUDWLRQV &HQWHU VWDIQJ XS WR RSHUDWLQJ capacity that Sunday in order to monitor the storm and manage any potential response by the National Guard. One of several units preparing their equipment was Marietta's 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, which had been out the previous two days conducting land navigation training at Ft. Gillem. They returned Sunday and immediately began preparing their tents and other equipment to go right back out, if necessary. "It's our mission to go forward with units when they mobilize, whether in war or in peace," said the unit's top enlisted Soldier, 1st Sgt. John Kinnaman of LaGrange. "The quick transition from training to real-world mission is something we prepare for every month." The snow began falling Sunday night and by Monday morning thousands of Georgians were snowed in, trapped by ice and/or without power. By mid-Monday, at the request of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA), National Guard Soldiers began assisting in transporting snowbound Grady Memorial Hospital staff to the hospital. GEMA requested the Guard's help with this mission because of the Guard's ability to traverse the snow and ice covered roads in their humvees, the workhorses of the modern Army. Some of the involved Guardsmen were members of WKHWK%DWWOHHOG6XUYHLOODQFH%ULJDGHKHDGTXDUWHUHG at Ft. Gillem in Forest Park, Ga., and the 648th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, headquartered in Columbus, Ga. Braving the icy roads in their humvees, the Citizen- Soldiers were able to safely transport hospital staff from their snowed-in homes, located all over the metro Atlanta area, to Grady. "Since about 2:00 p.m. Monday afternoon, we've been transporting medical staff from their homes to Grady Memorial," said Spc. Joshua Blevins, a mechanic with the 3 | The Georgia Guardsman 6SHFLDOLVW -RVKXD /HH &ORHU RI $GDLUVYLOOH D UH support technician with Calhoun's Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1-108th Cavalry, reviews a map as Georgia State Patrol Corporal Shan Burnette explains the route upon which they are about to patrol. Members of Team 2 from 2-121st Infantry tow incapacitated vehicles out of the way so civilian emergency vehicles can get to the scene. First Sgt. Ricky Todd and Sgt. 1st Class Fredrick Gilyard help escort a critical care employee of the Georgia Regional Medical Center to their humvee over ice-covered roads. Vance C. Smith Jr. (left), Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner, and Maj. Gen. William T. Nesbitt, Georgia's Adjutant General, make an aerial assessment of the impact of the winter storm. Smith, Nesbitt and Terry Ball (not shown), hazard mitigation director for the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, spent more than an hour in an Army Guard UH-72A Lakota helicopter \LQJRYHUWKHPHWUR$WODQWDDUHDDQGVHYHUDO1RUWK*HRUJLDFRXQWLHVLQVSHFWLQJ URDGDQGWUDIFFRQGLWLRQV Sergeant Gillis of the 148th Brigade Support Battalion prepares the M984A1 10-ton wrecker for shutdown after arriving at the headquarters for the 2-121 Infantry Brigade. "A wrecker is a key asset for severe weather missions, but the `10 Ton' gives the 2-121st the ability to recover heavy emergency vehicles, LQFOXGLQJUHWUXFNVVDLG*LOOLV Ann Bellinger, wife of Staff Sgt. Timothy Bellinger of Alpha Company, 1-121st Infantry Regiment, and their children build a snowman to pass the time while Sgt. Bellinger is away from home with his unit assisting others during the winter storm. January 2011 | 4 The Adjutant General of Georgia Maj. Gen. William T. Nesbitt, PHHWV ZLWK *HRUJLD (PHUJHQF\ 0DQDJHPHQW $JHQF\ DQG 2IFH of Homeland Security Director Charley English to discuss how the National Guard can assist GEMA in the winter storm that blew through Metro Atlanta and North Georgia Sunday evening, GURSSLQJEHWZHHQYHDQGWZHOYHLQFKHVRIVQRZDQGLFH 178th Military Police Company of the 648th MEB. "We just want them to get to their destinations safely, so that they can go about the business of saving lives." Angela Morgan, of Kennesaw, Ga., is a Registered Nurse in Grady's labor and delivery department. Unable to make it out of her driveway due to heavy snow, she did not expect to make it to work for days. "I couldn't believe it when the National Guard showed up," she said "On a good day, we have eight to ten nurses on duty in labor and delivery. Tonight, we might have six. So each nurse who can make it to work really makes a difference." In fact, Morgan arrived at Grady, thanks to the Guard's HIIRUWVMXVWLQWLPHWRQGRXWWKDWWKUHHSDWLHQWVZHUHLQODERU "Women were counting on us nurses to help with their labor," said Morgan. "It's good to know that we could count on the National Guard." Calhoun's Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1-108th Cavalry also braved the storm to lend a helping hand to the Georgia State Patrol, enabling State Troopers to reach areas that were otherwise inaccessible with their patrol vehicles, helping to reduce response times. "The Georgia Army National Guard assisted public safety DQGHPHUJHQF\PDQDJHPHQWRIFLDOVDFURVVWKHDIIHFWHGDUHDV of Georgia. Our Squadron, as part of those efforts, had personnel from various cities and towns in Northwest Georgia assisting the Georgia State Patrol in Murray and Gordon counties by providing transportation in our humvees to assist drivers and respond to other public safety calls," said Lt. Col. Matthew J. Saxton, commander of the 1-108th Squadron. What seemed like a simple mission of transporting critical care staff for local hospitals turned into a rescue mission for members of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2-121st ,QIDQWU\ORFDWHGLQ*ULIQ "Our mission was to pick up the doctors and other staff members from their homes and transport them to the Georgia Regional Medical Center in Decatur," Said Capt. Aaron $QGHUVRQIURP/RFXVW*URYH*DDVXSSO\RIFHUIRUWKH++& However, after delivering the doctors and nurses to the hospital and heading back out in the humvees to pick up more staff, they came upon a four-car crash. Everyone in the team quickly jumped out of the humvee and began assisting the civilians who were involved in the accident. "We quickly assessed that there were no major injuries and QRWLHG ORFDO ODZ HQIRUFHPHQW$QGHUVRQ VDLG +RZHYHU LW ZDVDWZRODQHURDGDQGWKHWUDIFZDVEDFNLQJXSYHU\TXLFNO\ Anderson and his team which consisted of himself, 1st 6JW5LFN\7RGGRI*ULIQ*D6JWVW&ODVV)UHGHULFN*LO\DUG RI*ULIQDQG6JW0LFKDHO0XUGRFNIURP0F'RQRXJK*D GHFLGHGWRWDNHFRQWURORIWKHVFHQHVHWWLQJRXWWUDIFFRQHV and towing a vehicle which was not involved in the accident to a safe location. Once local law enforcement arrived on the scene, the Guardsmen discovered that emergency vehicles could not get to the accident. "The police saw we had towing capabilities with us and asked if we could move some of the cars in the accident out of the way so the emergency vehicles could get in and help the 5 | The Georgia Guardsman injured," Anderson said. In moments, the road was cleared and the injured were receiving treatment. While most involved in the accident only walked away with minor scrapes and bruises, Anderson states that one individual was transported to the hospital by ambulance with minor neck injuries. With a shake of the hand from police, Anderson and his team moved on to continue their original mission of transporting medical staff to the hospital. After safely delivering all the staff to the hospital, Anderson and his team began the trek back to the warmth of their armory. However, the team came across yet another motorist in need. "We were traveling westbound on I-285 when we came upon a stranded motorist. She had run out of gas in the left lane and was just sitting there," Anderson said. "We quickly realized this was very dangerous and placed our humvee behind her vehicle and put our hazards on." Anderson and his team then placed hazard cones 20 to 50 PHWHUV EHKLQG WKHLU YHKLFOH LQ RUGHU WR OHW WUDIF NQRZ WKHUH was a travel situation ahead. The cones served their purpose, says Anderson. :HORVWWZRRIRXUUHHFWLYHFRQHVWRPRWRULVWVZKRZHUH not quite paying attention," he said. "Had those cones not been there, it may have been the stranded vehicle that went unnoticed," he added. "We determined we could not move her car off to the side of the road because of all the snow that had piled up along the edge of the highway," he said. "So we contacted local law HQIRUFHPHQWDJDLQDQGGLUHFWHGWUDIFDURXQGKHUFDUXQWLOWKH police showed up and took over the scene." Georgia Army Guard Command Sergeant Major James Nelson said Anderson's team epitomizes the Guard's readiness. "These Soldiers demonstrated the professionalism and readiness the Georgia Guard instills into all of our Soldiers. 1RW RQO\ DUH ZH UHDG\ IRU WKH ZDUJKW DFURVV WKH RFHDQ ZH are trained and ready to assist our communities and fellow citizens here in Georgia." NCO NOTEPAD %\&RPPDQG6JW0DM-DPHV1HOVRQ-U 6WDWH&RPPDQG6HUJHDQW0DMRU Georgia Department of Defense First, let me congratulate our Soldiers and Airmen in the Georgia National Guard for their role in providing critical support for the Atlanta and North Georgia regions during the recent snow and ice storm that hit our state. Great work! The state emergency we just experienced is an excellent example of how important readiness really is. Due to our preparedness, we were able to quickly deploy humvees from several locations to pick up critical trauma care staff members for two major hospitals. We were also able to provide humvees DQGGULYHUVWRDVVLVW*HRUJLD6WDWH3DWURORIFHUV We were able to do all this because we understand the importance of readiness; and, as NCOs, we ensure through our attention to detail and professionalism that our Soldiers and Airmen are able to perform in either their homeland defense or ZDUJKWPLVVLRQV National, state and local leaders continue to look to the National Guard to deliver readiness during times of disaster and emergency. When called upon, our readiness in key areas like PHGLFDO DQG GHQWDO KHDOWK SK\VLFDO WQHVV '0264 IDPLO\ planning, etc. and ensuring our equipment is operational will dictate our ability to successfully execute the missions before us. $V QRQFRPPLVVLRQHG RIFHUV LW LV RXU UHVSRQVLELOLW\ WR ensure our Soldiers are ready in all areas that affect their ability to perform their mission whether abroad or here at home. This is critical to the success of our organization. We meet this challenge by taking charge of those for whom we are responsible. Knowing our Soldiers' readiness posture, be LW'0264RUGHQWDOLVVXHVLVYLWDOLQRXUEXVLQHVV I encourage all NCOs to review their team, squad and platoon UHDGLQHVV:KHQ\RXQGGHFLHQFLHV[WKHP*RWKURXJK\RXU chain of command for assistance. It is our mission to make ready our troops to quickly transition from a training environment to real-world missions, whether abroad or in our own backyard. January 2011 | 6 Afghan National Army prepare to head out on patrol at Kabul Military Training Center. At the Center, NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan advisors provide guidance to Afghan National Army instructors who are charged with conducting the bulk of the training. `SHOHNA-BA-SHOHNA' NATO HELPS AFGHANISTAN STAND ON ITS OWN %\/W&RO'DYLG6LPRQV On an average day, there are nearly 11,000 soldiers training 165th Airlift Wing here. Most of the training is basic warrior training provided Georgia Air National Guard by Afghan instructors with minimal assistance from coalition 3KRWRVE\0&(UQHVWR+HUQDQGH])RQWH170$3$2 advisors. Every six weeks, a basic training kandak (or battalion) graduates 1,400 new ANA soldiers who move on to specialty training. The KMTC instructors train 65 percent of the ANA's The Kabul Military Training Center (KMTC) is, QHZRIFHUVWKURXJKDZHHNRIFHUFDQGLGDWHVFKRRO JXUDWLYHO\VSHDNLQJWKH)RUW%HQQLQJRI$IJKDQLVWDQ Part of this development is a women's program, training serving as the Afghan National Army's training IHPDOH RIFHUV LQ VXFK HOGV DV ORJLVWLFV DQG QDQFH headquarters. The former Soviet-built base sits upon 22,000 Additionally, KMTC is the host installation for artillery, sprawling acres of ranges, barracks logistics, signal, legal, and headquarters set under the religious and cultural affairs beautiful snow-capped Hindu Kush branch schools. mountain range. Coalition advisors and The ANA at KMTC have a close Afghan trainers are placing working relationship with NATO emphasis on literacy training, Training Mission Afghanistan incorporating 64 hours into (NTM-A). It is NTM-A's role to every basic warrior training provide trainers to help train ANA class. The training serves as cadre, exemplifying the relationship a foundation for developing a that has blossomed in the motto of professional, modern Afghan "train-the-trainer." The coalition military while bringing all advisors suggest improvements for ANA training and mentor EDVLFWUDLQHHVWRDUVWJUDGHOHYHORIUHDGLQJDQGZULWLQJ trainers in their techniques. The NTM-A's goal is to train Afghanistan's security forces both army and police to stand on their own by training /W &RO 'DYLG 6LPRQV LV WKH 3XEOLF $IIDLUV 2IFHU ZLWK their own and sustaining their own. The motto of NTM-A is WKHWK$LUOLIW:LQJ*HRUJLD$LU1DWLRQDO*XDUG+HLV "Shohna-ba-Shohna" or "Shoulder-to-Shoulder." It is a motto serving a six-month tour in Kabul as the Director of Public of working together for the betterment of Afghanistan. $IIDLUV1$727UDLQLQJ0LVVLRQ$IJKDQLVWDQ 7 | The Georgia Guardsman GEORGIA AG TEAM SHARPENS LANGUAGE SKILLS, PREPARES FOR AFGHANISTAN 6WRU\DQGSKRWRE\6JWVW&ODVV5R\+HQU\ knows everyone, he says. 3XEOLF$IIDLUV2IFH Georgia Department of Defense "Folks are going to know immediately who doesn't belong, and who's out spreading bad propaganda about the AG, trying to destroy the relationship the team will work to build with the locals," Westrip said. "Through our ability to effectively speak the CLAY NATIONAL GUARD CENTER, Marietta, Ga., Jan. 18, native language, our people will have access to that same insight." On the agricultural side, being able to "speak the native 2011 No matter where they go, Soldiers have to deal with tounge" will make it that much easier to teach the Afghans, says the language and cultural differences between themselves and Sgt. 1st Class James Horne, one of the ADT's AG specialists and the people with whom they come into contact. While most units a life-long farmer and livestock owner from the South Georgia have interpreters with them to assist in communicating with the town of Ludowici. Before joining the ADT, Horne worked full- locals, basic exposure to the local language is still useful for time as a surface maintenance inspector at the Army Guard's everyone in the unit. Combines Support Maintenance Shop-South in Hinesville, Ga. The same will be true for Georgia's Agricultural "My job, for example, is to assist the Afghans with improving Development Team (ADT) 1 when it hits the ground later this their planting, their livestock operations and from time to time year in southeastern Afghanistan. That is why every member of maintaining their farm machinery," he said. "I can do all that the team is here, or will be here in the coming month, attending through an interpreter, and that's OK, but I believe I will be a two-week, 80-hour language and cultural training course at better able to help them if I can talk with them one-on-one." the Georgia Army Guard's Language Lab. Having a basic level of familiarity with the local language It is to the advantage will help ADT 1 achieve of both sections of ADT its mission to help the 1 those helping the Afghan people build Afghans better their better lives through agricultural methods and more modern, yet basic trade, and those assigned farming and agricultural to protect them to have business practices a working knowledge of successfully, Horne adds. Afghanistan's Pashto and As part of their Dari dialects, says 2nd FXOWXUDOWUDLQLQJWKLVUVW Lt. William Westrip, the WHDPVWUDLQLQJRIFHUDQG Anwar Akbar (left), a Defense Language Institute instructor, answers questions for Soldiers of Georgia's 201st Agricultural Development Team 1 during a lesson on the group together with their instructor, Anwar WKH RIFHULQFKDUJH RI Pashto language at the Georgia Army Guard's Language Lab. Akbar of the Defense the ADT's security force. Language Institute's "Every one of us, down to the lowest level, is an Washington, D.C., campus dined at Rumi's Kitchen, a Persian ambassador for our country," Westrip explained. "The better restaurant in Sandy Springs, Ga. Using what language skills and we are at communicating with the locals on a personal level, cultural knowledge they had already acquired, the team talked at understanding the customs of the folks with whom we'll amongst themselves, and with their hosts, in Pashto and Dari. interact, the more successful we'll all be at our two missions." "Afghan people know you respect them when you take For Soldiers in the security force (SECFOR), being able to the time to learn to speak their language and understand their talk with the population facilitates the building of trust so that cultural `rights and wrongs,'" Akbar later said. "What these the SECFOR has a better grasp on who is part of the village and Soldiers are doing here, what the Georgia Guard is doing here, who is not, Westrip says. is a great thing. I most certainly enjoy being part of such a Unlike a neighborhood or even a small town here in the program, and I wish them all great success." U.S., where people often come and go unnoticed, an Afghan village is a close-knit community where everyone literally January 2011 | 8 NEW SIGNAL ACADEMY OFFERS MUCH TO COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALISTS Specialist William Heckman, a 25U student from the Tennessee Army Guard's Battery C, 181st Field Artillery, sets up a PRC-117 Tactical Satellite Radio while monitoring the ASIP 1523-E SINCGARS. 9 | The Georgia Guardsman 6WRU\DQGSKRWRE\6JW%LQK1KDP "As a 25 Bravo," she added, "the Not only are they, too, well trained QG5HJLPHQWDO6LJQDO$FDGHP\ well-trained IT specialist is vital to LQ WKHLU UHVSHFWLYH HOGV WKH\ KDYH Regional Training Institute maintaining and troubleshooting "real world experience" to back that a unit's information technology training. He says that the majority systems. Whether administrating an of his instructors have bachelor and CLAY NATIONAL GUARD CENTER, Marietta, exchange server, setting up a network, master's degrees from universities Ga., Jan. 26, 2011 Soldiers wanting or replacing a broken motherboard, he like Colorado Tech, Devry University, to change their military occupational or she will encounter challenges that the University of Georgia, Georgia skill (MOS), who are interested will make that person an indispensable Southern University, Central Georgia in something within the computer asset to their unit, the Georgia Army Technical College and Columbia WHFKQRORJ\RUFRPPXQLFDWLRQVHOGV Guard, or whatever organization they College, just to name a few. may want to consider a career in the come from." "And we're not oblivious to the Army Signal Corps. The 25U course is where the fact that technology is continually Open for nearly a year, the new rubber meets the road, says course changing, so our instructors, like our 122nd Regiment Regional Training manager Sgt. 1st Class Richard Socia. students after graduating, are in a Institute Signal Academy here at While the trainee receives some of the constant state of learning," Blackstone Clay offers courses for the 25B same training as his 25B counterpart, said. "Many of our staff are obtaining (information technology specialist) his primary focus is on becoming secondary and post-graduate degrees, and 25U (signal support systems familiar with tactical communication while others attend supplementary VSHFLDOLVW 0266RIDUVFKRROJXUHV and data distribution systems. classes to make sure their own skills show more than 150 Citizen-Soldiers Some of the equipment the remain up to par." and Army Reservists from across the prospective communicator learns to It is all part of the academy's U.S., Puerto Rico and Guam have use and maintain, says Socia, includes commitment to making sure each attended, or are attending, classes at the SINCGARS UHF FM radio, AN/ Soldier receives the best and most the academy. PRC 148 multi-band radios, AN/ current education and training "Our state-of-the-art equipment PRC 117 Satellite Communications available, he says. and exceptional staff make sure radios, and AN/PRC 150 HF radios. As for those real world experiences Soldiers who come here receive Students also train in the use and he mentioned, Blackstone says the training they need during the maintenance of the Army's Blue several of his staff have deployed to QLQHZHHN % RU YHZHHN 8 Force Tracker, OE254 antenna group, Iraq and Afghanistan, while others programs," said Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth Communications 201B antenna have been on missions to Uganda Blackstone, the academy's career group, Automated Network Control and the Republic Georgia. They HOGEUDQFKFKLHI(YHU\WKLQJDQ Device, the Simple Key Loader, and have provided support for the Global individual might require for becoming other basic electronic systems. Command and Control System, TXDOLHGLQWKHLUQHZMREVNLOOFDQEH "Having a well trained FRQJXULQJ DQG PDQDJLQJ 81,; found within these walls, so there's communications specialist involved computer servers, or troubleshooting no need to move on to other facilities in an operation, not only ensures and repairing individual workstations. for additional training." messages are understandable and get "Many of our instructors also On the IT side, folks looking for into the hands of the people who need have extensive on-the-job training an A+, N+, Security+ or COMPTIA to receive them, they also help ensure and experience in the civilian sector, 6HUYHU FHUWLFDWLRQ ZLOO QG WKDW the safety of fellow Soldiers by working at such companies as United the 25B course is a stepping stone giving their all to bring the mission States Advance Networks, Cingular toward putting them well on their to a successful end," Socia said. "As Wireless, Bell South and AT&T, and ZD\WRHDUQLQJWKHVHFHUWLFDWHVVD\V LPSRUWDQW DV WKH 6ROGLHU JKWLQJ the Federal Bureau of Prisons," he Sgt. 1st Class Tammy Rooks, who the battle or conducting support of said. "No matter who they've worked manages that course. IT experts have civil authorities is, so too is that for, or where they've been, this staff carefully designed each class module, communicator." UHDOO\HPERGLHVWKHGHQLWLRQRIZKDW Rooks explains, to help develop the Like the courses they teach, a Guardsman is through their unique core skills Soldiers will encounter academy instructors are some of the standing as citizens and as Soldiers." during their careers. EHVW LQ WKHLU HOGV VD\V %ODFNVWRQH January 2011 | 10 165TH AIRLIFT WING DEPLOYS FOR NINTH TIME SINCE 9/11 6WRU\DQGSKRWRE\6JWVW&ODVV5R\+HQU\ need it. They know they can depend on us to go beyond the 3XEOLF$IIDLUV2IFH stated mission if that's what it takes to get the job done." Georgia Department of Defense This is also the 165th's largest deployment of aircraft and personnel, says Col. Simmons. "The six aircraft deploying are part of the eight we have, COMBAT READINESS TRAINING CENTER, Garden City, so we're left with two here at home station," Simmons Ga., Jan. 7, 2011 The last of six C-130H2 Hercules explained. "One of those will be out of service for scheduled aircraft from the Georgia Air Guard's 165th Airlift Wing maintenance the entire time of the deployment, leaving us rolled down the runway to begin the more than 7,000-mile with one operational aircraft at home." journey to Afghanistan for a three-month stint at Bagram Accompanying the Georgia Guard aircraft headed for Air Base. This is the ninth time the 165th has deployed to Afghanistan are more than 150 Georgia Guard Airmen, either Iraq or Afghanistan since Sept. 11, 2001, in support including all of the wing's operations division and more of the War on Terror. than 50 percent of its maintenance department, Simmons "Unlike the Army, says. which deploys less "The loss of aircraft frequently for longer and people to the periods of time, we wartime mission most deploy more often, certainly affects our but usually for shorter stateside readiness," periods," said Col. Jesse he said. "But we're Simmons, the 165th's still able to respond to commander. "But the requirements placed job's the same: support upon us by the state, the Global War on Terror through the Adjutant and help the Afghan General using the assets people regain control of that remain here and their country." $LUPHQRI6DYDQQDKVWK$LUOLIW:LQJOLQHWKHLJKWUDPSDVWKHODVWRIWKHVL[ C-130 Hercules headed for Afghanistan leaves its parking spot outside the 165th These six aircraft, hangar and heads for the runway at Savannah International Airport. (Photo by their crews, and all Staff Sgt. Matthew Rice, 201st Agricultural Development Team 1) with assistance from the surrounding states that make up FEMA the operations and Region 4." maintenance personnel who have deployed with them are Simmons points out that the Georgia Guard is not the expected back in Savannah around early spring. only organization affected by the loss of its Airmen to &KDON6L[DQGYHRWKHUWK&VZLOOMRLQ the War on Terror. Deployments, he says, also impact the additional "Hercs" from the Nevada Air National Guard civilian employers for whom many of these Airmen work. and active duty Air Force attached to the 744th Air Companies across the state lose workers who are valuable Expeditionary Wing. Their mission and that of the more to their operations, and those Guardsmen's peers must then WKDQLJKWRSHUDWLRQVDQGPDLQWHQDQFHSHUVRQQHOIURP take up the slack while they are deployed. the 165th on this latest deployment is to put aircraft in "Employers, like our families, have it rough when the air and move equipment, food and people for Afghan, a Guardsman deploys," Simmons said. "And like our $PHULFDQDQG1$72IRUFHVJKWLQJWKH7DOLEDQ families, I hope they know how much I, the Air Guard "That, and anything else the chain of command may Commander [Maj. Gen. Tom Moore] and the Adjutant require of us," said Chief Master Sgt. Frank Ramirez, General [Maj. Gen. William T. Nesbitt] appreciate their &KDON 6L[V LJKW HQJLQHHU 5DPLUH] LV DOVR WKH JURXSV allowing those employees to serve their state and the nation senior enlisted leader during this deployment. "For folks as Citizen-Airmen." on the ground, we'll get them what they need, when they 11 | The Georgia Guardsman Major Don Pallone, navigator for the last of six Georgia Air Guard C-130 Hercules deploying to Afghanistan, waves goodbye to family, friends and fellow Airmen as he VWHSVDERDUG&KDON6L[IRUWKHLJKWIURP6DYDQQDKWR Bagram Air Base. January 2011 | 12 GUARD ENGINEERS WORK ALONGSIDE CIVILIAN CONTRACTORS ON NEW JFHQ 6WRU\DQGSKRWRVE\6SF$GDP'HDQ assisting with ductwork for heating WK0RELOH3XEOLF$IIDLUV'HWDFKPHQW and air, aiding with the installation Georgia Army National Guard RI SOXPELQJ [WXUHV VXFK DV SLSLQJ and sprinkler heads, and helping with the installation of copper wiring CLAY NATIONAL GUARD CENTER, Marietta, throughout the building. Holley says Ga., Jan. 7, 2011 Twelve Soldiers from such skills are essential to the mission Toccoa's 876th Engineer Company had a of the engineering company. chance to work with civilian contractors "We're construction guys. as part of their drill weekend, helping to Our wartime mission is vertical build the Georgia Guard's new Joint Forces Private Jefferey Person of Toccoa's Headquarters. 876th Engineering Co. helps construction, including carpentry, plumbing, masonry and electrical Captain Kevin Holley, the company subcontractors from Atlanta's :D\QH-*ULIQ(OHFWULF,QFLQVWDOO work," he said. commander, says the collaboration was a unique opportunity for his Soldiers to train copper wiring that will link the new Joint Force Headquarters building with its power generator. While each Soldier is trained in a VSHFLFFRQVWUXFWLRQGLVFLSOLQH+ROOH\ in their military occupational specialty with says that he took full advantage of this civilian professionals on a large-scale construction job. opportunity to cross-train his Soldiers "The difference between the subcontractors and in different skills. our guys is that the subcontractors do this day in and Holley also says that the general contractor Atlanta's day out; our guys do it two days a month. Our guys are New South Construction Co. as well as the various accountants and school teachers during the week, but subcontractors working on the project, accommodated on drill weekend they turn wrenches and do engineer his Soldiers, and seemed as eager to mentor them as they training. So, obviously, our guys can learn a lot from were to learn. The training was so impactful that Holley these construction professionals," said Holley. plans to bring more of his engineers to work with the Some of the tasks the Guardsmen preformed included journeymen here later in the month. 13 | The Georgia Guardsman It's time for Georgia's Joint Forces Headquarters third annual Purple Pig 5k Run, marking the anniversary of General Oglethorpe's landing at Savannah on Feb. 12, 1733, a date now known as Georgia Day. Busses leave Oglethorpe and Clay at 10:00 a.m. The event takes place at Stone Mountain Park and starts at 10:30 a.m. A $20 entrance fee gets participants a Purple Pig t-shirt, commemorative running bib, and a post-game cookout lunch. Awards go to the best male, female and guidon team SDUWLFLSDQWV WR FURVV WKH QLVK OLQH &KHFN ZLWK \RXU division representative or the HHD for details. Remember: Purple is made by mixing green and blue... WARRANT OFFICERS IN DEMAND 6WRU\DQGSKRWRVE\3IF$VKOH\)RQWHQRW 3XEOLF$IIDLUV2IFH Georgia Department of Defense CLAY NATIONAL GUARD CENTER, Marietta, Ga., Jan. 7, 2011 With much of the Army over strength, many Soldiers wonder what opportunities remain for career advancement. $FFRUGLQJWR&KLHI:DUUDQW2IFHU$ODQ2+XJKHVWKH ZDUUDQW RIFHU VWUHQJWK PDQDJHU IRU WKH 5HFUXLWLQJ DQG Retention Battalion, Joint Forces Headquarters, the needs RIWKH$UP\IRUZDUUDQWRIFHUSRVLWLRQVLVVWURQJDQGVRPH important jobs are still available. "We have some really mission-essential positions DYDLODEOHDQGWKH\QHHGVWURQJFRPSHWHQW6ROGLHUVWROO them," Hughes said. +HWKHQRXWOLQHGWKH*HRUJLD*XDUGVYHPRVWXQGHU strength specialties, and how these jobs directly support the Army and the Guard. 920B (Supply System Technician): Responsible for managing the receipt, storage, and issuance of supplies and equipment at the technical supply level. "In other words, these Soldiers are in charge of tracking Army parts and equipment," Hughes explained. "They must have a handle on where everything is, whether it's in stock or on order; and they have to be ready to brief and advise the commander with the status of these parts at a moment's notice," Hughes said. 922A (Food Service Technician): Coordinates and supervises the food service program for installations, commands or organizations. Develops food service management plans to aid in disseminating information. "The Soldier in this position really has the health of others in their hands. It's a huge responsibility to know the health code regulations regarding temperature, expiration, and sanitation within the food service program," Hughes added. "Not to mention the people skills required to manage everyone involved in their food service program." $$XWRPRWLYH0DLQWHQDQFH7HFKQLFLDQ/LJKW 3ODQVRUJDQL]HVDQGH[HFXWHVHOGPDLQWHQDQFHRIZKHHOHG and light tracked vehicles, self-propelled artillery systems, DQG UH FRQWURO DUPDPHQW JURXQG VXSSRUW DQG SRZHUHG driven chemical equipment. "Maintenance is the backbone of the military. This specialty deals with the light wheeled vehicles we use every day. Without working equipment to complete the mission, the Army could not function," Hughes said. 919A (Engineer Equipment Maintenance Technician): Supervises personnel in maintenance of engineer and ground support equipment. Analyzes malfunctions and supervises minor repair and adjustment of engineer equipment. "This position puts the Soldier in contact with some of the biggest equipment the Army uses. Heavy machinery, like bulldozers, need an expert who understands earthmoving, shaping, and compacting," Hughes explained. 2WKHUPLVVLRQVPLJKWFDOORQWKHZDUUDQWRIFHUWRDSSO\ his or her training in lifting, loading, and concrete mixing." $ 0RELOLW\ 2IFHU Plans, organizes, and supervises the preparation and execution of unit movement and distribution operations. Coordinates deployment and distribution actions with multinational, joint, Army, and commercial agencies. Chief Hughes says when a unit is training, and especially when it is deploying, one of the largest tasks is to plan and organize the movement of mission essential equipment. 7KLVZDUUDQWRIFHUPXVWSD\VSHFLDODWWHQWLRQWRGHWDLO Accountability is key when you've got a whole unit moving into theater, and then you have to get all of that equipment back home in a condition where it can be used again. ,QVRPHZD\DOORIWKHVHZDUUDQWRIFHUVPXVWZRUN together, to ensure mission success. From feeding units, to supplying them, and then moving and maintaining those supplies, it's always vital to have someone strategic and knowledgeable behind Army operations," Hughes added. +XJKHVVD\VWKHNH\WRQGLQJWKHSHUIHFWWIRUWKHVH jobs comes from identifying Soldiers who already qualify IRUWKHP$FFRUGLQJWRWKH$UP\VZDUUDQWRIFHUFDQGLGDWH recruiting website, a Soldier must be an E-5 or above, with at least four to six years experience in an enlisted feeder position. In addition, the Soldier must have at least a 110 GT score, and a passing APFT and physical. 7KDWVRXUFKDOOHQJHWRQGVRPHRQHZLWKWKH\HDUVRI experience it takes to apply to be a technical expert, who has WKH*7VFRUHWREDFNLWXS7KHVHHOGVDUHVRPHWLPHVYHU\ VSHFLF EXW WKH\UH PHDQW WR EH &RPPDQGHUV QHHG WKDW H[SHUWLVHRQWKHEDWWOHHOGWRKHOSHYHU\PLVVLRQVXFFHHG said Hughes. "Too many Soldiers don't take the chance to apply, and they let the road of `some day' lead them to the road of `nowhere.' If you think you could qualify to be a ZDUUDQWRIFHUWDNHDGYDQWDJHRIWKHRSSRUWXQLW\QRZ January 2011 | 14 KENNESAW'S 190TH MPS COME HOME 6WRU\DQGSKRWRVE\6JWVW&ODVV5R\+HQU\ 3XEOLF$IIDLUV2IFH Georgia Department of Defense GUARD GARRISON TRAINING CENTER, Hinesville, Ga., Jan. 6, 2011 Guardsmen of Kennesaw's 190th Military Police Company have patiently been awaiting the day when their deployment to Afghanistan would come to a successful end and they could rejoin their loved ones at home. Finally, that day has arrived. The 190th has spent the past year deployed to Bagram Air Base near Kabul, Afghanistan. The company's primary job was to provide security for the base detention center along its guard towers and various entry control points. The unit later picked up the additional task of escorting detainees to and from the center; and the 190th served as part of the base's immediate response force, protecting the area in which it resided in the event of an attack. Stepping off the buses that brought them from Camp Shelby, Miss. where they had spent the past week transferring from active duty to traditional Guard status onto Fort Stewart's Cottrell Parade Field, the more than 100 MPs, supply and administrative personnel raised their voices in cheers of joy. /RUGLWVKDUGWREHOLHYHZHQDOO\PDGHLWKRPH VDLG6SF6WHYHQ%DUUHWWDPLOLWDU\SROLFHRIFHUIURP Monroe. "It's all going to take a day, maybe two, to sink in. But once it does, I'll know it's for real!" For Capt. Purvis Brown, the 190th's commander, this was not only a time to rejoice about being back in the arms of his wife, Monica; it was also a time to UHHFW RQ WKH PLVVLRQ DQG KLV 6ROGLHUV SHUIRUPDQFH during their year at Bagram. He says he and his Soldiers found little time to worry about anything other than the mission at hand during their deployment. "Our folks put in long hours and hard work, not just at the beginning but all through the deployment," said Brown, who also pastors a church and is a history professor at Tri-County Technical College in Greenville, S.C. "In that kind of environment, getting it right schedules, workload, shift changes, who's going where and doing what, etc. is very important. Our MXQLRU RIFHUV DQG QRQFRPPLVVLRQHG RIFHUV PDGH those things happen, and when the lower enlisted were called on, they go it all done with as little `pain' as possible. Throughout the deployment, our folks picked up the gauntlet thrown down before them and did an outstanding job," Brown said. "I doubt anyone could be prouder of them for who they are and what they have done than I am." Captain Purvis Brown (center) reports the return of Kennesaw's 190th Military Police Company from Afghanistan to Maj. Gen. Maria L. Britt, Georgia Army Guard Commander. 15 | The Georgia Guardsman GEORGIA'S COUNTERDRUG TASK FORCE AMONGST BEST IN NATION 6WRU\DQGSKRWRVE\6JWVW&ODVV5R\+HQU\ 3XEOLF$IIDLUV2IFH Georgia Department of Defense CLAY NATIONAL GUARD CENTER, Marietta, Jan. 26, 2011 Georgia's Counterdrug Task Force (GaCDTF), manned by Georgia Army and Air Guardsmen, is one of the top organizations of its kind in the country according to the results of a recent three-day counterdrug performance evaluation performed by National Guard Bureau Counterdrug Operations. There are 54 operational counterdrug programs LQ WKH FRXQWU\ 2I WKRVH LQVSHFWHG WKLV VFDO \HDU WKH average score was 89 out of 100. Georgia scored a "sustain" in 98 out of 100 categories. Programs that score at least 85 out of 100 are evaluated just once every two years, while the programs that score lower than 85 are re-inspected every six weeks. Any program good enough to score a 100 is not inspected again for three years. 7KHUHVXOWVRIWKLV\HDUVLQVSHFWLRQDUHDUHHFWLRQ of the people who make up the task force," said Col. Ben Sartain, GaCDTF coordinator. "Their individual and collective will from the lowest to the highest levels of wanting to be the best, speaks volumes about our organization and its commitment to drug enforcement and anti-drug education in Georgia." From Jan. 10 to 12, task force personnel and their NGB evaluators reviewed such areas as administration DQG ORJLVWLFV DYLDWLRQ UHVRXUFHV WUDLQLQJ DQG QDQFH They also reviewed the CDTF administers of the Georgia Guard's Joint Substance Abuse Program, or JSAP. Since its last inspection, the Georgia counterdrug program has conducted nearly 15,000 missions, to include supporting local, state and federal law enforcement in their drug enforcement efforts and employing the drug reduction program in public schools across the state. NEW PROGRAM TO HELP UNIT, SOLDIERS DEAL WITH STRESS 'HDOLQJZLWKWKHVWUHVVRIFRPEDWRQWKHEDWWOHHOGDQG In the Georgia Army Guard, help is now available to at home is not an easy thing to do, no matter how mentally Soldiers and their units 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week through and physically tough one may believe he, or she is. Problems WKHUHFHQWO\LQVWLWXWHG%HKDYLRUDO2IFHU3URJUDP that go unchecked eventually result in the loss of one of the Run by Col. Paul E.Antoniou, the Guard's senior behavioral most valuable assets the Guard has: a Citizen-Soldier. RIFHUWKHSURJUDPRSHUDWHVRXWRIWKH/DZUHQFHYLOOH$UPRU\ Some of the recognizable signs of someone not dealing Its goal: the early detection of psychological problems well with stress are: through evaluation and treatment so the Soldier remains in * Loss of appetite, sleep or interest in normal activity or work the Guard and an effective member of his unit, ready for the * Feelings of depression or anxiety next mission whether it is here at home or abroad. * Lack of energy or the will to do much of anything at all "The loss of just one Soldier to the stress of combat is * Increased use of alcohol and drugs unnecessary and unacceptable," said Antoniou, who has more ,QFUHDVHGWVRIDQJHU WKDQ\HDUVH[SHULHQFHDVDFOLQLFDOO\FHUWLHGVRFLDOZRUNHU * Incidents of domestic abuse For more information about the Georgia Army Guard's The Guard, the Army and all the service branches are %HKDYLRUDO2IFHU3URJUDPXQLWOHDGHUV1&2VDQG6ROGLHUV doing what they can to remove the stigma that many of can contact Antoniou at (904) 825-9012 or (678) 478-4001. today's warriors continue to have about reaching out for help He can also be reached by e-mail at: paul.paul1@us.army.mil when they need it. January 2011 | 16 NCOERS NEW STATE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF TOP FIVE AVOIDABLE MISTAKES Governor Nathan Deal meets with road, law-enforcement DQG VWDWH HPHUJHQF\ RIFLDOV GXULQJ KLV VHFRQG GD\ LQ RIFH-DQXDU\)URPOHIWWRULJKW&RPPLVVLRQHU Vance Smith of the Ga. Dept of Transportation; Gov. Deal; Charley English, Director of Ga. Emergency Management Agency; and Maj. Gen. William T. Nesbitt, Adjutant General of the Ga. National Guard. (Photo by Christopher Quinn of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.) 6WRU\DQGSKRWRVE\6JWVW&ODVV5R\+HQU\ 3XEOLF$IIDLUV2IFH Georgia Department of Defense STATE CAPITOL, Atlanta, Jan. 10, 2011 Shortly after his inauguration as Georgia's 82 governor, Nathan Deal followed by Maj. Gen. William T. Nesbitt, Georgia's Adjutant General, and Col. Bill Hitchens, Georgia Department of Public Safety Commissioner reviewed a formation of Georgia Guardsmen and Georgia State Troopers inside the State Capitol. Prior to viewing the formation, General Nesbitt and others watched from the gallery of the House chamber DV'HDOWRRNWKHRDWKRIRIFH "It's an honor for the Guard to bear witness to yet another peaceful exchange of executive power," said Nesbitt. "The National Guard, in one form or another, has stood by to serve the governor of Georgia for the better part of four centuries, and we look forward to doing the same for Governor Deal throughout his tenure." In November, then Governor-elect Deal made one RIKLVUVWDGPLQLVWUDWLRQDSSRLQWPHQWVE\NHHSLQJ0DM Gen. Nesbitt in his position as the Adjutant General of Georgia, saying "General Nesbitt has more than 40 years of service, and he's a leader who brings the most relevant experience to the table as he has the proven ability to lead multiple civilian, military and law enforcement organizations to ensure that Georgians are kept safe." The Georgia Guardsmen in attendance, who braved the severe winter weather that struck metro Atlanta and all of North Georgia the night prior to the inauguration, came from Monroe's 178th Military Police Company, Kennesaw's 277th Maintenance Company, and the Air Guard's 117th Air Control Squadron from Warner Robins Air Base. The Georgia Army Guard's Ellenwood-based 116th Band provided music for Deal's swearing-in from the rotunda, then lined the steps down to the rotunda as the QHZJRYHUQRUDQGKLVUVWODG\6DQGUD'HDOGHVFHQGHG from the House chambers. The next day, Gov. Deal met with General Nesbitt DQGRWKHUVWDWHRIFLDOVWRKHOSSODQ*HRUJLDVUHVSRQVH to the winter storm plaguing the state. 17 | The Georgia Guardsman GOV. DEAL REAFFIRMS MAJ. GEN. NESBITT 6WRU\DQGSKRWRVE\6JWVW&ODVV5R\+HQU\ 3XEOLF$IIDLUV2IFH Georgia Department of Defense STATE CAPTIOL, Atlanta, Jan. 18, 2011 Governor 1DWKDQ'HDOUHDIUPHG0DMRU*HQ:LOOLDP71HVELWW as Georgia's Adjutant General during a short swearingLQFHUHPRQ\LQWKHJRYHUQRUVRIFHDWWKH6WDWH&DSLWRO $PRQJ WKRVH DWWHQGLQJ 1HVELWWV UHFRQUPDWLRQ DV senior leader of the Georgia Department of Defense ZHUHKLVZLIH/HWKDUVWODG\6DQGUD'HDO0DM*HQ Maria L. Britt, Georgia Army Guard Commander; and Command Sgt. Maj. James Nelson, the Georgia Army Guard's senior enlisted leader and Nesbitt's senior enlisted advisor. "I am honored beyond all words at Governor Deal's VKRZ RI FRQGHQFH LQ P\ OHDGHUVKLS RI WKH *HRUJLD DoD," Nesbitt said later about his reappointment to the post he has held since November 2008. "As we [the DoD, the Deal administration and the state legislature] move forward in our relationship, it must be known that the success of our organization comes from the Soldiers, $LUPHQDQGFLYLOLDQHPSOR\HHVZKROORXUUDQNV "It is to their credit," Nesbitt stressed, "that the Georgia DoD continues to be the organization of excellence that it is." WILLIAMS HONORED BY PRESTIGIOUS ANCIENT ORDER OF SAINT BARBARA CLAY NATIONAL GUARD CENTER, Marietta, Ga., January 24, 2011 Georgia National Guard Chief :DUUDQW 2IFHU )UDQN :LOOLDPV UHFHQWO\ UHFHLYHG the prestigious Ancient Order of Saint Barbara award presented by the U.S. Field Artillery Association during the Saint Barbara's Day Ball held in Athens, Ga. Williams, a native of McIntosh County, currently VHUYHVDVWKHWDUJHWLQJRIFHULQWKHWK)LHOG$UWLOOHU\ Battalion in Elberton, Ga. Williams is also the State Director of the Georgia Youth ChalleNGe Academies. He has served in numerous military assignments as an artilleryman and has been recognized for his outstanding technical and tactical abilities. Williams is a former colonel in the Georgia National Guard DQG FRQYHUWHG WR D ZDUUDQW RIFHU SRVLWLRQ LQ RUGHU WR continue serving the country. The Ancient Order of Saint Barbara recognized the contributions of Williams in his long and venerable KLVWRU\ RI HOG DUWLOOHU\ 7KLV KRQRU DFNQRZOHGJHV KLV professional commitment and underscores the lofty standards of excellence that he epitomizes. Under his leadership as State Director, the Georgia National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Academy (YCA) has experienced one of the highest success rates in the nation. To date, Georgia's YCA has seen approximately 10,000 at-risk youth graduate and achieve their GEDs, giving them a second chance to succeed. Brigadier Gen. Larry E. Dudney, Director of the Joint Staff, Georgia National Guard, presents the prestigious Ancient Order of 6DLQW%DUEDUDDZDUGWR&KLHI:DUUDQW2IFHU)UDQN:LOOLDPV January 2011 | 18 GEORGIA NATIONAL GUARD HRF CHANGES SERGEANTS MAJOR Command Sgt. Maj. Tony Gayton (left) accepts the ceremonial NCO's saber from Col. Mike Scholes, the 78th HRF commander, during the 78th's change of responsibility ceremony. 6WRU\DQGSKRWRVE\6JWVW&ODVV5R\+HQU\ 3XEOLF$IIDLUV2IFH Georgia Department of Defense CLAY NATIONAL GUARD CENTER, Marietta, Ga., Jan. 14, 2011 Sergeant Maj. Tony Gayton's acceptance RI WKH QRQFRPPLVVLRQHG RIFHUV VDEHU IURP &RO Mike Scholes, 78th Homeland Response Force (HRF) &RPPDQGHUVLJQLHGDFKDQJHRIUHVSRQVLELOLW\LQD ceremony held here at the 78th's new headquarters. Gayton, a Tate, Ga., resident who comes to the 78th from his position as the operations sergeant major for Joint Forces Headquarters, takes the reigns of leadership from Command Sgt. Maj. Ed Hepler. Hepler, who joined the HRF a year and a half ago when it was the Decaturbased 78th Troop Command, is now command sergeant major for the Clay National Guard Center. Part of the 78th's transformation into becoming the state's homeland response force has entailed a change in commanders. Now, with a change in its senior enlisted leadership, the 78th continues moving down the path toward the external evaluation and validation of its ability to conduct its new mission: providing support to civil authorities in times of natural or man-made crisis. "This is more than a timely transition between WZR VHQLRU OHDGHUV VDLG &RO 6FKROHV ,W UHHFWV WKLV organization's responsibility to put the best and brightest leaders in key positions to better our ability to meet our homeland security mission as we begin the task of protecting the citizens of this state and the nation." Hepler, who received the Meritorious Service Medal and an NCO's saber to mark his more than 35 years of military service, will retire later this year. That retirement, Scholes says, will come during the 78th's evaluation and validation. Hepler's assistance to Gayton in the meantime will "be vital to providing stability and continutity within the 78th," said Scholes. Both NCOs, Scholes added, will serve the unit as it prepares for its homeland defense role. "Major General Maria Britt, the Georgia Army Guard Commander, once said to me, `It's part of our responsibility to know when to step aside, when our time comes,'" Hepler said. "The 78th's transformation is that time for me. It requires a sergeant major who'll be around to guide it through that transformation, and beyond, someone who fully understands what's needed to be successful in its new mission. And I believe Command Sgt. Maj. Gayton is that person." As for Gayton, he said he looks forward to the "new and exciting times ahead for the 78th HRF. Taking on the responsibility of being the HRF's most senior enlisted leader is, undoubtedly, a great challenge. But I know that, with Command Sgt. Maj. Hepler's help, we as a unit will meet that challenge head-on and prove that the Georgia Guard and the 78th have what it takes to successfully take on the homeland response force mission before us." Command Sgt. Maj. Ed Hepler (left) shows off the NCO's saber presented to him by Col. Mike Scholes on behalf of the Soldiers of the 78th HRF. 19 | The Georgia Guardsman PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT BOOKSHELF: REVIEWS OF BOOKS THAT TEACH US ABOUT OUR CRAFT %\0DM-RKQ+$OGHUPDQ,9 3XEOLF$IIDLUV2IFH Georgia Department of Defense approachable. Much of it reads like a book of aphorisms; some of it is repetitive and mystical, a little too Eastern for many readers. Anyone who has ever fenced, or wielded a closecombat weapon, or studied martial arts understands how a weapon can serve as an extension of the For these reasons, this is a book best savored. You'll ZDQWWRKDYHHQRXJKWLPHWRUHHFWRQZKDW\RXUHDGEXW not so much time that you lose the threads of the major body. This understanding entails a comprehension of the themes running throughout the works. I recommend as relationship between action and reaction, vulnerability interactive an experience as you can manage: Discuss it and the strike. ZLWK RWKHUV RU FDSWXUH \RXU WKRXJKWV DQG UHHFWLRQV LQ Knowledge of these things proves useful whether the margins of your book as you read. Agree or disagree, employing a tank platoon, or a light infantry battalion, your reactions matter and, if captured, can help you better RU D JKWHU DLUFUDIW %XW WKHVH DUH OHVVRQV ZKLFK FDQ EH XQGHUVWDQGDQGGHYHORS\RXURZQSKLORVRSK\RIFRQLFW learned more immediately (and perhaps easily) with a Some of the lessons will be more challenging. close-combat weapon. "`Mountain and sea' means that it is bad to do the same Probably, it is for this reason that Miyamoto Musashi's thing over and over again," writes Musashi. Yet, on The Book of Five Rings collected here with Yagyu UHHFWLRQDQGLQFRQWH[WXQGHUVWDQGLQJWKHQHHGWRPDWFK "THE PERFORMANCE OF AN EXPERT SEEMS RELAXED BUT DOES NOT LEAVE ANY GAPS. THE ACTIONS OF TRAINED PEOPLE DO NOT SEEM RUSHED." Munenori's Family Traditions on the Art of War has survived through the ages as a key text of the martial arts. The translator, Thomas Cleary, refers to these as "texts RQFRQLFWDQGVWUDWHJ\PHDQWWREHXVHIXOLQDOOZDONVRI life. Both authors, too, stress repeatedly that the "martial arts" are meant to be applied in all situations. 7KLV DSSURDFK WUXO\ PDNHV WKHVH ZRUNV RI FRQLFW philosophy more than strategic thought (or even business method) alone. The end result Miyamoto and Munenori would have us reach is more a state of mind a way of approaching problems, martial or otherwise with a proper balance of focus and openness, of passive and aggressive physical and mental states. Of course, this also means the book is not always easily tactics to the situation at hand, and not repeat stale tactics these are things with which we can identify. Other lessons will be clearer immediately. "When you strike a blow, do not keep your mind on where you hit; after striking, bring your mind back to observe your adversary's condition," writes Munenori. Students of maneuver and many pilots will recognize this admonition against "tunnel vision" from early in their training. The bottom line is that if one approaches this book with an open mind, and a willingness to apply somewhat abstract lessons to today's situation, The Book of Five Rings may help you reach "the next level" in your strategic thinking. January 2011 | 20 AROUND THE GEORGIA GUARD ATLANTA FALCONS HONOR GEORGIA GUARDSMAN GEORGIADOME,Atlanta,Jan.,15,2011 During the NFL division championship game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Green Bay Packers, the Falcons presented Georgia Guard Staff Sgt. Anthony Landowski with a commemorative Falcons Helmet in recognition of all the men and women who have served in the Global War on Terror. Georgia Guard Brig. Gen. Joe Wells, Director of Intelligence and Communications and &KLHI,QIRUPDWLRQ2IFHUIRUWKH1DWLRQDO*XDUG%XUHDXZDV on hand at the Georgia Dome to assist the Falcons in presenting the award. Landowski, a member of C Troop, 108th Cavalry, was wounded in 2009 in Afghanistan, subsequently transferred to Germany and later spent 16 months rehabilitating at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington. Landowski is currently at Eisenhower Army Medical Center at Fort Gordon where he continues his rehab. (Photo courtesy of the Atlanta Falcons.) 165TH AW PAO TALKS TO PRESS DURING VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN'S VISIT AFGHANISTAN,Jan.11,2011--Lieutenant Col. David Simons, 3XEOLF$IIDLUV 2IFHU IRU WKH WK$LUOLIW :LQJ *HRUJLD Air National Guard, talks with reporters during a recent visit by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden to Kabul Military Training Center. Simons is serving a six-month tour as the Director of Public Affairs, NATO Training Mission $IJKDQLVWDQ3KRWRE\&KLHI3HWW\2IFHU%ULDQ%UDQQRQ NTM-A PAO.) MPAD SOLDIER HIKES MT. ASO IN JAPAN MT. ASO, Japan, Jan. 22, 2011 Staff Sgt. Harold Lewis, Jr., a team leader with the 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, walks past a concrete eruption shelter as KH OPV KLV FOLPE XS 0W $VR DQ DFWLYH YROFDQR QHDU Kumamoto, Japan. Lewis is on his annual training, working as part of a team from the MPAD supporting Yama Sakura 59, which is an annual joint exercise between the U.S. Army and the Japan Ground Self Defense Force. 21 | The Georgia Guardsman DEPLOYED GA. ARMY GUARD SOLDIER RECOGNIZED FOR LEADERSHIP FORT McCOY, Wis., Jan. 13, 2011 -- Specialist Avery McKinney (center), of the Georgia Army National Guard's 877th Horizontal Engineer Company, demonstrates the use of a helmet light to Maj. Gen. Raymond F. Rees (right), Oregon National Guard Adjutant General, and Lt. Col. Kevin Dial, 1249th Engineer Battalion Commander. Rees visited the 1249th and its subordinate units during their training prior to deploying to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. McKinney, was recently recognized for his outstanding leadership during the unit's mobilization at Fort McCoy, where he displayed extensive engineering knowledge of multiple pieces of equipment and a superior performance of his duties. Dial described McKinney as "always first to volunteer and pass his wealth of knowledge to other Soldiers. He exemplifies the true spirit of what it means to be a modern-day warrior." (Photo by Sgt. Eric A. Rutherford, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, Oregon Army National Guard.) KSU GRADS RECEIVE SALUTE FROM ARMY GUARD COMMANDER KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY, Dec. 14, 2010 -- Five hundred KSU graduates received a salute for a "job well done" from Maj. Gen. Maria Britt, Commanding General of the Georgia Army National Guard. She spoke to the graduates from the perspective of a life of public service. General Britt began her military career in 1983 when she graduated from West Point and has served the United States both in active duty and the National Guard since then. She challenged the students to use their education, "for the good of others. Make the world better for more than just yourself, make it better for all Americans and the world community." Four days later, on Dec. 18, Britt delivered another keynote speech at Southern Polytechnic State University's 99th commencement ceremony. (Photo by David Caselli, Kennesaw State University.) GUARDSMEN FEATURED IN MOTION PICTURE CLAY NATIONAL GUARD CENTER, Marietta, Ga., Jan. 6, 2011 Georgia Guard Soldiers were posted at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta to "assist local police in controlling an angry crowd." The staged anxiety was all part of the production of a motion picture entitled "Contagion," currently being filmed in Atlanta. Soldiers and equipment of Georgia's 48th Infantry Brigade were used as part of the action-thriller, which centers on the "threat posed by a deadly disease and the international team of doctors contracted by the CDC to deal with the outbreak." The motion picture stars Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet and Laurence Fishburne. "Contagion" is scheduled for release in October . January 2011 | 22 *RY'HDOUHDIUPV0DM*HQ1HVELWW DV*HRUJLDV$GMXWDQW*HQHUDO 3XEOLF$IIDLUV2IFH Georgia Department of Defense 1000 Halsey Ave. Bldg. 2 Marietta, Ga. 30060