May 2015 Edition by Georgia National Guard

Memorial

Day

Always Remember

Plus: POMPOC | Operation Patriot Bandoleer | Engineers & More

Contents ISSUE: May 2015

cover story

w w w. g e o r g i a g u a r d . c o m

Features 03| 116th CE Help Boyscouts

The 116th Civil Engineer Squadron constructs new dining facility for Maine Boy Scout troop.

05|Operation Patriot Bandoleer

U.S. Army Sustainment Command partnered with the Army National Guard Directorate to offload equipment and munitions from the Army Motor Vessel, Lt. Col. John U.D. Page.

11| Memorial Day 2015

The Georgia National Guard remembers the fallen on Memorial Day.

16| Marksmanship Competition

The Georgia National Guard state marksmanship team compete in 44th annual Winston P. Wilson Marksmanship Competition.

News 07| Guardsmen Practice PArachute Safety

The Georgia Army National Guard hosted the Parachute Operations Mishap Prevention Orientation Course (POMPOC) at the Air Dominance Center in Savannah.

09| Engineers Field M-7 Spider

Engineers of the Georgia Army National Guard’s 848th and 810th Engineer Companies are the first Guard engineers to field the M-7 Spider System.

columns

07| NCO Notepad

Chief Master Sgt. Joseph Greene says farewell as State Enlisted Advisor.

08| Book Review

“Lean In” by Sheryl Sandberg.

13| Blast from the past 2005 and the Georgia Naitonal Guard.

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17| Around the Guard

Georgia National Guard Commander-in-Chief Gov. Nathan Deal Adjutant General Brig. Gen. Joe Jarrard State Public Affairs Director Lt. Col. Thomas Lesnieski State Public Affairs Officer Capt. William Carraway Operations NCO Sgt. 1st Class Gerard Brown Editorial Staff Managing Editor Sgt. Ashley Sutz Creative Director Desiree Bamba Contributors Desiree Bamba Sgt. 1st Class Gerard Brown Capt. William Carraway Chief Master Sgt. Joseph Greene Senior Master Sgt. Roger Parsons Ashlie Shrewsbury Sgt. Ashley Sutz Sgt. 1st Class Shannon Wright

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124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, 116th Air Control Wing Public Affairs Office, Army National Guard Unit Public Affairs Representatives, Air National Guard Wing Public Affairs Representatives, Georgia State Defense Force Public Affairs.

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. May 2015 | 2

116th CE help Maine boysouts

By: Senior Master Sgt. Roger Parsons | 116th ACW | Georgia Air National Guard

team of 34 civil engineers from the Georgia Air National Guard headed north April 19 for two weeks to provide their muscle and expertise to the Boy Scouts while training for a new method of deployment at Camp William Hinds. Of the 87 Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force-units (Prime BEEF)-the 116th Civil Engineer Squadron from Robins Air Force Base was chosen as the lead unit to kick off an Innovative Readiness Training project to construct a new dining facility for the Boy Scout camp. Established in 1993, the Civil-Military IRT program provides real-world training opportunities for military units while supporting the needs of underserved American communities. According to Chief Master Sgt. David, superintendent of the 116th Mission Support Group, this IRT deployment provided the opportunity to train for the new future of Prime BEEF deployments. “We’re used to deploying a handful of folks here and a handful there,” said David. “In the years ahead we will start doing a spin-up and deploying as whole unit.” “This project allowed our squadron to build teamwork and we did it while using both junior commissioned and noncommissioned officers and Airmen to make it happen,” shared the Chief. While the squadron boasts a number of professionals seasoned from years of overseas and stateside deployments, the IRT project offered the chance for less experienced Guard members to grow. “This was my first deployment for training with the 116th and my first as an officer,” shared 2nd Lt. Chad, who served as second-in-command during the deployment. The prior-enlisted Chad served as a key member of the command staff responsible for the deployed Airmen and numerous moving parts required for successful mission completion. “This rotation, in my opinion, is by far the most important rotation of the entire Innovative Readiness Training project,” said Chad. “If the bare base is not set up during our rotation, the next rotation will not have the necessary infrastructure in place to start their tasks.”

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Another first-timer shared a similar sentiment. “This training allowed me to witness a complete view of how our squadron functions during a deployment,” said Senior Airman Tarrell, a structures apprentice with the squadron. “This is my first training mission with this unit and it is very impressive to see how the unit moves from civilians to highly trained and skilled Airmen.” Similar to contingency operations overseas and stateside disasters like Hurricane Katrina (which the 116th CES supported) the civil engineers constructed a tent city complete with sleeping shelters, latrine and shower facilities, and a morale tent. In all, the squadron set up nine tents, installed an entire electrical grid, renovated electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems on two shower shave trailers, and worked with the duration staff to ensure materials and equipment are on site to continue the mission for future rotations. Future rotations will include Navy Seabees, Air National Guard and Marine Corp civil engineers. For many members of the 116th CES, the opportunity to work at the Boy Scout camp was more than just an opportunity for valuable training. “So many of us in the unit were Boy Scouts growing up so we went from one uniform to another when we joined the military,” shared Maj. Michael, commander of the 116th CES. “This deployment provided a chance to give back to an organization that gave many of us our military roots,” said Michael. According to figures provided by squadron leadership, the Boy Scouts will realize an estimated two-thirds savings in construction cost over the course of the entire project. “Our goal is to eliminate debt, start dynamic and engaging programs and rebuild four council camps that suffer from 30 years of deferred maintenance,” said Eric Tarbox, CEO of the Pine Tree Council of the Boy Scouts of America. “With nearly 10,000 registered Scouts and volunteers being served by the camps in Maine, the Innovative Readiness Training program turned our dream into a hard objective with specific goals, timelines, and priorities of work,” said Tarbox. “Our partnership will result in thousands of training hours for our military and significantly expanded service to youth.” Photo by Senior Master Sgt. Roger Parsons | 1 1 6 th ACW | Georgia Air National Guard

A Chief Master Sgt. Joseph Greene State Command Chief Georgia Department of Defense

NCO Notepad Words of wisdom from one to another

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s my time as senior enlisted advisor draws to a close, I want to briefly address two topics. Suicide: I struggled with the suicide statistics wondering if the military’s suicide prevention program was effective. After 15 years of suicide education “emphasis,” the trend showed little downward movement. I came to realize that I was looking at the numbers wrong. Although each suicide is a painful loss to the Guard family, what is often overlooked are the lives saved because of intervention. For every suicide, ten Georgia Guardsmen lives are saved because fellow unit members, first sergeants, supervisors, commanders and chaplains intervene and the Soldier or Airman get the help they need to carry on. Being a battle buddy and wingman literally saves Georgia Guardsmen lives every week. The National Commission: The military continues to face on-going budget constraints that drive heated debate between the Active Duty Army and Reserve Components. The Active Duty Army wants to remove all Apache attack helicopters from the Guard and reduce the number of soldiers from 354,000 down to 315,000. The disconnect between big Army and the National Guard is centered on one philosophical question—with the end of brigade-level combat operations in the Middle East, does the Army National Guard remain an operational force or return to the strategic posture of the Cold War? This answer drives all other answers in determining personnel reductions: Active Duty/Reserve-component mix, training, readiness, equipment dollars and future missions. The National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS) warns that returning the Guard to a strategic force will cause the National Guard’s “readiness to atrophy.” As the debate continues, the important question has yet to be answered but any major personnel reductions and equipment transfers have been placed on hold until the Congressional mandated National Commission on the Structure of the Army publishes its report this spring. In closing, it has been an honor and a privilege to serve the 13,000 enlisted members of the Georgia Department of Defense as your senior enlisted advisor. During my travel around the state over the past 2.5 years, I have been privileged to meet thousands of Georgia Guardsmen. The Soldiers, Airmen and State Defense Force members are all true professionals in the highest sense of the word - dedicated men and women who serve our great state and nation with distinction. When I travel out of state, Georgia’s outstanding reputation and record of accomplishment are well known. Your service and accomplishment are held in high esteem throughout the National Guard. You are an incredible force and I am proud to serve with you. I would like to thank the adjutant general, Maj. Gen. Moore and Brig. Gen. Simmons for allowing me to continue to serve as the next command chief at the 116th Air Control Wing—my home unit. To Command Sergeant Major Stringfield, I wish you good luck and much success in your tenure as the next senior enlisted advisor.

May 2015 | 4

Operation Patriot Bandoleer Story by: Sgt. 1st Class Shannon Wright | Army Sustainment Command Public Affairs

he U.S. Army Sustainment C ommand par tnered with the Army National Guard Directorate u n it i ng Gu ard u n it s from six states and el e me nt s of t he U. S . Army Reserve and Active Army at Military Ocean Terminal -- Sunny Point (MOTSU) to offload equipment and munitions from the Army Motor Vessel, Lt. Col. John U.D. Page. The cargo was then distributed to six Joint Munitions Command (JMC) depots across the United States for storage and maintenance. The mission, Op eration Patriot Bandoleer (OPB), involved more than 700 Guard service members and spanned most of the spring, beginning mid-March and ending mid-May. “The overall activities are in support of the Motor Vessel Page’s maintenance cycle, both in terms of on-the-ground operations to prepare the material for reload to the ship, as well as to move retrograded

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material from here to the depots,” said Richard Harris, project manager for Class V (ammunition) operations at Army Strategic Logistics Activity-Charleston (ASLAC). “That’s the part the National Guard is playing. They’re moving the material from MOTSU to the depots.” Under the direction of MOTSU marine cargo specialists, contracted stevedores and Army Reserve units offloaded more than 2,500 containers of equipment and munitions from the Page, of which 833 containers were for OPB. The containers were then placed on trucks and moved to storage pads to await disposition. With the help of Army Reserve Soldiers, Guard transportation units from Georgia, North Carolina, Missouri, Florida, Oklahoma and Connecticut picked them up for transport to the depots. The 110th C ombat Sustainment Support Battalion (CSSB), GeorgiaArmy National Guard, assisted in planning the operation and served as command and control.

“This is important because we’re all here for the same fight,” said Capt. Janna Hoeg, OPB planner, 110th CSSB. “We need to know that we can work together; we can accomplish the mission successfully with all those different organizations; the different cultures and the different personalities.” The planning for and execution of OPB required coordination with MOTSU operations personnel, ASC Army Prepositioned Stocks (APS) planners, ASLAC, JMC and their depots, as well as the six states with units hauling the cargo and every state they travelled through. “A concern we understood was the movement across the states,” said Hoeg. “Each state has their own restrictions and their own laws, and we needed to get permits to do this type of movement.” According to planners, OPB’s added bonus was the realworld training the Guard Soldiers received while simultaneously satisfying an ASC operational requirement. “From the National Guard perspective, the main thing, of course, is the real-world

Photo by: Sgt. 1 st Class Gerard Brown | Public Affairs Office | Georgia Army National Guard

training,” said Hoeg. “The morale you get by doing real-world situations like this; it changes how the Soldiers treat the mission, the morale during the mission and the overall success of the mission.” The furthest destination was Tooele Army Depot in Utah, about 2,300 miles from MOTSU. “It is an awesome experience physically witnessing the excitement in the Soldiers’ eyes and the energy in their body language as they prepare for and execute the initial movements of the two-month training event,” said Timothy Fore, APS director. Staff Sgt. Justin Bailey, a military truck driver assigned to the 1230th Transportation Company, Georgia National Guard, said he and his Soldiers had been ready for this mission “since they got the word.” “They’re actually behind the trucks, and they’re feeling good about it,” he said. “We’re truck drivers, and this is what we’re trained for. This is boosting morale a lot, and the Soldiers are ready to go.” The Georgia National Guard began the

exercise, moving 137 containers 530 miles through North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia to Anniston Army Depot in Alabama. “ This was a great operation and excellent teamwork by the Georgia National Guard Soldiers and ‘Team Anniston’,” said Lt. Col. Shayne Moore, Anniston Munitions Center commander. Major Gen. Elizabeth Austin, assistant deputy commanding general, Army National Guard, Army Materiel Command, s a i d O P B w a s n o t on l y a t r a i n i n g opportunity for the Guard Soldiers but an opportunity to partner with other Army elements. “ This is working on building relationships with AMC and the National Guard and Army Reserve,” she said. “After 12 years of war, we don’t want our reserve components to lose the skills they have sharpened. So, missions like this are perfect opportunities for them to keep those skills at the level they have them now.” About halfway through the exercise,

the Gaurd units were able to support the movement of an additional 517 pieces of equipment from MOTSU to ASLAC in Goose Creek, South Carolina. According to OPB planners, the efficiency of the initial push allowed for the additional mission requirement and afforded an extended training opportunity for the units involved. Army Prepositioned Stocks, an ASC program, manages stores of strategically positioned equipment and munitions, both on land and at sea, making it available when and where needed for contingency operations and humanitarian relief efforts. Military Ocean Terminal -- Sunny Poi nt , w h i c h i s a l i g n e d u n d e r t h e Army’s Military Surface Deployment and Distribution C ommand’s 596th Transportation Brigade, is one of SDDC’s two ammunition distribution terminals and the key ammunition shipping point on the Atlantic Coast for the Department of Defense. It is a transfer point between rail, trucks and ships for the overseas movement of military equipment and munitions.

May 2015 | 6

Georgia Guardsmen Practice Parachute Safety By: Capt. William Carraway | Public Affairs Office | Georgia Army National Guard

he Georgia Army National Guard hosted the Parachute Operations Mishap Prevention Orientation Course (POMPOC) at t h e A i r D o m i n a n c e Center in Savannah, May 4-8, 2015. With representatives from 13 states encompassing active-Army, Army National Guard, Reserve, and Air National Guard personnel, POMPOC provided a unique learning forum for jumpmasters and airborne service members to train handson with new equipment, share techniques and hone their skills. “We have a huge variety of participants,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Joseph Shirer, Command Sgt. Maj. for Georgia Army National Guard operations. “We have representatives from Fort Bragg and Fort Benning’s Airborne School, as well as the Guard and Reserve sharing knowledge and practicing their craft. A key strength of the airborne community is our ability to communicate across the community.” Conceived as a means of identifying common airborne mishaps and teaching t he sk i l ls ne e de d to pre vent t hem, POMPOC incorporated instruction in the Airborne Accident Prevention Program, lessons learned from Airborne operations, new equipment fielding and jumpmaster

7 | The Georgia Guardsman

personnel inspection techniques. Experienced Georgia Guard NCOs facilitated lectures and group discussions. Shirer briefed POMPOC attendees on Georgia’s airborne operations planning process. Sergeant 1st Class Jose Caoili of the Marietta-based 165th Quartermaster C omp any provide d insig ht on b est management practices for arranging jump logistics and Sgt. Ray Novak of the Atlanta-based 3rd Squadron 108th Cavalry walked through a step-by-step process for coordination and planning. Participants shared from their wealth of experiences as aviators, jumpmasters and riggers. From the perspective of Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael Rich, air operations officer for the U.S. Army Civil Affairs & Psychological Operations Command (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, the forum atmosphere of POMPOC was the most valuable aspect. “I have had many good take-aways,” said Rich. He noted that POMPOC brought key decision makers into the same room, from the instructors at the Airborne School to commanders and equipment designers. Sergeant 1st Class Paul Hart, a basic airborne course master trainer from the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment at Fort Benning, demonstrated the modular airborne weapons case and fielded questions

from jumpers. “This is a good opportunity to come together to see what techniques units have developed so we can take them back to the Airborne school,” said Hart. Following three days of classroom i n s t r u c t i on a n d ju mpm a s t e r d re s s rehearsals, the 85 participants conducted Airborne jumps. The Savannah-based 1-169th General Support Aviation Battalion provided a CH-47 Chinook for the first two jumps. Dropping from an altitude of 1,500 feet at a speed of 90 knots, the jumpers were in the air for approximately 90 seconds, steering the MC-6 maneuverable troop parachute system before landing. In the afternoon, jumpers conducted airborne operations from UH-60 Black Hawks flown by the Marietta-based 1-171 Aviation Regiment. Though wind cut short the Black Hawk jumps, participants provided positive feedback on the training experience. “With the participation of Army Guard, Reserve, active duty and program m an age rs , P OM P O C e xc e e d e d ou r expectations,” said Lt. Col. John Till, safety director for the Georgia Army National Guard. “We already have requests for dates for next year’s POMPOC. Based on the feedback we have received, next year’s POMPOC will be two to three times larger.”

Professional Development

reviews of books that teach us about our craft By: Sgt. Ashley Sutz | Public Affairs Office | Georgia Department of Defense

here is little doubt that in 2015 women have more choices and opportunity than in the history of the world. American women today can aspire to be any combination of wife, mother, student, professional, leader, and even Soldier or Airman. Yet relics of thousands of years of discrimination and societal norms still affect a woman’s ability to freely choose and navigate those choices. As chief operating officer of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg is considered one of the most powerful and influential women in the world. At age 43, she already has a storied career, having graduated from Harvard business school and worked in the top ranks of giants like the U.S. Treasury Department, Google and now Facebook. Married to another Silicon Valley executive, the couple has two children whom they raise together, sharing household responsibilities and supporting each other at home and in career. From the outside, Sandberg’s story could seem like a perfect example of the new-age woman’s American Dream at work, however, she says there are still too few female leaders in the world and her book addresses ‘why’. One hot-button topic the book tackles is the wage gap for women, which in 2010 hovered around 77 cents for every dollar men made. Instead of pointing fingers about how unfair things are, Sandberg encourages us to look at other studies, which show that women and men approach the application process from two very different perspectives: The average American woman polled said she would only apply for jobs for which she felt she met 100 percent of the qualifications listed; the average man polled said he would apply for a job for which he felt he met just 60 percent of the qualifications. Furthermore, once a job offer is on the table, men are far more likely to negotiate for a higher salary than women in the same position. The author suggests a shift in our approach and encourages women to have the confidence to go after more competitive roles and negotiate for the salaries that they deserve. Filled with references to research that repeatedly show the remaining disparity, ‘Lean In’ brings to light some of the unique challenges women still face as they make and pursue their choices, and seeks to provide some advice in overcoming those hurdles through a pro-active and inclusive approach. The author suggests that in order to keep moving forward, we must both learn to adapt to the current ways of doing business while also working to change

them for the greater good of both genders. I encourage anyone to pick up this book, not to hit you over the head with feminist ideals, but to open your mind to different ways of thinking about being or working with a female leader. As Citizen-Soldiers we are all expected to take charge of our own careers in and out of uniform, and I believe the teachings of this book can help encourage us to better do so.

May 2015 | 8

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Georgia Guard Engineers First to Field M-7 Spider system

by: Capt. William Carraway | Public Affairs Office | Georgia Army National Guard

ngineers of the Georgia Army National Guard’s 848th and 810th Engineer Companies are the first Guard engineers to field the M-7 Spider System: a manportable, remotely controlled, man-in-the-loop, force protection and area denial munition dispensing set. The Guard engineers trained on the systems during annual training at Fort Gordon, Georgia. “The Spider System has been in use by the active Army in Afghanistan since 2009,” said Rob Rhodes, a new equipment training instructor from the Armament Research Development Engineering Center (ARDEC), Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey. “The Spider provides units with additional firepower and prevents accidental detonations.” Area denial has been a function of war for centuries. Simply put, area denial prevents adversaries from occupying or crossing over a given area of terrain. Conventional anti-personnel land mines offer area denial capability, but there are drawbacks to their use. Once emplaced, mines are target detonated and cannot discriminate between friendly and enemy personnel. The Spider replaces hand-emplaced, target activated antipersonnel landmines and provides the capability to employ lethal and non-lethal devices without leaving life threatening minefields in place. At the heart of the system is a remote control unit that can connect to multiple munition control units. Each MCU has six ports which can accommodate munitions including claymore mines and miniature grenade launchers. “Anything that can be initiated by an M-4 blasting wire can be initiated with the MCU,” said Rhodes. Unlike conventional antipersonnel land mines, the Spider can detect the triggering of a tripwire and signal the remote control unit. The engineer with the remote control unit may then detonate the device in the event of a known enemy threat, employ additional surveillance assets to ascertain the threat, or warn civilians away from the area if they have entered the field accidentally. The remote Photo by: Capt. William Carraway | Public Affairs Office | Georgia Army National Guard

control unit eliminates the risk to non-combatants while preserving the area denial capability the combat engineer needs. During the initial phase of training, The Georgia Guard engineers completed four days of classroom and field instruction with the new equipment fielding training team. The Guardsmen learned the application of the system and practiced setting the MCUs and trip-wire controls. Next, the Guardsmen received practical application and terrain-based training from the doctrine and tactics training team. This phase provided the Guard engineers practice evaluating terrain types for proper set up of the area-denial Spider system. “I love this training,” said Pfc. Tracey McKinney, a Columbus resident and combat engineer with the 848th Engineering Company who was attending his first annual training. “This is the kind of thing I joined up to do.” Veteran engineers spoke of the reliability and capabilities the Spider system provides. Staff Sgt. Gary Johnson, a combat engineer with the 810th, talked with other engineers about how they could have used the Spider during previous deployments. “The ability to keep the enemy at safe distance and prevent harassing fire is a capability that we could have used in Afghanistan,” said Johnson. Johnson and other combat veterans praised the Spider’s ability to minimize civilian casualties while preserving combat assets. The 848th Engineer Company is part of the Augusta-based 878th Engineer Battalion. The 848th has deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and many of its engineers recently returned from an Afghanistan deployment with the Toccoa-based 876th Engineer Company. The 810th Engineer Company has also deployed to Afghanistan and currently serves as part of the 201st Homeland Response Force. The 810th participated in Hurricane response exercise Vigilant Guard 15 in South Carolina this March and is the dedicated engineering asset for the Region IV Homeland Response Force mission.

May 2015 | 10

Remebering our Fallen

By: Capt. William Carraway | Military Historian | Georgia Army National Guard he act of memorializing Soldier’s graves is as old as war itself. Nevertheless, the observance that would become known in the United States as Memorial Day has its roots in the great shattering that was the American Civil War – our Nation’s costliest conflict. One of the earliest documented instances of Memorial Day activities occurred in Savannah, Ga. in 1862. The Savannah Republican noted that on July 21, 1862, the first anniversary of the Battle of Manassas, a number of Savannah women decorated Confederate graves in Laurel Grove Cemetery. Among those decorated was the grave of Col. Francis Bartow who was killed leading his brigade at Manassas and for whom Bartow County is named. Throughout the war, observances were held and the first national cemeteries were designated. These observances, like the one in Savannah, were local, without a single overarching national theme. Local residents decorated the graves, reflected and prayed that the war would end. On May 5, 1868, three years after the end of the American Civil War, Maj. Gen. John Logan, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), an organization of Federal veterans, established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30.

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The first large observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, the former home of General Robert E. Lee. Lieutenant General Ulysses Grant, Mrs. Julia Grant, and other leading citizens of Washington presided over the ceremonies. After speeches, members of the GAR decorated the graves of Soldiers with flowers and flags. By the end of the 19th century, Memorial Day ceremonies were being held on May 30 throughout the nation. State legislatures passed proclamations designating the day, and the Army and Navy adopted regulations for proper observance at their facilities. It was not until after World War I, however, that the day was expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars. Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress in 1971. At that time, Congress designated Memorial Day as the last Monday in May. In 2000, the National Moment of Remembrance Act was signed into law. The National Moment of Remembrance encourages all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation. On August 7, 2014, the Georgia National Guard and the Freedom Calls Memorial Foundation dedicated the Memorial Wall at the Clay National Guard Center. This memorial wall honors the 42 Georgia National Guardsmen who have fallen in service since September 11, 2001.

Photos by Capt. William Carraway and Desiree Bamba | Public Affairs Office | Georgia Department of Defense

May 2015 | 12

B l a s t from the past 2005 and the georgia national guard By: Capt. William Carraway | 161st Military Historian | Georgia Army National Guard 13 | The Georgia Guardsman

t first glance, a decade may not seem to be a significant amount of time for a historical perspective, but it is remarkable how much has changed in the Georgia Guard in ten years. The year 2005 was pivotal in many ways, not just for the Georgia

Timeline: 2005 and the Georgia National Guard January 2005 2005 began with departures and returns. Units of the 48th BCT left their hometown armories for Fort Stewart in preparation for deployment to Iraq. While the 48th Brigade was training at Fort Stewart, the 118th Personnel Service Company arrived in Kuwait and reported for duty in Camp Doha. Meanwhile, the 225 members of the 171st Combat Aviation Support Battalion returned from deployment to Southwest Asia after logging more than 3,800 flight hours over Kuwait and Iraq. February 2005 The 48th Brigade Combat Team became the first unit Army-wide to receive the new Army Combat Uniform. Thirty-five Aviators and Guardsmen of Company H, 171st Aviation returned home to Dobbins Air Reserve Base after a year flying their C-23 Sherpa aircraft over Iraq and Kuwait. In June, 2013, the C-23 Sherpa was retired from the Army inventory during a ceremony at the Clay National Guard Center.

Georgia Guardsmen of Troop E 108th Cavalry (rear detachment) conduct humanitarian missions following Hurricane Katrina.

March 2005 The 165th Airlift Wing, operating out of KarshiKhanabad, Uzbekistan began 11 months of airlift operations resulting in more than 35,000 pounds of airlifted supplies in support of operations in Afghanistan. CH-47 Chinooks of Savannah’s Detachment 1, Company F, 131st Aviation dropped life-saving supplies following heavy winter storms in Afghanistan. The 95 Guardsmen had been in active service since January 2004. April 2005 The 48th BCT completed validation for combat readiness following a rotation at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif.

Members of Detachment 1, Company F 131st Aviation with their CH-47 Chinook aircraft at an Afghan airfield.

Georgia Army National Guard Soldiers of the 48th IBCT receive a scenario briefing at FOB Detroit located at Fort Irwin’s National Training Center in southern California prior to mobilizing to Iraq.

Guard, but for military and domestic operations. The year saw the largest war-time deployment of Georgia Guardsmen since World War II and the largest domestic emergency response in our nation’s history.

Georgia Guard Organization In 2005, the Georgia Guard was composed of 9,000 Soldiers, 3,000 Airmen and more than 800 members of the Georgia State Defense Force. The Georgia Air National Guard was largely organized as it is today, with the exception of the 139th Intelligence Squadron which was scheduled for May 2015 | 14

The 116th Air Control Wing received its 17th and final Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System aircraft during a ceremony at Robins Air Force Base. In the next ten years, aircrews of the 116th ACW would log more than 100,000 flight hours in support of overseas operations. May 2005 After five months of training, more than 3,000 Soldiers of the 48th BCT departed Fort Stewart for a yearlong deployment to Iraq. The brigade’s historic mission marked the largest deployment of Soldiers from the Georgia Army National Guard since World War II. Accompanying the brigade were forward air controllers of the Georgia Air National Guard’s Brunswick-based 165th Air Support Operations Squadron. Additionally, the 122nd Rear Operations Center was mobilized for Iraq service for its second deployment. The 122nd ROC had previously deployed in 2001.

activation in 2006. By contrast, the Georgia Army National Guard was a far different organization. Of the current units, only the Macon-based 48th Brigade Combat Team, the Decatur-based 78th Troop Command and the Ellenwood-based Joint Force Headquarters were in existence. In place of the 78th Aviation Troop Command, was the Dobbins-based First Aviation Group.

June 2005 The 48th BCT assumed responsibility for missions in South Baghdad from the 10th Mountain Division. July 2005 In combat operations, Soldiers of the 48th IBCT detained several suspected insurgents and seized weapons caches. August 2005 More than 125 Soldiers of the 221st Military Intelligence Battalion mobilized to Fort Dix, N.J. In anticipation of a second deployment to Iraq. September 2005 Two Thousand Guardsmen and State Defense Force Volunteers mobilized in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. More than 50,000 Guardsmen were deployed to Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana following the nation’s worst natural disaster. The Georgia State Defense Force mobilized hundreds of volunteers to establish the Atlanta aid center for Katrina victims. Governor Sonny Perdue hosted a prayer vigil at the State Capitol following the deaths of 11 Georgia Guardsmen in Iraq.

Georgia Guardsmen of Troop E 108th Cavalry (rear detachment) conduct humanitarian missions following Hurricane Katrina.

October 2005 The 48th BCT assumed a major role in the historic Iraqi election process. The brigade secured voting locations in Baghdad ahead of the constitutional referendum and elections. November 2005 The 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment arrived in Baghdad and assumes responsibility for the Coalition Press Information Center operations. The 48th Brigade transferred authority for the South Baghdad area of operations to the 101st Airborne and assumed convoy and route security missions throughout Iraq. December 2005 Baby Noor arrived in Atlanta for treatment of Spina Bifida. Baby Noor was found by members of the Gainesvillebased company C, 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment during combat operations in Baghdad. The 48th BCT worked with doctors and charitable groups to transport Baby Noor to Atlanta where she received life-saving surgery.

Soldiers of the 48th Brigade Combat Team on patrol in Iraq. Military and civilians crowd to tour the 17th and final JSTARS during a delivery ceremony at Robins Air Force Base

On Target AT Marksmanship competition

Story by: Sgt. 1st Class Gerard Brown | Public Affairs Office | Georgia Army National Guard

he Georgia National Guard state marksmanship team had the opportunity to not only compete against fellow National Guardsmen from around the country, but also marksmen from international communities. The 44th Winston P. Wilson Small Arms Championship held in Little Rock, Arkansas is an annual four-day event that is meant to test and promote marksmanship training. The competition brought together 160 competitors from the Army and Air National Guard as well as service members from Germany and England. Georgia’s fourman team was selected from the winners of the three-day Andrew Sullens Marksmanship competition held at Fort Stewart in March. The military motto of, “if it ain’t raining, we ain’t training,” seemed fitting for this year’s Winston P. Wilson Small Arms Championship. Day one of the competition started off with the Bianchi Battle: testing endurance, coordination and marksmanship ability. In the early morning rain, teams had to complete three stages on an unknown distance range judged for both accuracy and time. The three stages started with the team running an unknown distance with two 30-pound ammo cans to the next point where they engaged targets at various distances using their M4 rifle, M9 pistol and an M500 shotgun. “The training is phenomenal and our guys did doing great.” said, Sgt. Maj. Joseph Shirer, operations sergeant major, Georgia Army National Guard. “The marksmanship skill level they are receiving here goes way beyond the skills that they would ever see at the company level.” The competition tested their marksmanship skills against the finest military marksmen in the world. The competitive marksmanship event was comprised of both physically and mentally demanding tasks designed to replicate combat situations. Competitor’s skills and endurance were pushed to the limits

Photo by: Sgt. 1 st Class Gerard Brown | Public Affairs Office | Georgia Army National Guard

during the eleven-event competition focused on combat-oriented scenarios like dueling trees, close quarter battle, reflexive fire and combat pistol barricade. On day four of the demanding competition, 2nd Lt. Barrett Sathianathan, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regitiment made sure his team was in front of the pack running to the second stage of the timed General George Patton combat pistol event. Competitors had to run 300 yards and make it to their points or risk being eliminated from the remaining three stages of the event. Combined with both heavy breathing and elevated heart rates, competitors had to engage targets with their M9 pistol at varying distances. The battle-focused event assists in the development of advanced individual and team marksmanship in both experienced and new competitors. Competitors were broken up into open and novice categories. Many of the teams were seasoned veterans to the competition and competed with other seasoned veterans in the open category while shooters competing for the first time competed with other first-time shooters in the novice categories. In his first year of competing in the competition, Tech. Sgt. Derek Pollak of the Georgia Air National Guard’s 165th Security Forces took 1st place in the reflexive fire event, where he engaged multiple targets in close quarter environments. Even though this is only their second year competing in the Winston P. Wilson Championship since the late 1990s, the Georgia Guard’s marksmanship team bested many of those that have been actively participating in this competition for several years. “The dynamics of both the physical and mental aspects of the competition are things you cannot replicate back home, because here you truly see how you perform under pressure,” said Sathianathan. “It’s been great shooting next to the best in the world as well as sharing different training methods with one another.”

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Around the Georgia Guard Communications Squadron An Airman of the Georgia Guard’s 283rd Combat Communications Squadron stationed at Dobbins Air Reserve Base transports a Theater Deployable Communications System during the Sentry Savannah 15-2 exercise at The Air Dominance Center.

Georgia Guard Best Warriors receive AJC achievement award Georgia Army National Guard Sgt. Sam Shuler (left middle) and Spc. John Pettas (right middle), pose for photos after receiving the 2014 AJC Army Reserve Component Achievement Award.

Honoring Georgia’s Fallen Tommy Clack, president, Walk of Heroes Veterans War Memorial; Georgia Governor Nathan Deal; Senator Mike Dugan, Georgia’s 30th district; Brig. Gen. Joe Jarrard, Georgia’s adjutant general; Dr. W. Duane Williams, state leader, Georgia Council Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Of America; and Georgia Army National Guard Chaplain (Maj.) Andrew Parker pay honors to Georgia’s fallen heroes during the state’s Memorial Day ceremony. 17 | The Georgia Guardsman

Never Quit Staff Sgt. Sam Shuler, Georgia Army National Guard 2015 Best Warrior, races toward the finish line during the 6th annual “Some Gave All” 5K and Fun Run in Lula, Georgia.

The Sword is passed Brigadier General Joseph Jarrard, Georgia’s Adjutant General, transfers a ceremonial non-commissioned officers sword to Command Sgt. Major Phillip Stringfield, signifying Stringfield’s assumption of responsibility as senior enlisted advisor of the Georgia National Guard.

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Memorial Day Ceremony Georgia Guard remembers fallen

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