Georgia guardsman [Vol. 3, no. 3 (Fall 2002)]

GA
7~;";Ua:fdsman Fall 2002

cfta~asman Contents

Features
4 New Life
Airmen with th e 165th Airlift Wing help with the restoration of a Cold War bomber
10 'Red Leg' Assessment
The 11 Bth Field Arti llery's new com mand er talks abo ut his unit and its performance during Annual Training 2002.
12 116TH Makes History Georgia's I16th Bomb Wing becomes the I16th Air Control Wi ng in a ceremony at Robins AFB.
14 Bringing Down the House Members of the 878th Engineer Banal ion help Georgia residents reclaim their neighborhoods.
21 SDF Annual Training Georiga's State Defense Force undergoes extensive instruction at the Combat Readiness Training Center.

2

Departments

3 Guard News

23 Command Focus

In Brief

About the Cover:
Members of the 116th Bomb Wing pose for one last picture with the wing 's 8-1 bombers
Pholo1:>yStanSg1Ton~

Georgia Guardsman l

WASHINGTON - The new U.S Northern Command wi ll stri ve to help defend the homeland in the same spirit the National Guard has for centuries. Air Force Gen. Ralph Eberhart said
Eberhart, who was appointed to be NORTH COM's commander in June, made that co mm ent to the l ,800 delegates gat hered in Long Beach. Calif., for the Nat ional Guard Associa tion ofthe United States' I24th :mmml confo rcncc
we can't provide tOr the homeland defense and the security or th is great nation without the National Guard," Eberhart said
It was the first time many of the Guard leaders from the 50 states and four territories heard firsthand how Northern Command will funct ion and how much their 460,000 citizen-soldiers and ainncn arc valued by NORTl ICOM
Eberhart vowed to select the best

people who apply for NO RTHCOM positions regardl ess or whether they arc Guard, Reserve or active duty. [f a Gua rd sman is best suited to Jill a position and that person is available, that's who will be hired, he said.
"We will not accept from th e
personnel eomrmmity (the idea) that
this such individuals have to be active
duly person nel.'' he added Eberhart has already selected Maj
Gen. I-I. Stcven 131urn. fonnereommander of the Virginia Army Guard 's 29th Infantry Di vision, as hi s ehicfofstaff.
At least 23 Army and Ai r Guard olliccrs and NCOs will be working there. with more being added later. said Maj Gen. Raymond Recs. acting chicfof1hc National Guard Bureau, during his State of1he Guard address in September. -- From the Armed Forces lnfurmalion Service

Professionalism defines service by Guardsmen since Sept. 11, 01

A s the holiday season approaches, I wa nt to take this opponuni ty to thank ou1 soldiers, airmen, state defen se force personnel, state and fede ra l employees and their famil ies for th e many sacrifi ces th ey ha ve made s ince September 200 I.
We jus t welcomed hom e members of th e 48 th Infantry Brigade from their success ful! pcackecping mission in Bosnia, w hen terrorists s tru ck A meric a Everyone remembers the terrible cvcms of that day and 1hc immediate aftermath.
By the tum of the year, the nat ion was fu lly engaged in war; citizcnsoldicrs became full-time warriorss Li ves, fami lies and jobs were changed. Georgians began deploying -- and conti nu e to dep loy -- to location s the world
Monrocs' l 78th Military Police Company, fo r exa mpl e, deployed to Guantanamo Bay Naval Ba se in Cuba to guard a l-Qaida and Taliban detainees at Camp Delta. The I22 nd Rear Operations Command dep loyed to Afghan istan to help rebui ld thai nation after the fall of the Taliban government.
Closer to home, the 4th Weapons of Mass Destruction C ivil Support Team fo und itself busy responding to ca lls from a variety of businesses - from CNN to the Atlan ta Braves - and governmen t agencies.
O ur state defense force, without hesitation, took on roles to strengthen force protection at areas across the

state. And as the nati on's mi lita ry marched off to war, Amer icans sought serv ice in record numbers in the SD F, creating an all-vo lunteer force th at is second to none.
The Air National Guard. whose units regularl y depl oy in peace or wa r, fo und them se lves in so me cases coming off one deployment and immediately beginning another It was a busy time, for exam pl e, for members of Sa,annah's I 17t h Air Control Sq uadron, the 224th Joi nt Communicat ions Support Squadron out of Brunsw ick and the 283rd Com bat Communications Squadron based at Dobbins Ai r Reserve Base.
And, as yo u can sec in this issue of Th e Guardsmen, s tate and foderal leaders place a high va lue o n the se rvice of th e National G ua rd. T he Go ve rn o r 's A rrned Forces Appreciation Day clearl y put Gov. Roy Barnes out front in thanking Georgia G uardsmen for a job well done
Sti ll, we didn't fo rget our state mission. Over th e past year. we ' vc helped take down a number of homes identified by law enforcement as "crack houses." In aid ing communities across the state, we have he lped to return a positive a11i1udc to o nce depressed neighborhoods.
Finally, ifanyone needs evide nce of the professionalism a nd dedication of the Guard they need look no further than Warner Robins, where the I \6th Air Contro l Wing became the first "total force" Wing

in the nation. In late September, members of the active duty 93rd Air Control Wing and the form er I 16th Bomb Wing became one unit, nying E8-C air craft and performing the sophisticated Joint STA Rs mi ssion. Georgia Airmen ex hibitin g a can do.. attitude again again point ing the way fo r the reshaping of the total force.
We fight to defend the peace and liberty of this nation. The old axiom: '"sleep well, your Guard is on alert.. plays very we ll on these cool fall ni ghts, for Georgians all over the world are o n alert so you and I and all Americans can sleep well tonight
-- Quotable Quotes --
" It is mo ra le th a t w in s victori es. With it, all things are poss ible. With out it , everything else -- planning, pre paration , exec uti on counts fo r nothi ng."
Gcn.Gt.-orgcC.Marshall
"We are a nation of many nationalities, many races and many re li g ions -- bound together by a single uni ty, the un ity of free do m and eq uality."
Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Georgia Guardstna11 3

Airmen with the 165th Airlift Wmg hoist the Mighty 8th Air Force Museum's 8-47 Strata 1et mto the air so its landing gear can be reattached

165th Ai rlift Wing helps museum restore B-4 7

St ory by Tech. Sgt. Bucky Burnsed 165th Airlift Wing
M otorists traveling along Interstate 95 near the Savannah suburb of Pooler can now view a vintage Boeing B-47 Stratojet bomber sitting in a position of honor outside the Mighty 8th Air Force Museum. Members of the l65th Airlift Wing helped restore this imposing sweptwingjet bomber
The six-engine, medium-range bomber, a mainstay of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) from the late 1940s to the mid-1960s, was capable of in-flight refue ling. It was also one of the first Air Force aircraft capable ofdelivering nuclear bombs, which made it an intimidating Cold War era weapon
The Stratojet now on display was fo und four years ago in Florence, S. C., about 200 miles north of the museum . The plane, nccording to museum inspectors, had extensive

weather-related corrosion damage and required a massive restoration effort. Still museum officials were determined to return the B-47 to the way it appeared in the 1950s.
The process of do ing this was difficult. Before it could be moved, the plane was firs t disassembled in Florence, and its wings, tail section and landing gear delivered to the museum by truck. Once alt the

bomber's pieces had arrived, retired Lt. Gen . Buck Schuler, chairman of the museum's board of trustees, began coordinating the aircraft's complicated restoration . His first call was to the 165th Airlift Wing and its vice-commander, Col. Ed Wex le1
"General Schuler knows airmen love airplanes, and that the l65th couldn' t just sit idly by and do nothing to help in th is project," Wexler said.
Over the next 48 months some 25 airmen from the l 65th volunteered their time and expertise to the task of bringing the deteriorated bomber back to life
The skin of the aircraft, for example, was removed, picce-bypiece, sanded and pa inted with green pri mer so it could recei ve its original silver paint scheme. Major hurdles in the restoration process, including lifting the fuselage so the restored landing gear could be placed under the aircraft had to be overcome. Also, moving the aircraft to its final resting place on a concrete pad and restoring the wings, tai l section and canopy had to be accomplished
Former 8-47 pilot Darrell Lowell , who was a first lieutenant with the 8th Air Force and the Strategic Air Command, coor-

Georgi(! G11(1r(/.:m1(111 4

dinated the last piece o f the restora ti on pu zz le: gett in g the plane's engines reattac hed
TI1e ''S1ratojet," decked out in the p<ii nt scheme of the 8th Ai r Force, was read y for di sp l<i y during a reunion of the 303 rd Bomb Group at th e muse um. Members of 1he Group dedicated the bomber as a tribute to the World War II Eighth Air Force veterans of the 303 rd

Bomb Group, st<itioned at Molesworth Ai r Base, England, during the war, whose generos ity made the B 47's res1ora1ion possible
Members of the 303 rd appeared to be awed by the job restorers had done in bringing new life to this Cold War warrior of the skies. Through the efforts of all those involved in the restoration project, yet another piece of Air Force and American

hi s tory had been saved for generations of Americans to see in the years ahead.
The Might y 8th Air Force Museum is the depository of vita l information about the 8th Air Force and the part it pla ye d in the destruction of the Nazi war machine in Europe as we ll as other operat io ns during the years after World War IL

A B-47 Stratojet takes off using its JATO rockets to lih its massive form off the runway. Conrribuledph-Oto

GcorgiaGuardsrnan 5

PflolobySpc. James~
Spc. William Mc Morris c uts through loops of razor- sharp concertin a wire during a war fig h ting exercise

By S pc. .l:1111c s S her r ill 1241 h i\1 1'AD
F or more than two hours, drops of sweat beaded up an d then rolled dow n the ir fore hc<ids, collect ing and dropping at !he end o f their noses. It seemed to aggravate the engineers to be so hot and unable lo move.
But it didn' t mailer much. Even if they had been able to move, the a ir inside a 60-ton , heav ily armored tracked vehicle doesn't ci rcu late very well
A radio crackled wit h stalic, an eyebrow twitched and all ears listened intently, but ii was just another commu nications check. Anticipation was the enemy for the moment , and the soldiers with Company A and the 648 th's headq uarters company could only guess at what the opposing force had in s1ore fo r them when the word to advance d id come.
Waiting with them was a tank ballal ion concea led in nearby woods. The tan kers were ready to attack, but they depended on the engineers to make a hole for them in the enemy's defenses
The unit played out this wart ime scenario during its two-week an nua l trai ning as part of the 48th Jnfarllry

Brigade al Fort Stewart this summer. 'Opening a breach in an enemy 's defenses is the
single hardest thing for an Army to do during war," said Cap\. Ade Udell , a 48th Infantry Brigade engineer planner assigned to the 648th. If the unit can clear the obstacles without getting slaughtered, it will have accomplished a grea\ deal, he added
The word to "move out" came and the rumbling engineer vehicles headed for the first of several obstacles. Crossing the battlefield was no easy task under (s imu lated) heavy machine gun and mortar fire . A platoon of smoke-generating vehicles blanketed the eng ineers with a protective fog as they stopped just short of the firs t obstacle, entangled strands of razor sharp concertma wire
A sold ier manning a machine gun atop one of the armored vehicles ye lled down to his crewmates inside, "d rop the rear ramp, now. " Seconds later, a group of soldiers poured out and ran fu ll speed toward the wire
Specialists Timothy Hall and William McMorris, ignoring the explosions goi ng off around them, made it 10 the obstacle. They muscled Bangalore torpedoes up to the wire and placed the five-foot, explosive-filled tubes among the intertw ined loops. Hall and McMorris

Georg ia G11ards111(m 6

sprinted back to the protect ion of their tracked vehicle. But something happened; the bangalores didn ' t explode.
Wit h no time to fi gure why, Hall and McMorri s each grabbed a pair o f wi re c utters and headed back to the obsiaclc. After a minute of franti c tugging and cutting, th ey brought the wire down . A waitingAnnored Vehicle Lau nc h Bridge (AV LB) cl ambered forward and posi tioned its folding bridge over a trench dug by the oppos in g force. The AVL B qu ickly disconnected and then backed away.
" I've done this hundreds of times, but as phys ically lit as I am, it still wears me out," said the visib ly exhausted Hall fro m hi s scat inside his ..track."
O utside , an Armored Combat Engineer veh icle crossed the bridge. It took a hard left and used its bulldozer blade to push a massive dirt mound into the trench to make a wider path for the tankers.
With these obstacles cleared, the engineers moved on to their next challe nge, a s imulated enemy

minefields. Yard upon yard o f these hidden devils waited like g iant can openers.
Over th e radio, the 648th 's commander, Lt. Cot. Randy Poste ll, orde rs th e Mine C leari ng Linc Cha rge (pronounced .. mi ck lick'') vehicle brought forward. Atop thi s beast o f a mach in e is a rocket at1<1chcd to 2000 pounds of high-explosive cord. The rocke1 was fi red and pulled J 60 meters of fire-h ose looking cord up, out and over the minefield "Nonnally, there's a huge explosion when the charge is detonated," Postell sai d after 1he rocket and cord settled lo earth Bu t because the explosion is so powerful we on ly simulated the cord's detonation ,,. he added. The min elie ld was rendered passable, 1h e blood thirsty concerti na was moved away and the al l clear ' went out, signa ling the wai ting MI A2 Abrams to move on to their objective and win the day - thanks to the soldiers of the 648th Engineer Bat talion.

Georgia Guardsman 7

New commander touts 118th FA's
performance

Story byCa 11t. Sam Gibso n 481 h Infa ntry Hr ig:i dc PAO
Out on the traini ng area at Fort Stewart, the promise of another hot summer day came with the rising of the morning sun
As the sun climbed higher into the morni ng sky, Maj. ( P) Don Beard walchcd through binoculars while the gun crews of the 11 Sth Field Anillery Balla lion conducted one of several live fire exercises out on one of the post's artillery firing points
Alter a few moments, the unit ' s M 109-A6 Paladins came to life as their guns spewed hot lead , smoke and 1lame toward targets on Fort Stewart 's :irtillcry impact area.
Th is was Beard 's second opportunity to evaluate the battal ion 's performance in the fie ld

as its new commander. His first was earlier in the surnrner shortly after taking eommand , and he felt now as he did then, he said
"As a 'Red Leg,' I can tell you that if you' re not a tad bit nervous on any and all live tires, then you don't fully understand the power of the field artillery," Beard said. "Every time we go ou t to fire on the range, we' re doing exactly what we would do during combat, and there's just no way to ignore the total power, the absolute might that's exhibited.''
Turning away from the action out on the range, Beard talked for a moment about his becoming the l l 8th 's new commander. He has led teams, platoons and even full companies to prepare him for this, his toughest assignment yet, he said

" I believe it takes a full caree1 and success in many jobs in the field artillery to fu lly prepare you for the rigors of comma nd in a direct support fi eld artillery batt alion,'' Beard said.
With each move up the command structure, there have been new challenges to face and to conquer, he said
''Still, I don't believe there 's any added pressure on me because I am now in command,'' Beard said
"l sincerel y believe it 's because of the confidence 1not only have in my own abil ities, but a lso in the officers and noncomm issioned officer's of this batt alion ," he said
P rior to 1he start of annual training, Beard gathered his men together to offer encouragement and talk about what was expected of them. T he artillerymen listened intently as their commander spoke
"You gen tlemen arc the best, and I have every confidence that you will conti nue to be the best artillerymen on the field,'' he said looking out across the formation in front of him.
"Not only a re we going to look good, we're a lso going to be
"Our people, as they always do, performed in an outstanding manner."
--Maj. Don Beard commande1; Ist Battalion /18th FieldArtille1y

Ceor!!Ja G11ard.1111w1 8

hardcore and we' re going to win battles," Beard said, beaming with pride. our country is at war and we' re going to be ready to pick up the gauntlet when called upon. Enough said: let 's go to work.'"
The soldiers dispersed with a rousing, "hooah.. and prepared for what was to come.
During annual training, Beard had several training goals in mind for the I 18th. Among th em was establi shin g digita l and vo ice com mand, conducting deliberate occupation of a firing area and making improvement s to th e unit 's ready-to-fire capabi lity
The unit also woul d work to improve it s de livery of fire and overa ll soldi er combat readiness. These were tough train ing objectives, Beard said , but they had to be met head-on and overcome
Following annual train ing, Beard offe red an a ssess ment of th e battalion's perfonnance.
our peopl e, as they always do,

performed in an outs tandin g manner,"' he said smiling.
The battalion succeeds because it sticks to its philosophy that any major mo vement of troops and equipment is done when its visib ility to an opposing force is limited, Beard

said. ..We also were able lo conduct
all missions to standard and fi red all rounds drawn," Beard said...This was a great moti vator and a source of great pride for us;' he said.

GcorgiaGuar<lsman 9

Georgia Stale Defelase Fon:e
Annual lrai - i1tense
SDFshapcns its skAi

Sto ry by Col. Robert Kno wles CSDF l' uhlic Affa in Officer
S upport ing th e Geo rgia Nat ional Gua rd and other agenc ies in a time of crisis is never an easy task
It req uir es dedi ca ted a nd knowledgeable ind ividuals trained in th e skill s necessary for accomplishing the mission , whenever or wherever it may be.
That 's why more than 325 vo luntee rs of th e Georgia State Defense Force spent three days thi s sum mer at the Georgia Air Na1ional

Guards' Combat Read in ess Tra in ing Center in Sav<i nnah for Annual Training.
During that three-day-period the SD F vol unt ee rs li ved, a te and trained at C RTC with assistance from Air Guardsmen of 165th Ai rl ift Wing.
The training included drill and cere-mony. military courtesy and proper weari ng of the uniform .
Tasks such as these are "old hat'' to Defe nse Force members who have prior military seivice. said SDF Command Sgt. Maj. Peter Bardou l.
Those indi vidual s who we re

being introduced for the first time, however, to the military way ofdoing things fo un d it a whole new ex perience, he said.
Meanwhile, members from lhe main headquarters and from eac h of the S DF 's four brigades parti cipated in a statewide hurri cane preparedness exerc ise.
Soldi ers with th e headquarters medical detac hmen t spent thei r training time conducting medi cal examinations and providing immunizations to the Air Guardsmen of the 165th
The most ex tensive instruction

Georgia G11ards111t111 fO

SDF members obtained was on how 10 handle civil di sturbances, crowd and traffi c con tro l, how to avoid confron tation and how to protect themselves when necessary.
These were taught by several Defen se Force volunteers with law enforcement experience, including members of th e Sava nnah Pol ice Depart-mcnt 's horse mounted units, and sec urity person ne l from the 165 th , Bardoul sa id.
"The events of Sept. 11 , 200 I, and the days fol lowing that national tragedy made our support mi ssions more crucial," he added
"Each of us brings special qualification s to th e Sta te Defense Force and the Georgia Department of Defense. We believe these give us thm edge ' needed to accompl ish whatever mi ss io n we ma y be

assigned." Bardoul sa id he was
particularly impressed by so me of th e S DF 's newest members.
Wha t these indi viduals may have lacked in military training and experience, he said, they more than made up for in special skill s, ded ication and the ir overa ll en thusiasm.
Brig. Gen. Joel Seymour, who commands the State Defense Force, pronounced this year 's A.T. a g reat success.
Seymour and key members of the S DF headquarters staff made it a point to visit the 165th to thank its airm en, as wel l as Col. Steven Westgate, the wing com mander, and hi s sta ff for their assista nce in

making Annual Training 2002 a rewarding event
General Seymour a lso ex presse d his appreciation to Savannah Police Lt. George Walker and hi s fellow instructors for their help in keeping SDF personnel ready to answer the ca ll to duty.
"Your assistance afforded us some of the best training we ha ve ever had," Seymour told Walker.

SDF soldiers conduct civil dis turbance training with officers of th e Savannah Police Departmen t mounted unit. Photo by soF w u. Jim PHl.r
Gcorgi<iGuardsman I\

~ ~o:rce ~s-to:rym.ade a-t ~obin..s

History was made in Georgia 1ha1 will forever change the way the Air Force is organized.
In a ceremony lasting little more than one hour, members ofthe I16th Bomb Wing of the Georgia Ai r National Guard and the active Air Force 93rd Air Control Wing closed ranks to become the first combined unit in the history of the Air Force.
'What we're doing has never been done before, putting active and National Guard members in one command strucmre," said Air Force Secretary James Roche on hand for the fomial activation of the l 16th Air Control Wing at Robins Air Force Base.
';Today we take a significant leap forward in realigning the Air Force of the 21st Century," continued Roche.
Air Force offic ials say the combi ned unit will be the template for other combined units in the future.
With the combination, the new I 16th Air Control Wing also becomes the largest wing in the Ai r Force with more than 2700 members. Col. Tom Lynn, the l 16th Bomb Wing's forme r commander, will command the new wing
"Today we make history,'' said Lynn before a gathering of several thousand Guardsmen, public officials, guests and families "Tomorrow, we put these concepts into reality. You are profes-sionals, patrio1s. You 're Americans who put service before selves. You have an opportun ity to create an unparalleled organization ofexcellence.
The new wing will fly the sophisti-cated Joint STARS (Surveillance Target Attack Radar System) mission, considered by Air Force leaders as one of the highest priority missions for the future Air Force.
Flying converted Boeing 707s, the J-STARS sophisticated airborne

radar detects targets on the ground up to 155 miles away and provides updated information to battlefield commanders to engage and destroy the enemy. The J-STARS aircraft known as the E-8C carries a crew of three and another 19 airmen and sol d iers who operate the sophisticated radar systems.
The Joi nt STARS has proven it value by fly ing more than 240 combat missions over Afghanistan, ga1hering intelligence and helping fighters, bombers and commanders on the ground to identify al-Qaida and Taliban targets
The 93rd Air Control Wing at Robins was the only J-STARS unit in the Air Force.
By assuming the JSTARS mission, the Air National Guard and the Air Force can get more fl ights out the aircraft without adding new

equipment or having to bring active duty crews from elswhere to Robins AFB.
Although the ceremony marked the successful merger, Secretary Roche said the real success of the wing would be proven when the wing deploys for the first time.
" This is something not tried before," he said. "The biggest cha llenge w ill be merging active duty and Guard cultures."
''It's going to be an adventure." said Master Sgt. Walt Downi ng, one of the J-STARS crewmembers
''There are going to be problems ,we will have to work out, but the Guard and active duty have been working together for years, Downing said. "And believe me, we're goi ng to make it work.''

The 116th wasted no time in painting the new markings on the tail section of their new aircraft. Pholoby Master Sgt. Rid< Cowen

Col. Tom Lynn receives a wet welcome home after completing his last training flight in the B-1. Pl>OlobyU eo1 K0t1 BaJdowski

116-t.h.. Bids Farewell to B-1

Amidst the anticipat ion and excitement of being the first total force

"Th is was a tough one,'' said Maj. John Smithies. 1 was fine until we

wing in Air Force history, members of taxied in and saw all the people here.

the I 16th Bomb Wing gave up the Bl B Lancer this summer after flying the

Yeah, it was a rea lly sad day." As is the long held custom on a

aircra11 for more than six years. This is a really sad day for us,' said

pilot's last flight in an aircraft, anxious ground crew members doused each

Tech Sgt. Mark Shaw a maintenance

crewmember with champagne as he

superv isor with the I 16th. ['ve got so

descended the steps of the B-1.

many years with the airplane, it's hard to see it go,'' he said
Thefinalfiightofthelast twoB-ls stirred a crowd of onlookers and well-

However, the blast of champagne and a ceremonious water shower from fellow aviators only helped disguise a tear or two from some of the crew-

wishers in an impromp tu airshow c ulminating in several lowlevel high speed passes over the base. All eyes followed the enormous bomber as it climbed into the gray skies.

members Thirty-two B-1 aircraft were retired
by the Air Force decision to remove the B-1 from the Air National Guard The resulting savings ofmore than $1.3

we really didn't want to come

billion dollars !Tom the consolidation will

down,"said Co l. Tom Lynn, who along w ith crewmembers in both aircraft, was making his "fini-fiight'' as weapons

be reinvested in the remaining aircraft to upgrade their defensive systems and avionics, and to integrate a new family

systems officer

of weapons

Lynn wil l be the new commander of the new I 16th Air Control Wing. In

The consolidation of the B-1 fleet will provide the Air Force with a B-1

the process, he is expected to receive

fleet that is fully funded and combat

his first star.

capable for the next 20 years.

Another crackhouse

As the 878th engineers tear down derelict buildings across the state that are considered a health and safety risk to Georgia's neighborh oods.

S1ory by Sgt. Roy Henry 124rhMl'A D
S pc. Ryan Ri cks, his mouth and nose covered by a sma l l white mask~ watched wh ile dust rose from the debri s from. one halfofwhat was once a s in gle-story, s ing lc-fomi ly ho m e in southwest A tl anta 's Vine Oity comm unity dm1ng mid-June.

In fron t of him an excavator ope rated by a fellow sold ier of Company C, 878th Eng in eer Ba tta li o n, conti nued bringi ng down the derelict structure . He woul d later see the same thing happen to an abandoned hou se in th e nearby Engli sh Ave nu e commun ity.
For Ricks, a heavy equipme nt operator w ilh the 878th 's Company A, thi s was the second mission in whi ch he had assisted

in the destruction o f a building, the Atlanw Police De partment sa id was used by drug users, thieves and vagrants. In April he and his fe ll ow Guard s men tore down an abandoned apartment complex and two single-family dwellings also in the Vine Ci ty and English Avenue areas.
Projects such as these are not onl y great training opportunities for the soldiers, they a lso he lp the com munities in which they tak e place , said Capt. Flint Ty ler. who commands the 878th 's Compa ny B.
''Good people shouldn ' t ha ve to worry that someone will hurt them, their c hil dre n or damage their property,'' said Ricks, w ith conviction in hi s voice.
"This isn't even my neighborhood, and I know l"m g lad to see the m (the condemned buildings) fa ll,'' the Swai nsboro native added.
The demoli tion projects in whic h the 878th pa rticipated were parLofthe city of A tlanta 's Operation Crackdown 2002. T he Guard's Counterdnig Task Force. acting 011 rcqucs ls lu the U.S. Allumcy's Office by th e At lanta Hi g h Intensity Drug Tra ffi cking Area and the Metro A tlanrn Crime Commission, coordinated use of the 878th Eng ineer Battalion.
Two other assignments saw the 878th e ng ineers bring down the wall s of severa l other concte mned bui ldings in Ta llapoosa and Swainsboro.
For Spc. Calvi n Bell , an electrician with the 878th's Company C, the niission on Da lvigney Avenue was bis first, and he said he hoped it wouldn ' t be his last.
Bell sai d he had grown UR in a Swai,nsboro neighborhood that also had.Jo deal with derelict buildi ngs and the c rim inal e le me nt that occupied them . It felt g rea t to hefp peop_le e didn 'f know create a hea lthi e r and sa er e nv ironme nt in wh ic h to live, he said.
" The g ood folk s w ho li ve in th is neighborhood, and others lik e it, work hard

comes tumblin' down

and try to rai se their children right,'' Bell sa id. "They have the right to say, ' we don't want thi s mess where we li ve. '"
Ne ighborhood res ident s like Leatrice McCu ll ough, whose Ju lian Street home stands beh ind the now empty Da lvigncy Avenue lot, applauded the tremendous work the Georgia National Guard has done with her neighborhood.
McCullou g h, who h as lived in th e neighborhood fo r six years, recounted how she was often afra id to lcl her now 15yca r-old daughter outs ide by herself

beca use of th e ''peop le'' who used to occupy the house on Da lvigncy Avenue. She also rem embered how fr ightened she was this past winter when a ma n started a fire in the derelict house to keep wann. Had th e fire gott en o ut o f co ntrol , McCull ough said, it would have spread to her home , and "probab ly taken out houses for two blocks in either direction...
" I think everyone knows what a great service these soldiers arc doing fo r o ur neighborhood; McCull ough said whil e she watched a group of G ua rdsmen load

a dump truck with debris. "Anyone who lives here wou ld, I be lieve, agree with me on that ,"' McCullough said .
The 878th's partic ipation in th is year's Operat ion Crackdown will probably not be its last, Ty ler sa id .
With the s uccess this community project has had , the battalion w ill cert ain ly be look ing forwa rd to part ic ipating in others whenever the opportunity arises. he said.
.. We ' re helping others and it 's great trainin g tool," Ty ler added. 'we could n' t ask for more."

, ...........

Georgia Guar<lsnwn 15

PflolobySpc. Jelfl.owry
Spc. Steven Krippel m (left) of Co. H, 121st Inf., explains an M-203 grenade launcher to military officers from the Republic of Georgia.
LRSC provides lessons to Georgians

Slory by S 11 ~. .Jeff towry 1241hi\1 l'A I>
W:1cn the team leaders of Company H, 12lst Infan try Regime nt , briefed their "'higher headquarters" durin g an nual train in g a t Fort McClellan, Ala., all the usual players were in attendance.
What made thi s briefing different, though, were fo ur mili tary officers from the Re public of Georgia who also participated in the mission briefi ng.
As part of the National Guard Burea u 's State Partn ersh ip Program, the Georgians worked for two weeks thi s summer alongside mem be rs of Company 1-1, a lso

known as the Long Range Surve illance Company or LRSC unit.
..Thi s is another step toward furthering our relationship," said Capt. Tari el Kupatadzc through an
"Because it S as you say, 'NCOs are the backbone ofthe Army."
--1st Lt. Mamnka Tskrialashvili, Republic ofGeorgia army
interprete r, o f th e co ntinuin g association between his country and the United States. "And it 'sexccltent, exce llent training,.. he added.

After the fall ofthe Soviet Union in th e ear ly l990's, many of it s sa tellite countrie s, incl ud ing the Republic of Georgia, had to start over militarily. In 1993 the National Guard Bureau in Washington deve loped the State Partnership Program to promote U.S . interests and to he lp prov id e a more stab le and secure region. Si nce the republic shares its name w ith the state of Georgia, 1he two became partners in the progra m and ha ve worked together ever sin ce.
Now, through its partnership with the Georg ia Anny Nat iona l Guard, the Republic of Georgia is moving towa rd in corpora tin g the U.S . military structu re into it s armed forces.

GeorgiaG11(1Nfs111a11 16

Unlike i1s American courucrpan, 1h c Georgian milil ary has no Noncomm issioned O rfi cer Corps. What was un usua l to the Georg ian o ffi cers, and rather unique to the LR S Company, was the in creased amount ofresponsibility that is g iven to the unit 's no n-com mi ss ioned o ffi cers, Kupatadze said .
Sgt. M ichael Mil lette was one of those who took part in briefing the Georgians and the Company H chain of com mand.
""Pl anning a mission is usually an otliccr's task," Mi ll e11c ex pl ained. "In th is case, howeve r, th e team designs the mission, whi ch has to mee t the commander 's intent."" said Millette.

Whi le Mil lette performed as team leader. other 1cam members took on othe r respons ib ilities. A private first class. fo r example, was the team 's personne l officer, and a specia li st became it s suppl y ollicer.
T hese indi v idu:il s, lik e th e ir sergeant. al so bri efed th e LR SC com man der. h is staff and the G e o r g i a n s.
While it didn ' t bother them, it did seemed s tran ge. th e Georgian s agreed, to have enl isted sol di ers acting as officers.
""Th ey were good," said 1st Lt. Marnnka Tskria lashvi li through an interru pter. "They were quite good."'
Because they're NCOs(M illette and other LRSC soldi ers) and they

do the job, they' re able to expla in it so we ll, he sa id.
''Th rough our move to the U.S. m ilitary type of organ izati on, we' ll not onl y ha ve professional o ffi cers, but a lso a professional NCO C orps to sustain us," Ts krialashvili added .
Th e end res ult , Tskrialaslwili sa id, wou ld be a more profic ient and more capable Georgian army.
The four Georgians sa id they we lcome the new struct ure and strategy and hoped that these things would o ne day help their coun try become part of NATO.
" It' ll be he lp fu l to adopt a new st yle; the Russian do ctr in e is outdated," said Tskrialash vili. '"And unusable in our conditi ons," added I st Lt. Pav le Sudunishivi lli about his country's rough, mo untaino us region.
To embrace the good the U.S. a nd th e s tate of Georgi a ha s militarily, said Suduni shivil li, is one way of bring ing the dream of be ing a partner in NATO closer to reality.
Part of that good is the NCOs, Tsk ria lashvili said, ""Because it 's as you say, 'NCOs arc lhe backbone of the Army.'"

GcorgiaGu:1rdsrrnm 17

Web link gives Guardsmen

access to job opportunities

S 1 o r~ by SgL Roy ll cnry 1241hl\IPAD
Cadet Hugh Henry of the Cadet Corps at Nort h Georgia College is looking for ful l-time em plo y ment. but searching the classifieds or visitin g an employment agency is not part of his plan. Henry, an administrative assistant w ith Headquarters Company. 22 lst Mi li tary In telli gence Battali on at Fort Gillem, logs onto www.virtua lan nory.com and clicks on the JO B link.
So ld iers, like He nry, arc now matchi ng their technical skills with their future careers by visiting the Job Oppo11lmi ty Bank on the virtual armory site. Hundred 's of Georgia companies have posted employment vacanc ies there, s:i id 1st Sgt. C liff Mashburn, an M-Day soldier with

the Guard's 248th Mil ita ry Intelligence Company also based at G illem.
"The JOB link has been 'plugged into' www.virtualarmory.com since early summer and nearl y all or the Army Guard's current M-Day soldi ers ha ve recei ved inforrmition about the site and how to use it," he said .
Mashbu rn , ha s bee n working with the Guard 's Stre ng th Maintcrrnncc Office and trave ling th e state to inform hi s fe llow Army Guardsmen about the JOB program.
..There ;ire any number of publ ic agenci es, private com pan ies and Intern et sites that so ldier 's can go to and searc h fo r e mp loy ment," Mashburn said ...Bu t Lhe JOB link on Virtual Armory is built with the purpose or specificall y matchin g sold iers, the ir special sk ill s and

attributes to the right j ob in any field they choose.''
Whi le the JOB site was created to ass ist traditional G uard smen already in uniform and new recruits in the tough world of hunting fu lltimecivilian employment, it 's not j ust for them.
'T he JOB link is also there for Guard fam il y members who are looking for work, as wel l as active duty sold iers transitioning from fu lltirne status to part-time by joining the Guard," Mashburn con tinued.
More th an 600 Georgia companies that suppon the Georgia Nat ional G uard have job opponun itics li sted on th e site, and Mashburn said that number continues to grow. Such growth is a testame nt to th e impo rt ance c ivili an empl oyer 's pl ace o n the val uable tec hnical and management

!!!

Vis itors to the Virturaf Armory Web site can double click 0 11 lflis photo and then begin their job search.

skill s Guardsmen ha ve, he added. our peopl e arc proven
performers who are phys ica lly fit and drug free because of the nature of their profession; Mashburn said. Thcy rc adept at le;idership and organ ization , they underswnd and practice safety, securit y and risk management with a hi gh degree of c niciency.
'Wi th a tool such as thi s at their disposal, Georgia 's business leaders kno w the y' ll be meetin g, and hopefu lly hiring, some of th e best em ployees in the s tate," he continued .
Sgt. Quianna Hagood is a fulltime admin istrati ve NCO with th e 22 1st"s Headquarters Compan y.

She often has new M- Day soldi ers who come to the uni! in need of c ivili an empl oyment. One suc h indi vidual , she remembered, had just fini shed her A IT training as an admini s tra tive s pecia li st. The sold ier was worried because she couldn ' t find work. Hagood said
Geu ing the soldier signed up on Vi rtual Ar mor y a nd into the Georgia Job li nk. however, helped her find what she wanted.
when you' re the new kid on the block,' being able to find a good job makes the situation lcssstress fu1 , Hagood explained. ..The JOB link lets

us get that new so ldier matched wit h an employer who offered the kind of pay, benefits and location she rea lly needed ."'
Georgia is the first state to lrn ve its employers on Virtual Armory. A rtc r Bri g. Gen. Terry Nesb itt became the Army G uard commander, recniiti ng new soldiers and retaining those who arc MOS qualifi ed in the Guard became his top priority, Mashburn said.
With thi s new recruiting and retent ion too l in place, there's a
greater chance potential recruit s and veterans will look more close ly at staying in uniform. he sa id.

GcorgiaGu:irdsman 19

'A time time to cry, a time to laugh... '
178th's MPs deploy, 122nd ROG returns as war continues
W 1e11e1er the U.S. has gone ro ww; Georgia:\' ci1i=e11 -soldiers have packed their gea1: said goodhye ro j{1111ilies and Fiends. and 1he11 set 0111 to rig/If 1he 11ro11gs ill the ll'or/d
The I 781/i Military Pulice Com pany, wlticlt !ep 1/iis s11111111e1: is among rhe fa/est 1111if 10 luwe fO say those lung, sad goodbyes.
Mos/ of the 1111i1 :~ more 1ltc111 100 sofdien are eirher 011 six-momh dep/oyme111 lo G11t1111a1wmo Bay Naval Base ill Cuba. or pulling duty ar F'orl Be1111i11g.
When rhe J78rh finishes its dury ir will re111m ro a hearty "ll'elcome home .. just as 1/1e I22nd Rear Operario11s Command did afler re111r11i11g rliis summer from its six111011111 mi.~sion i11 Afglu111isu111. Many of rite 12l 11d :~ rewming soldiers said !heir rime away \\'as a greal adve1111we. but 1hey were also happy 10 be home.

Sgt. 1st Class Shane Harper hugs his son J onathan before leaving fo r Cu ba . PholobyPlc Hea111e<Mc1.emore

Geor)!iaG11ardsmm1 2/J

Austin, Rumsey take over 117th ACS

Plio!obyMas1e<SgtWmDarrell Harvey
Lt. Col. Carey Downing (left) passes the 117th ACS guidon to Maj. Gen. William Searcy, commander Georgia Air National Guard. Waiting to receive the unit flag is the new commander, Lt. Col. Richard B. Austin IV.

Lt. Col. Richard B. Aust in JV and Lt. Col. Michael Rumsey IOok command of 1he I 17th Air Co ntrol Squadron a nd its d etac hm ent in August fr om the retir in g commander, LL Co l. Carey Downi ng.
Austin took charge of the Savannah-based squadron , whil e Rumsey became commander of the unit 's full-time detachment, during a change-of-command ceremony at Hunter Am1y Air Fi eld in Savannah. Rumsey is th e former detachment commander of the 202 nd Engineering Installation Squadron. Downing, who rece ived the A ir Force Meritorious Serv ice Meda l fro m Maj. Gen. Wiltimn Searcy, com mander Air Nationa l Guard, had held both positions for more than eight years.



PllOIOby Masre<SgtWm Otmelttw.ey
Members of the media, Georgia state legislators and civilian employers pose with Georgia Air Guardsmen from the 165th Airlift Wing this summer at Muniz Air National Guard Base in San Juan , Puerto Rico. The group was at Muniz learning about the Georgia Ai r Guard's role in Operation Coronet Oak. Among those who visited and ta lked with the airmen were state representatives Ann Purcell and Roger Byrd, Chatham County Commissioner Dean Kicklighter, Houston County Commissioner Tom McMichael and United States Attorney Rick Thompson . Maj . Gen. Willam Searcy, commander Air National Guard , was also part of the group. Coronet Oak is the name given to the year-round mi litary support missions flown by the 165th and other Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and active duty Air Force units throughout Central and South America for the U.S. Southern Command .
Georgia Gu:irdsman 2 1

Maj. Gen. David B. Poythress and Delta employee Tom Cooper.
Company honored
A Delta Airlines supervisor and the Atlanrn-bascd company were honored this summer by Georgia National Guard o fficial s for Iheir support of the Guard and those Delta employees who serve as traditional Guardsmen.
M:ij. Ge n. Dav id B. Poythress. Georgia's Adjutant General made the presentations before a small gathering ilt Dclta's Technical Operations faci lity ill Hartsfield International Airport.
Tom Cooper. director o f programs and planning at Tech Ops. recei ved a certifi cate of appreciation from Poythress on behalf of the Nat ional Committee fo r Employer Suppon of the National Guard and Reserve.
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Peter J. Demko. a Ul 1- 1N I luey helicopter pi lot with 3rd Battalion. 126th Aviation Regiment i11 Winder. and 3rd Battalio n's command scrgeunt major, Com mand Sgt. Maj. Larry Glass. nomi11:1ted Cooper for 1hc award. In hi s civilian job. Demko works unde r Cooper as a senior project man:1gcr.
Because o f Delta's continual support of the Guard and Reserve ii received the National Guard's Minuteman Award. Ray Valcika. Dclta'sscnior vice president of technical operations. accepted the award on the company's behalf.
Guardsmen compete
Members of the Long Range Surveillance Company, Comp;my H, 121 st Infantry Regiment. placed seventh overall. at the 20th ann ual Leapfest. Thi s multi-nmiona l. multi-service parachute competition was held this summer at the

University o f Rhode Island in Kin gsto n. The LRSC soldiers who competed
were Capt. Matthew S mith, the Company H commander. and his first sergcllnl. 1st Sgt. Mike l lurndon. Also there were Sgt. \st Class Carl Anderson, who came in fourth out ofa licld of 132 indi vidual competitors; Sgt. 1st Class Shawn Lewis; Staff Sgt. Shilo Crane; Staff Sgt. Joseph Shirer; Sgt. Mike Millett; Sgt. Keit h \Vitlcun; Sgt. Mike Morgan; Sgt. Franz Haller: and Cpl. Johnny Lara.
Company 11 has participated in Lcap fcst for the past 10 years. Its two. live-man teams were among 43 domestic and foreign tea ms that a11cndcd this year's competition. Leapfest 1s organized. promoted and executed by the Rhode Island Army National Guard.
Maj. John F. King (left) and Com-mand Sgt. Maj. David Knowles.
King commands 108th
Maj. John F. Ki ng assumed commandofCalhmm's 1st Datrnlion, 108th Armor, th is summer du ring a change of command ceremony at Calhoun I ligh School's Phil Reeves Stadium.
King, who was the unit'soperations and training o ni cer. accepted authority for 108th Armor from Lt. Col. Kenneth C. Roberts.the o utgoing commander. Roberts. who spent three and a half years as the unit commander. has been assigned full-time to the mobi lizat ion branch of Forces Commund at Fort McPherson in Atlunta.
Shortly before the ceremony ended, Roberts was awarded the Army Meritorious Service Medal for his success as the I081h s commander by Col. John Gaines. deput y commander 48th lnfantl)' Brigade. Gaines also presented Roberts' wife. Sonja, with the Georgia Co m-

Ideas sought
There isn't a day that goes by that someone, somewhere, hasn't thought o f a way to do things more efficiently. Many o f those ideas. however, never become a reality because they never find thei r way into the hands of those who can make them come alive.
Georgia Department ofDc!i!nse employees who have suggestions or ideas can submit them and receive cash or other awards i f they arc used.
Eligible personnel include Am1y and Air Guardsmen. foderal tech nicians and state emp loyees. Suggestions and ideas for the Anny Guilrd can be submincd on NGB Form 6, while those regardi ng the Air Guard can be documented on AF Form IOOO. Both can be found on the Georgia Human Resources Web site at http: I/ www.gahro.com/
For more information contact Sgt. Merlyn Gore. incentive awards program manager. llt 404-624-6428.
More of 178th in Cuba
Another group of soldiers from the l 7Rlh Military Police Company have jo ined those al ready o n six- mon th deployment to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba.
At lea st 13 of th e 22-soldier detachment that stayed behind to assist the Military Police Activity at Fort Benning brought the 98-soldicr Cuba detachment up to 127.
Among the Guardsmen who have joined the Guantanamo mi ssion is Lt. James Collie, the I 78th 's executive officer. Co llie had commanded the Benning Detachmelll aficr the initial group MPs le fi for Cuba this summer.
"Muny of the sold iers who were at Benning were not qualified milital)' police officers," Collie said. "It was necessary for them to become qualified before coming here.
I !is group is enjoying its work with Joint Task Force 160. he said. JTF 160 is responsible for keeping tabs on the mo re than 500 al Qaida and Tal iban detainees being held at G uantanamo's Camp Delta

.

Georgia Guard~11u111 22

IHHIHS, HUI.l.E'l'S l~l.Y A'I' 'l'Ulllll~Y SIIOO'I'

0

ne docsn 't usually associate turkey shoot ing with mill ion dollar ai rcraft. pre-

cision nying and pinpoint bombing

and gunnery accuracy. But for more

than 40 of the U.S. mi litary's "Top

Guns, Georgia's Turkey Shoot has

become a premier annual competi-

tion.

Organized in 1998. Georgia 's Tur-

key Shoot is designed to exercise

and demonstrate the capabilities of

America's fi ghter and bomber pilots,

whi le showing guests and employ-

ers of Georgia G uard s men th e

unique role the National Guard plays

in assuring the nation 's readiness.

"Th is year's even t was the larg-

est ever, with more than 400 spec-

tators and more than 40 combai air-

craft partic ipating in the one-day

ariel bombing and stra fing competition ," sai d Maj . Gen. Dav id B. Po ythress, Georgia's Adjutant Genera l.
Guests at this year's compe titi on were not di sap pointed as wave after wave of combat aircraft zeroed in on targe ts a1 Tow nsend Bombing Range. At treetop leve ls, F-16 Eagles, F/A- 18 Hornets, A- I 0 Thunderbo lts and B-1 bombers from National Guard. Reserve and active duty units across the country made pass afler pass a1 targets on the range.
In actual combat, pilots search for targets white keeping a wa tch-

ful eye for surface to ai r thrcais. The operators of the range rep licated this by firin g simulated ..smoky SAMs" at incoming aircraft making it a reali stic scenario. Fo llowing each run. pilots focused on two enormous bull 's-eye" targets in the center of the range and then let go a fu si llade of mach ine gun firepower.
The Turkey Shoot competit ion is one of severa l recognized military aerial competitions staged by the Nationa l Guard each year. Sophisticmcd sensors throughout the range de1ect the accuracy of eac h bomb dropped and every round fi red.
Th is yea r 's win ners we re th e l03rd Fighter Wing of the Connccticu\ Air Nat iona l Guard 11ying the F16 Fighting Falcon .

Georgia G11ard.111w11 24
...

PholobyStallSglT..,~
A B-1 bomber flown by the 116th Bomb Wing prepares to drop its simulated bomb load on a series of targets on the Townsend Bomb Range during this year's Turkey Shoot.

ct0Eft'.dsman
C/ O Directomte "f Co111111u11icatio11.\
Georgia Department of Defense
P. 0. Box 17965
Athmta, Ga. , 303 16-0965

PRSRTSTD US POSTAGE PAID
ATLANTA, GA PERMIT NO. 7050