December 2012 Edition

December 2012

376 years of the Citizen-Soldier Georgia celebrates National Guard birthday at state headquarters

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Table of Contents

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1 | The Georgia Guardsman

Community effort rewards deserving Citizen-Soldier

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NCO Notepad

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Georgia Guard Specialist wins 2012 Operation Rising Star

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SDF, Clark Howard bring Christmas to Georgia’s Foster children

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A bloody New Year in middle Tennessee

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Georgia aviators help secure Southwest border

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Georgia Guard intelligence analyst juggles many responsibilities

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Professional Development Bookshelf:

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Georgia celebrates 376 years of the Citizen-Soldier

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Around the Guard

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Commander-in-Chief: Gov. Nathan Deal Adjutant General of Georgia: Maj. Gen. Jim Butterworth State Public Affairs Director: Ms. Mary Therese Tebbe Managing Editor Mr. Seth G. Stuck Operations NCO: Sgt. 1st Class Gerard Brown Layout and Design: Mr. Steven Welch Contributing Ga. DoD Organizations: 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, 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 Department of Defense Public Affairs Office. The views and opinions expressed in the Georgia Guardsman are not necessarily those of the Departments of the Army, Air Force or the Adjutant General of Georgia. The Georgia Guardsman is distributed free-of-charge to members of the Georgia Army and Air National Guard, State Defense Force and other interested persons upon request.

Up-to-the-minute Ga. DoD news and information can be found at www.gadod.net

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December 2012 | 2

On the road again:

Community effort rewards deserving Citizen-Soldier Story and photo by 1st Lt. Mike Thompson 78th Homeland Response Force Georgia Army National Guard CLAY NATIONAL GUARD CENTER, Marietta, Ga., Nov. 19, 20122 – It can be hard to readjust after returning from a deployment, but one Citizen-Soldier fell on severely difficult times when she returned home to find all her personal belongings that were in storage had been lost in a fire. Although she faced adversity, she did not give up; and with the support of her chain of command and the Georgia National Guard Family Assistance Center, they found the help the deserving Guardsman needed.

Sterling Auto Body Alpharetta, Allstate Insurance Company, Ed Voyles Automotive Group, America’s Best Automotive, and other vendors were able to contribute to the “Recycled Rides” program to give Spc. Yolanda Goodman a fully refurbished 2006 Suzuki Forenza station wagon, gift cards, dry goods and a dining room set.

“Every time I think I am not in God’s love, he comes back and tells me in his own way, ‘I am here.

I have not forsaken you,’” said Goodman, wiping away tears with a sleeve of her uniform. “I am just very, very, very happy and so appreciative of his love and the kindness I have been shown by these wonderful people.”

“We are just pleased to give a little bit back to the United States military, and to the men and women who serve us each and every day,” said John Davis, Sterling’s general manager, while watching Goodman open the driver’s side door and take a seat in her “new-used” vehicle.

Recycled Rides is a nationwide community service project through which members of the National Auto Body Council repair and donate recycled vehicles to families and service organizations in need, in their own communities. A program that highlights vehicle and parts recycling, Recycled Rides recruits collision repairers, insurers, paint suppliers, parts vendors, and others, to contribute – each in their own way.

To that end, several auto technicians gave of their own time toward making sure the car Goodman received was structurally

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and mechanically sound.

“The car arrived in a different condition, but we were able to repair it, paint the vehicle, and get it cleaned up. Lots of love went into putting this vehicle back together and getting it ready for today,” said Davis. “As for who we choose to donate it to, God put it on my heart to choose someone from the United States military.”

Captain Anna Smith, who commands Kennesaw’s 277th Maintenance Company, said, “We are mechanics ourselves, of course, and so we tried to do our part to help Goodman by repairing the car.”

But repairs were going to cost in excess of $4,000 and Christine Schwartz, a family assistance center specialist, was able to make some contacts to better assist in the situation. “It turned out to be a very great day and a blessing for Goodman,” said Smith. “She now has a vehicle that can transport her to see her kids and make it to drill.”

An estimated 40 vehicle donations occurred across the nation on the Monday before Thanksgiving.

According to the Auto Body Repair Network, the vehicles have been restored by technicians at Sterling shops in nine states; Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Texas, and Utah.

This event marked Allstate’s fifth year participating in Recycled Rides to find the cars to be gifted to a non-profit organization, individuals or families in need. “We are just happy to be here and contribute in any way that we can,” said Daniel Gross, a representative of Allstate Insurance Company. “It’s always a gift for someone in need of safe and reliable transportation.”

Colonel Michael Scholes, who commands the Georgia Guard’s 78th Homeland Response Force – the 277th’s parent headquarters – said, “It’s an honor to be here to witness this giving act – especially when you consider that they’re doing this for the simple reason that they want to recognize the Georgia National Guard for the service we provide to this nation. This is a true community effort by these guys, putting their time and service into preparing this car for one of our deserving Soldiers.”

NCO Notepad

By Command Sgt. Maj. James Nelson, Jr. State Command Sergeant Major Georgia Department of Defense

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s I began to gather my thoughts to write this, my last article for the Georgia Guardsman magazine as the Senior Enlisted Advisor, I must say that a thousand thoughts went through my mind on what to say and how to say it.

So how do you put 38 years into one page? Let us find out…

Being in the military requires a lot from a service member and from that service member’s family. I will be the first to admit that I didn’t always get it right. Like everything else in life, it all boils downs to balance.

We, as members of this great organization, are a lot smarter now at achieving the balance we need between service obligation and family. Commanders actually plan training events with due consideration being given to unit members, families and social events. For that I am extremely pleased. That overall mentality of taking care of those who serve will – in and of itself – ensure the Guard remains manned at 100 percent for a long time to come.

Some people have asked me how I would like to be remembered as a Guardsman. I have given this some real thought, and I honestly have to say I don’t think there is any one thing that comes to mind. Instead, I would just

want everyone to know that I appreciated the opportunity to serve. I would want those with whom I served, and those who put on the uniform long after I am gone, to remember that I always tried to do the best I could.

I would want people to recall that I always tried to do the right thing by the Guard and by the men and women who fill its ranks.

I challenge leaders at all levels to continue to take care of your Soldiers and Airmen and to remember that it is sometimes even harder when you’re not deployed than when you are.

My fellow Soldiers and Airmen, I challenge you to look out for each other; don’t forget those bonds you developed. It may be a rough time for the military in the next couple years, with all the changes that may be coming. Dedicate yourselves to being prepared, training hard and taking care of each other.

Lastly, I promised I would give my family some good years. Sometimes, we tend to give our families those years when we retire and - is sometimes the case we are broken or weak. They end up having to take care of us during those years. I thank God that is not the case for me. I honestly welcome the change, and look forward to spending those good years I mentioned doing family things with those I love.

All that said, I bid each of you farewell. I thank you for all you have done, and all that you will do in the future.

Defender 7 signing out off the net.

December 2012 | 4

Georgia Guard Specialist wins 2012 Operation Rising Star Story and photo by Tim Hipps IMCOM Public Affairs U.S. Army

Channel and at www.OpRisingStar.com. “We were the top 12 in this competition for a reason. I’m not saying that I’m better than anybody here or that this person had more support or anything. I think the way it was supposed to happen, it happened.

“This is a steppingstone. Last week, you could have been SAN ANTONIO, Dec. 18, 2012 – Georgia Army National Guard Spc. Constance Mack, representing the Presidio singing in a karaoke bar, and now we’re all over the Internet. of Monterey, Calif., won the 2012 Operation Rising Star I couldn’t ask for more exposure,” McGraw said. “This is military singing contest at Fort Sam Houston Theatre here, what I wanted to do. I wanted to share my gift with the world and be known for it. Operation Rising Star has allowed me to Dec. 15.

“For me to win this is very humbling, because I was not do that, so I’m overjoyed.”

Mack relied on her training and music degree from expecting it whatsoever,” said Mack, 26, who hails from St. Petersburg, Fla., but considers Stone Mountain, Ga., home. DeKalb School of the Arts in Atlanta and Carson-Newman “Now I can wake up in the morning and start singing any College in Jefferson City, Tenn., to dazzle Operation Rising song any way I want. The fact that I can wake up and start Star judges and fans with her vocal versatility.

Her song selections included “Still I Rise” by Yolanda singing lets me know that singing is a part of me.”

Staff Sgt. Darren McGraw, representing the U.S. Army Adams, “Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin, “Love on Top” Garrison in Grafenwoehr, Germany, finished runner-up in by Beyonce, Stevie Wonder’s “All I Do” and Shirley Bassey’s the week-long competition that began with 12 semifinalists “I Who Have Nothing.” She capped her performance with selected from 34 installations around the world. McGraw, Jackson Browne’s “The Pretender,” shouted out by request who participated in Operation Rising Star twice at Fort from a Soldier in the audience.

Along the way, Mack stunned everyone with a stirring Campbell, Ky., and twice in Germany, will report to Fort rendition of “Nessun Dorma,” Giacomo Pucini’s Italian aria Bragg, N.C., in January.

“I think they got it right,” McGraw said of the judges’ made famous by Luciano Pavarotti and Andrea Boccelli.

“There is a strong sense of comfort in that type of music decisions combined with more than 121,000 votes from viewers who could watch the shows on the Pentagon for me to perform,” said Mack, noting that she received

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mostly operatic and classical vocal training from Dr. Angela Holder at Carson-Newman.

“I waited until after the voting was in so that I could do that part. I still had to remain true to what my heart wanted,” she said. “I can give the audience a pop song -- I don’t even really listen to pop -- or whatever song they want. I can give them that, but I kind of wanted to be a little selfish on that one song and just do what I wanted to do. That was just me.”

The strategy worked. On a stage where no one expected to hear such a sound, Mack nearly brought the house down with “Nessun Dorma.”

“Pavarotti’s 1984 version stole the cake, and ever since, people have been trying to sing it like him,” Mack said. “It’s been featured on a few of these type shows, like “America’s Got Talent,” and I think it was on “Britain’s Got Talent.”

“Nessun dorma” translated to English means “None Shall Sleep,” which defined the feeling of contestants in the five-shows-in-eight-days event sponsored by the U.S. Army Installation Management Command and its G9 of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs, which include Army Entertainment.

“Honestly, I stayed up one night and just listened to every song on there,” Mack said. “Actually, I had to do it over the span of three nights. It’s really hard to choose a perfect seven. It was a marathon, is what it was, but I’m glad I pulled it through.”

Mack was surprised to reach the final round of elimination because she came to San Antonio totally unprepared to rally a group of online voters in California or back home in Georgia.

“I didn’t expect to win, at all,” she said. “I was just here to sing, not necessarily to compete. I was here because I sang and I got chosen to be top 12 by chance. I got here with all these wonderful artists and the first day that we did our performance, everyone was on the same playing field and it was all fun, and we were having a great time.

“The next day, voting lines opened and everybody just went crazy with the voting -- calling up their people and contacting their marketing crews: ‘Hey, back home, I need you to start voting right now.’ And I didn’t have any of that. I didn’t prepare myself for that, I guess. I didn’t know how this monster was even working to begin with,” she said.

“I was sitting on a sofa just watching them on their iPods, iPhones and iPads, contacting everybody they knew. And I was just like, ‘Well, number one, my phone is not that smart.

I’m not getting good reception, so I can’t really contact anybody. So maybe these guys are going to win it after all, and it will be awesome if they do.’

“I wasn’t expecting to win it all; wasn’t expecting anything to even progress because I hadn’t been putting myself out there. That’s one thing I don’t completely understand how to do,” she added.

After the first round of elimination, Mack had a sudden

realization.

“After the first night of those who had to say goodbye to the contest, I was like, ‘Hmm, this is kind of real now. Here I am, and these artists are still side-by-side, and I’m still in their midst, which means I have no time to sleep.’ I think it clicked to me when [vocal coach and judge] Debra Byrd said: ‘You have a mission. You have a mission.’ The mission to me was just to sing my song, not necessarily to win. I did that. And I hoped I made people proud. The whole time I was just thinking of my company back on Presidio.”

Mack is part of Company A, 229th Military Intelligence Battalion at the Presidio of Monterey, where she is a twotime local Operation Rising Star winner studying Chinese at the Defense Language Institute.

Mack has a complete understanding of where she wants to go from San Antonio.

“I’ve drawn up this really succinct plan of life for the next five years,” she said. “After DLI and I’m [military occupational specialty]-qualified, I want to begin grad school so that I can become a principal, and at the same time be ROTC at the college of my choice so that I can become an officer.

“I want everything at the same time, but I really have to look at what is most important to me. I love the hearts of little children, and I love their hearts and their minds -- I want to see them grow and for me to be a principal,” she said.

Mack said even though she has the gift of music, for some reason her desire to become a school principal is stronger, though she admits she doesn’t understand it all.

“If there was a way I could be a Chinese-speaking officerprincipal-singer, fine, I would do it all,” she said. “But until I figure it out, which I will, I’ve got to take it one step at a time.”

That’s exactly how she topped a field of 12 semifinalists in the 2012 Operation Rising Star Live Finals Week at the home of Army Entertainment.

“This woke me up to say that things are still possible,” Mack said. “Say I was growing up and I wanted a music career in life and I joined the military. If I joined the military wishing to become this star, then I could pretty much hang up my dreams to become a singer or being able to perform because I’m supposed to be doing pushups, I’m supposed to be in the field, I’m supposed to be eating [a meal, ready-toeat], not this.

“But being here definitely woke me up to what the Army has to offer. I didn’t even realize that they had this option. It’s really a blessing to know that I can mix both together and do both together -- still serve the country, still serve God, still serve the public and whoever else wants to put in the tape and listen to it. It’s nice to be able to do it all at once. I’m figuring it out. I’m on my way.”

December 2012 | 6

Nelson relinquishes responsibility as the CSM of the Georgia Army National Guard SDF teams up with Clark Howard to bring Christmas to Georgia’s Foster children Story by Spc. Ashley Fontenot Public Affairs Office Georgia Department of Defense Photos by SDF Staff Sgt. Leonard Goodleman Public Affairs Office Georgia State Defense Force

MARIETTA, Ga., Dec. 9, 2012 – Members of the Georgia

State Defense Force (GSDF) and the Georgia National Guard volunteered this weekend to gather toy donations for Georgia’s foster children. The event was in support of the 22nd annual “Clark’s Christmas Kids” campaign, hosted by Atlanta radio and television personality Clark Howard.

Every year, “Christmas Kids” partners with the Georgia Department of Family and Children’s Services to provide gifts for foster children across Georgia. As a member of the Georgia State Defense Force himself, Capt. Clark Howard encourages other service members to participate in running the toy drive.

GSDF Pfc. Ashley Hames, Headquarters Recruiting and Retention, Georgia State Defense Force, says this is her

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second year volunteering for “Christmas Kids.”

“This cause really hits home for me and my family,” said Hames. “I was adopted from an orphanage in El Salvador when I was a child, and I feel so fulfilled to be helping these kids.”

Gretchen Buzzell of Marietta was driving that morning when one foster child’s story brought her to tears.

“I have four grandkids who always get the world for Christmas. So, when I heard on the radio about a child who was simply asking for a box of crayons, it broke my heart,” said Buzzell. “I had to come over right away to donate. When I did, I was just overwhelmed by the magnitude of the giving here today.”

After the event, Howard said, “We want to thank everyone who came out in support of ‘Clark’s Christmas Kids’ this year! It was the 22nd year we joined together with the Georgia Department of Family and Children’s Services to provide gifts for children in foster care across Georgia.

Because of their generosity, children all across the state are feeling the love. Together, we’re making a difference in their lives. So, I just want to thank all those who supported the effort!”

Clark Howard poses in front of a truck load of gifts donated to Georgia’s foster children through “Clark’s Christmas Kids.

December 2012 | 8

A bloody New Year in middle Tennessee By 1st. Lt. William Carraway Public Affairs Office Georgia Department of Defense

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ollowing his October 8, 1862 defeat at Perryville, Ky., Maj. Gen. Braxton Bragg, commander of the Army of Mississippi, withdrew - leaving Kentucky in control of the Union. Facing a lack of supplies and dwindling prospects for success, Bragg’s army fell back through Cumberland Gap, eventually reaching the town of Murfreesboro, Tenn. in late November 1862. Bragg’s army was reorganized and redesignated as the Army of Tennessee, a sobriquet it would carry until its tattered remnants disintegrated at the Siege of Nashville two years later.

Ordered to send reinforcements to bolster Confederate defenses at Vicksburg, Miss., Bragg’s army had dwindled to just two corps under the command of Maj. Gens. William Hardee and Leonidas Polk. Author of Rifle and Light Infantry Tactics, Hardee had literally written the book of tactics by which the Civil War was largely fought. Polk, meanwhile, was a political appointee who had served as a Bishop in the Episcopal Church prior to the war. While Hardee and Polk had widely dissimilar backgrounds, they were united in their contempt and distrust of Bragg – a sentiment shared by most of their division commanders.

Whereas Bragg dealt with a divided command, Union Maj. Gen. William Rosecrans faced pressure of a different kind. Rosecrans was Abraham Lincoln’s choice to replace Don Carlos Buell who, like previous Union generals, had failed to move with the alacrity the chief executive demanded. As Rosecrans set out from Nashville in pursuit of Bragg, the memory of the Battle of Fredericksburg not two weeks old hung over the North with a thick melancholy.

The Union needed victories, and Lincoln made it clear, if Rosecrans did not deliver them, the President would find someone who would.

Bragg’s defense of Murfreesboro was dual-purposed.

Strategically, he hoped to place himself in a position to challenge a Union drive against Chattanooga. At the same time, Murfreesboro, an early capitol of Tennessee, was a political prize. Choosing a line based not on tactical

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defensibility but on political expediency, Bragg went into position amidst the rocky outcroppings and dense cedar forests near the banks of the Stones River outside of Murfreesboro.

Rosecrans’ 41,000 Soldiers gradually approached Bragg’s 35,000-man force. Rosecrans moved cautiously, probing for the enemy which had been hidden from him by effective cavalry screening operations.

Confederate Cavalry, including the 1st Georgia, had harried the Union’s approach, striking isolated elements, disrupting supply lines, and forcing Rosecrans to commit resources. By the time Rosecrans’ army went into bivouac on the evening of December 30, 1862, the two armies were within rifle range of each other, yet Rosecrans was not aware of the numbers he faced.

In the chilly December night, Soldiers of both armies regarded each other from distant campfires. Union and Confederate bands struck up airs and the Soldiers were united in song and dread. As the bands played, the rival commanders devised essentially the same battle plan – strike the other on the right flank with the coming of dawn.

In the pre-dawn hours of December 31, Soldiers of Maj. Gen. Richard Johnson’s division were cooking their breakfast in camp on the Union right. As coffee simmered, Union Soldiers were puzzled to see deer and rabbits bound from the woods to their south. These were followed by 10,000 Confederates of Hardee’s Corps who smashed into their camps with a fury. Two Georgia battalions, the 3rd and 9th, were part of this initial assault.

In the center of Hardee’s line, the division of Maj. Gen. Patrick Cleburne fell upon the Union lines, capturing several artillery pieces. Cleburne, already famed as “The Stonewall of the West,” was known by the North and South for his ferocity in battle. His regiments carried distinctive battle flags composed of a blue field with a white moon rather than the traditional Confederate Battle Flags. These standards now pursued the shattered remains of Johnson’s Division which had lost 50% of its strength in the brief rout. The Union Division of the improbably named Jefferson Davis attempted to make a stand but was also swept aside. Over the course of four hours, the Union right would be driven three miles. Ultimately, the Union

line was shaped like a V with Hardee to the left and Polk to the right.

As Hardee’s attack was reaching maximum effect, Polk launched his offensive. Two corps-level assaults converged on the division of Maj. Gen. Phillip Sheridan.

Unlike Johnson, Sheridan had prepared his troops for a morning assault, but their fight in what was to be known as the Slaughter Pen defied expectation. Two divisions of Polk’s corps struck Sheridan. Cleburne’s division then fell upon Sheridan’s flank. Pressed on three sides, Sheridan’s Soldiers paid dearly for the time purchased for Rosecrans to establish a second line of defense. The fury of the Slaughter Pen claimed one third of Sheridan’s men and the lives of his three brigade commanders.

The effect of the actions of December 31 was to concentrate Union forces into a compact perimeter.

During a council of war on the morning of the New Year, Rosecrans determined to continue the fight but deferred attack in order to shift forces. He ordered the troops of Maj. Gen. Thomas Crittenden to cross to the east side of Stones River and occupy favorable terrain. Bragg too resolved to fight but did not order an assault as he believed that Rosecrans would withdraw. January 1st passed with no general engagement.

By the afternoon of January 2, Bragg resolved to

dislodge the isolated elements of Crittenden’s wing. He ordered Maj. Gen. and former vice president John C. Breckinridge to attack with his division among which was the 5th Georgia, whose men were from nine different counties.

Breckenridge smashed into the Union positions and met with initial success; however, the Union had placed more than 45 artillery pieces hub-to-hub in a flanking position on the west bank of the river. These pieces were perfectly positioned to wipe Breckenridge’s men from the field and more than a third of Breckenridge’s division was killed in about an hour on that field.

With Breckenridge’s advance blunted, Bragg realized that the Union was not going to retreat. Indeed, it would soon receive reinforcement. In light of his losses and the coming threat of winter, Bragg retreated to more favorable positions near Tullahoma, Tenn.

Of the 76,000 men who fought at Murfreesboro, nearly 25,000 became casualties – the highest per-capita casualty rate of the war. The 5th Georgia’s colors were captured and the regiment suffered 37% casualties, including their Colonel. The unit would be even more sorely pressed at the Battle of Chickamauga, where more than 55% of its men would fall. The events of that battle will be covered in a subsequent article.

December 2012 | 10

Georgia aviators help secure Southwest border by flying night missions near Laredo South Carolina Army Guard photo by Sgt. Amy Urbina Story by Maj. Will Cox Public Affairs Office Georgia Army National Guard LAREDO, Texas, Nov. 20, 2012 – Many U.S. residents may think illegal border crossings only happen in the middle of the open desert, away from city centers; but that assumption is incorrect. Now, thanks to a new mission, Georgia Army Guard aircrews from Marietta’s Company C, 2nd of the 151st Aviation Security and Support Battalion, have a whole new understanding of the challenges faced by Southwest border towns.

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The aircrews spend hours flying within minutes of Laredo every night, helping U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents catch illegal immigrants as they crossed the nearby Rio Grande River into the United States. Mission statistics show Company C aircrews, flying a UH-72A Lakota light-utility helicopter, assisted in the apprehension of more than 50 illegal immigrants just last night while supporting the CBP’s South Texas Campaign (STC) along the Southwest Texas border with Mexico.

According to border patrol agent Jon Baker, the Georgia unit’s aerial sensors are a force-multiplier, providing real-time surveillance to agents on the ground.

“Sometimes the brush is so thick it can be difficult to find

someone in the dark, even if they are very close. An agent can walk right past a large group of illegals and never know they are there,” said Baker.

“Air support like this is such a huge benefit, allowing us to change our tactics and anticipate movement when needed.

If we bust a large group, we have constant eyes from above.

Even if they scatter, we can catch the majority of them,” Baker said.

The Georgia Army Guard crews lock in on a target and then lead the border patrol agents to the suspects with grid coordinates or spotlights, Bakers explains.

“I am very impressed with the National Guard’s operations.

They are certainly a proven asset to the Southwest Border

Mission,” Baker added. “The Soldiers and their aircraft provide us a greater resource than they may ever realize,” he said.

Two things lend themselves to the important role Company C is able to play in the border mission and how the Lakota is able to spot border violations, says Lt. Col. Andrew Batten, the 2-151st battalion commander. The first is the aircraft’s Forward Looking Infrared Radiation (FLIR) system, and the second is the day camera system.

“Both,” Batten said, “are capable of a real-time video feed to their headquarters through the aircraft’s digital down link command suite system. Moving to an aviation-centric model versus ground-based Entry Identification Teams enables us [the National Guard] to support Southwest border operations more efficiently with a maximum of 300 Guardsmen rather than 1,200,” Batten said.

“The UH-72A is especially suited for this mission with its advanced FLIR, digital downlink command console, and interagency communication suite. That makes for one of the most economical helicopters to fly, per-hour, in the Department of Defense inventory,” he added.

National Guard units are identified and funded as aerial sensors to support part of the STC’s strategy to improve their intelligence gathering capabilities. This combined effort across multiple organizations like the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, local law enforcement agencies, and others all support the CBP’s newest initiative to cause persistent change in the tactics, techniques, and procedures of the Transnational Criminal Organization’s trafficking of people, drugs, weapons and money across the border.

On any given night, Company C aircrews are aiding border patrol agents in the interdiction of illegal border crossings by Mexican nationals and non-Mexican nationals. According to the Customs and Border Protection Website (www.cbp. gov), apprehensions rose from 22,199 in 1925 to a high of 1,692,544 in 1986. The site also shows apprehensions, more recently, decreased to 340,252 apprehensions in 2011. Of the apprehensions made last year, it is estimated 54,098 were “other than Mexican nationals,” including 479 apprehensions of people from “special interest countries,” CBP statistics show.

Those figures also show that 96 percent of all apprehensions happen along the Southwest border. This is of particular interest to the border patrol agents, since their main mission is preventing terrorists and terrorists’ weapons – including weapons of mass destruction – from entering the United States.

“The Georgia National Guard is honored to partner with Customs and Border Protection to secure our borders,” said Maj. Gen, Jim Butterworth, Georgia’s Adjutant General.

“We [Georgia] will always volunteer to be on the frontline, safeguarding our nation, state and our fellow citizens from illicit drugs, human trafficking, terrorists and their plots.”

December 2012 | 12

Georgia Guard

intelligence analyst juggles many responsibilities

Story and photo by Spc. Ashley Fontenot Public Affairs Office Georgia Department of Defense CLAY NATIONAL GUARD CENTER, Marietta, Ga., December 19, 2012 – Life as a Guardsman can be demanding, but Sgt. Paige Nicholson is balancing civilian, military and personal responsibilities head-on. Since her enlistment as a 35F (Intelligence Analyst) five years ago, Nicholson has earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology, competed for NCO of the year, and started a civilian career.

“It gets hectic sometimes,” said Nicholson. “But everything I’m doing is so rewarding that I wouldn’t trade any of it for an easier schedule.”

As a graduate of the Army’s six-month intelligence analyst course at Ft. Huachuca, Ariz., Nicholson compiles intelligence products that other Soldiers have collected and puts together comprehensive profiles of people and events for Georgia’s Company B, 48th Brigade Special Troops Battalion at Ft. Gillem.

“Basically what that means is I take different pieces of information and put them together like a puzzle,” she explained. “Things like photographs, maps, and incident reports may not mean much on their own, but together they can tell a story.”

Nicholson’s reports give commanders detailed timelines, explain connections between people, and outlines

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the most likely and most dangerous courses of action. This information can be crucial in the decision making process.

“The most interesting part about being an analyst is knowing that intelligence is a never ending process,” said Nicholson. “Each finished product is used to further the goals of the next project.”

Nicholson claims the strongest parallel between her civilian and military career is the importance of teamwork.

As a behavior therapist in Roswell, Ga., she spends her weekdays improving the lives of special needs children and their families.

“Teamwork is vital when you’re doing military intelligence work,” she said. “It takes everyone’s efforts to collect quality information, and then piece those things together. The same principle applies to behavior therapy; you can’t help these kids on your own, it takes the work of teachers, parents… everybody to see results.”

Adding to the excitement to an already eventful life, Nicholson’s most recent personal milestone happened just two weeks ago, when she married fellow Georgia Guardsman 2nd Lt. Colton Brown of the 78th Homeland Response Force.

“Having a spouse who understands the demands of drill makes things easier,” she said. “The support we give each other to achieve our goals has been the driving force behind everything we’ve achieved in the Guard. I don’t think either of us would be where we are without that support.”

Professional Development Bookshelf: Reviews of books

that teach us about our craft

By Sgt. First Class Gerard Brown Public Affairs Office Georgia Department of Defense “Do more with less” seems to be the ongoing motto for life in today’s military, and this book compliments it well by showing readers how to “do more by saying less.” In the book One Minute Manager, the writers Kenneth Blanchard and Spender Johnson discuss three styles of effective management witnessed through the eyes of a young individual in search of the perfect manager. In his search for the perfect manager, he comes across a manager of a company that everyone calls, “the one minute manager.”

The young individual has the opportunity to sit down with the one minute manager and it is at that point that the secrets to one minute management are broken down into three areas.

“The best minute I spend is the one I invest in people.”

The first secret shared in the concept of being the one minute manager is sitting down with your employee or, in the case of the National Guard, with one of your Soldiers and establishing one minute goals with them. The goals should be discussed and established and then checked on to insure that the goals are being accomplished. If goals are not being met, this allows time to re-establish goals or gain further clarity. The writers discuss that, as you set your goals, you should read and re-read all your goals once a day, but only take a minute of your day doing it. This is no different than in land navigation, where every once and while you need to stop, take a look at your compass and your azimuth, and then proceed on or get back on course.

The one minute praise is the second secret to being an effective one minute manager. This concept focuses on

catching people doing good, and then acknowledging their accomplishment. During this process, you speak on specifics of what was good and how that positive contribution not only helps them as an individual or Soldier, but also the organization as a whole. Immediate acknowledgment is key, so that they understand at that moment what was done right. As a one minute manager, you take this time to let them know they are appreciated as well as also encouraging them to do more of the same.

The third secret to being the one minute manager is the one minute reprimand. This concept is the same as the previous except for the fact that you need to give corrective action so that they can be on their way to or back to the one minute praise phase. The writers suggest, after you have immediately addressed the issue, that you be brief and state what needs to be done to fix whatever the issue might have been. Let your employee or Soldier know this is no reflection on them as a person, but the performance.

When the reprimanding is over, it is over and time to move on. Too much time spent on reprimanding is time lost by not ensuring the balance of praise and reprimand. These concepts may be difficult for some, but are the keys to not only a productive leader but a productive organization.

The One Minute Manager is a great book for Leaders of all levels in the National Guard because it shows three distinct areas of management that provides direction, reassurance and guidance. In the fast-paced world of all the Armed Forces, brevity is key in making decisive and informed decisions. This book allows leaders to set their subordinates up for success by discussing with them their goals, managing while not micro-managing them, followed by quick corrective action allowing Soldiers to get back in the fight quickly with lessons learned.

“Everyone is a potential winner. Some people are disguised as losers; don’t let their appearance fool you.”

December 2012 | 14

376 years of the Citizen-Soldier Story by Sgt. 1st Class Roy Henry Public Affairs Office Georgia Department of Defense

CLAY NATIONAL GUARD CENTER, Marietta, Ga., Dec. 13, 2012 – Georgia National Guard, city, county, state, and federal officials were among the more than 200 people who packed the Joint Force Headquarters assembly hall to mark the National Guard’s 376th birthday.

The National Guard is the oldest component of America’s armed forces, dating back to the first militia chartered by the Massachusetts colony in 1636. As for the Georgia National Guard, it predates all active component service branches with units that go back as far as the early 18th century.

On this day, Army and Air Guardsmen, past and present, along with former adjutants general and assistant adjutants general and members of the Georgia Guard’s civilian work force, cheered and applauded as 87-year-old twins John and Al Quante of Savannah cut a three-tier cake especially made for the occasion. The brothers, who first saw service with the Navy during World War II, later on retired from the Georgia Guard at the rank of master sergeant. Joining them at the table was Sgt. Merv Vidal, identified as the Guard’s youngest member at the ceremony.

“It’s a real honor to have been invited and to participate in the ceremony marking the birth of such a great institution as the National Guard,” John Quante said.

“Having been among the number of those who are privileged to have served makes this day something quite special for me.”

“I feel pretty much the same as my brother,” Al Quante added. “Having served our state and our nation in their times of need is a great honor. It’s something we’re both quite proud of having done. I think I speak for both of us, that it’s an even greater honor to have met, and gotten to know, some of those who serve today.”

Standing before the crowded room, Maj. Gen. Jim Butterworth, Georgia’s Adjutant General, said everyone present had reason to reminisce on where the organization has been and to celebrate where it is today.

15 | The Georgia Guardsman

“At the same time, we need to keep a watchful eye on the horizon to make sure the National Guard is perpetuated into the next generation,” Butterworth added. “We have the support of our local communities and from the capital, as is evident by those who are here celebrating with us. In today’s fiscally demanding environment, we will continue to tell our story – the story of your National Guard – and to thrive as a stable, relevant force here at home and to the national defense.”

Adding to Butterworth’s statement, Gov. Nathan Deal said that, despite the talks going on now in Washington D.C. about the consequences to the nation’s military, including the National Guard, should the federal government not avoid the “fiscal cliff,” the military’s future – the Guard’s future – remains bright.

“As we honor the service and sacrifices of you and your families as you serve – and have served – this great state and our nation, this is a day on which we as Georgians and as American citizens should thank you for all you do,” Deal told the crowd. “Even in this time of uncertainty, I know that the importance of the National Guard will remain at the top of the priority list.”

Later in the program, Deal would thank Georgia Power for its $20,000 contribution to the Georgia National Guard Family Foundation.

With such donations, the foundation provides financial assistance to Guardsmen and their families in need. He also touted programs such as Troops to Trucks, Operation Workforce and the recent venture between the Pipe Fitters Union and the Guard to certify Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen as qualified welders, and designed to help out-of-work or under employed Guardsmen and veterans.

“I know that I speak for everyone who serves, or who has ever served, when I say we appreciate all that Governor Deal, the state legislature and the citizens of Georgia do or our organization. We will continue to serve with the same pride and dedication that has been the hallmark of the Georgia National Guard since the standing up the first state militia in 1736,” said Butterworth. “We will not wavier in that commitment; not ever.”

Aviation medic leverages combat experience to benefit local community, Georgia Guard Story by Maj. Will Cox Public Affairs Office Georgia Army National Guard CLAY NATIONAL GUARD CENTER, Marietta, Ga., Dec. 22, 2012 – Georgia Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Vince Battaglia has pursued a lifelong passion of becoming the best medic he can be, and he has found a way to serve his community while at the same time sharpening his skills at the Atlanta Medical Center, Level 1 Trauma Center’s Emergency Room.

In addition to being the first sergeant and flight medic for the 1-111th Aero Medical Detachment based out of Clay National Guard Center, Sgt. 1st Class Battaglia was a flight paramedic with Rescue Air One for 13 years, responding to car wrecks and other emergencies in and around Atlanta that required helicopter transport.

“I work two-to-four 12 hour shifts a month to keep my 68 Whisky (medic) military occupational skills sharp,” said Sgt. 1st Class Battaglia. “You see, I work during the week for the Army Training and Assistance Team by going around the country, visiting Army National Guard aviation units, conducting inspections on their Aviation Medicine programs.

While I spend a lot of time looking at each unit’s program, I do not get hands-on experience with patients throughout my normal week. So, picking up shifts at the hospital helps prepare me for my job as the first sergeant and as a flight medic for my MEDEVAC company.

“If you don’t use it, you lose it,” added Battaglia. “And the medical profession is constantly changing with the introduction of new technology, new surgical techniques, and new equipment.

There is so much to patient care, from the triage, to emergency medicine, to patient care and monitoring, to pharmacology, and patient documentation.

“It is crucial as the senior medic in my company to stay current to help prepare the new medics for traumatic injuries they may treat in the back of the helicopter.”

Battaglia is paramedic qualified, and an instructor in basic life support, advance life support, pediatric life support and pediatric education for pre-hospital professionals.

“Working in Atlanta’s Medical Center’s Emergency Room gives me a chance to share what I have learned through my multiple deployments as a combat medic. Keeping my skills gives me confidence when I am called to do my job as a medic, whether in the back of helicopter, overseas, or responding to a state declared emergency,” said Battaglia.

December 2012 | 16

Around the Georgia Guard Giving To Those who Serve Georgia National Guard Family Support Foundation (GNGFSF) Board Members and Kangaroo Express Regional and District managers gather around the $39,000 check being presented to the GNGFSF from the Kangaroo Express’ 2012 Salute Our Troops fund raising season. The GNGFSF provides emergency financial assistance for basic need to Guardsmen and their families.

Family reunited Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Jason Mann, of the 116th Maintenance Squadron, Georgia Air National Guard, shares a kiss with his wife while his daughter looks on during his return from a deployment in the early morning hours of Dec. 3 at Robins Air Force Base, Ga. Approximately 50 Team JSTARS operations, maintenance and support personnel were returning home from a three-month deployment to an undisclosed location in the Middle East.

17 | The Georgia Guardsman

UGA AFROTC Members visit jSTARS Kristy McGee, a senior from the University of Georgia Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, prepares to take an incentive flight on an E-8C JointSTARS piloted by Georgia Air National Guardsmen of the 116th Air Control Wing at Robins Air Force Base, Ga.

Team JSTARS logs 40,000 training hours in mission simulator An Air National Guard major with the 116th Operations Group, and a U.S. Air Force major with the 461st Operations Support Squadron, monitor data at an operator work station in the Joint STARS mission simulator at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., Dec. 13, 2012.

Guardsmen home for Christmas Soldiers of the Georgia Army Guard’s Ellenwoodbased Company A, 221st Military Intelligence Battalion, return home after completing an 11-month deployment to Afghanistan. There were resounding cheers and shouts of, “We love you, it’s so good to have you back,” from Families and fellow Guardsmen who greeted them as the Guardsmen entered the main terminal echoed throughout the facility.

December 2012 | 18

Georgia Guard Aviators Help secure Southwest border

Public Affairs Office Georgia Department of Defense 1000 Halsey Ave. Bldg. 447 Marietta, Ga. 30060