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Foreword

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Georgia Department of Defense
Georgia Department of Defense

The Georgia National Guard traces its history back through colonial militias to the 17th century. It is composed of both full-time members and those with civilian careers who serve whenever needed at home or abroad. In 2011, the Guard responded to severe winter storms in Georgia and assisted with wildfire suppression. Guard units also deployed to Afghanistan and Libya in support of overseas operations while others assisted communities at home. The year saw leadership changes and the retirement of two senior officers, as well as returns from combat deployments and ongoing training and domestic operations. The Guard serves an important role for both Georgia and the United States.

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Foreword The Georgia Guard traces its history back through the militia maintained by the colony of Georgia, to the first formal militias established in the New World in 1636, to a much older tradition of militia in England. We come from all walks of life. Some of us are full-time, but most of us maintain entirely separate civilian careers. But we Georgia Guardsmen all have one thing in common: our job is to serve our state anywhere, anytime we’re needed – and to serve our Nation anywhere in the world. Because of our backgrounds as civilians, because of the depth of experience we bring to our military mission, we have a unique approach to everything we do – whether in the skies over Afghanistan, or down on the ground in its deserts, or right here at home responding to a domestic emergency. This Annual Report provides a representative sample of the great work done by the Georgia Department of Defense in 2011. We think of this report as more of an introduction to the organization… an annual prologue that builds on our long and storied past. The year opened with an almost immediate opportunity to serve our communities when Georgia was hit by the worst winter storm in decades. Guardsmen across the affected areas stepped in to lend a hand to GEMA and other state agencies, providing emergency transportation to medical personnel as well as assisting the Georgia State Patrol with stranded motorists. Later in the year, Army Guard helicopters and Air Guard bulldozers worked side-by-side with the Forestry Commission to widen fire breaks and drop water on wildfires raging on the opposite side of the state. This past year marked the 10th anniversary of 9/11 – an anniversary that finds us still at war, yet, a better trained and experienced force more ready than ever to serve our state and nation. January 2011 also marked the ninth deployment of the 165th Airlift Wing out of Savannah. In its largest deployment ever, six C-130 Hercules aircraft and more than 100 flight operations and maintenance personnel deployed for three months to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. Later in the year, the 116th Air Control Wing (flying the E-8C JSTARS) deployed in support of NATO operations in Libya – adding a unique capability for coordinating air and ground operations in a hostile environment. Other Airmen from the 116th Civil Engineering Squadron made a brief deployment stateside to help build an education center at a Navajo Nation reservation in Arizona. The year also found Georgia Army National Guard Soldiers in combat in both Afghanistan and Iraq, with Marietta’s Company C, 1-111th General Support Aviation Battalion, flying medical evacuation missions right up to the very end of the mission there. Georgia Army Guardsmen also trained and lived alongside Soldiers from the Uganda Peoples Defense Forces for a major exercise sponsored by U.S. Army Africa. And, even as the war in Iraq was winding down, Soldiers of the 648th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade Headquarters were preparing to deploy to Afghanistan, where they would serve as Kabul Base Cluster Command. Happily, the year also included the return from combat of units including the 190th Military Police Company, 877th Engineer Company, and the 1-171st General Support Aviation Battalion. Volunteers of the State Defense Force were equally active this year in their growing role as a supplementary force to the Georgia National Guard. Notable was their quick response to community needs for disaster relief and search and rescue operations following local tornados – and the professionalism and competence they bring to the fight.
Major joint operations this year included successful Counterdrug operations, validation of Marietta’s 78th Homeland Response Force, and the graduation of the 10,000th Youth ChalleNGe Academy graduate. 2011 was also a year of great change for the National Guard, with the retirement of Major Generals William T. Nesbitt and Maria Britt, and the subsequent appointment of Maj. Gen. Jim Butterworth and Brig. Gen. Joe Jarrard as Georgia’s Adjutant General and Commander of the Georgia Army National Guard, respectively. Over 700 civilian dignitaries and members of the military attended a ceremony marking the transition of responsibility. Here in the Annual Report, you can learn more about some of these events, as well as the units themselves, and some specifics about the economic and educational effects the Ga. DoD has on Georgia. Taken holistically, it is clear that the operations we conduct, the assistance we provide, the chances we have to learn and to lead – all allow us to live the organization’s values and truly realize our own potential in service to the state and nation. We Guardsmen are proud of our mission, and proud of the role we play both at home and abroad. We look forward to continuing to serve, and to continuously seek ways to improve our service through the Georgia Department of Defense. (Word Count 803)

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Foreword

  • 1. Foreword The Georgia Guard traces its history back through the militia maintained by the colony of Georgia, to the first formal militias established in the New World in 1636, to a much older tradition of militia in England. We come from all walks of life. Some of us are full-time, but most of us maintain entirely separate civilian careers. But we Georgia Guardsmen all have one thing in common: our job is to serve our state anywhere, anytime we’re needed – and to serve our Nation anywhere in the world. Because of our backgrounds as civilians, because of the depth of experience we bring to our military mission, we have a unique approach to everything we do – whether in the skies over Afghanistan, or down on the ground in its deserts, or right here at home responding to a domestic emergency. This Annual Report provides a representative sample of the great work done by the Georgia Department of Defense in 2011. We think of this report as more of an introduction to the organization… an annual prologue that builds on our long and storied past. The year opened with an almost immediate opportunity to serve our communities when Georgia was hit by the worst winter storm in decades. Guardsmen across the affected areas stepped in to lend a hand to GEMA and other state agencies, providing emergency transportation to medical personnel as well as assisting the Georgia State Patrol with stranded motorists. Later in the year, Army Guard helicopters and Air Guard bulldozers worked side-by-side with the Forestry Commission to widen fire breaks and drop water on wildfires raging on the opposite side of the state. This past year marked the 10th anniversary of 9/11 – an anniversary that finds us still at war, yet, a better trained and experienced force more ready than ever to serve our state and nation. January 2011 also marked the ninth deployment of the 165th Airlift Wing out of Savannah. In its largest deployment ever, six C-130 Hercules aircraft and more than 100 flight operations and maintenance personnel deployed for three months to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. Later in the year, the 116th Air Control Wing (flying the E-8C JSTARS) deployed in support of NATO operations in Libya – adding a unique capability for coordinating air and ground operations in a hostile environment. Other Airmen from the 116th Civil Engineering Squadron made a brief deployment stateside to help build an education center at a Navajo Nation reservation in Arizona. The year also found Georgia Army National Guard Soldiers in combat in both Afghanistan and Iraq, with Marietta’s Company C, 1-111th General Support Aviation Battalion, flying medical evacuation missions right up to the very end of the mission there. Georgia Army Guardsmen also trained and lived alongside Soldiers from the Uganda Peoples Defense Forces for a major exercise sponsored by U.S. Army Africa. And, even as the war in Iraq was winding down, Soldiers of the 648th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade Headquarters were preparing to deploy to Afghanistan, where they would serve as Kabul Base Cluster Command. Happily, the year also included the return from combat of units including the 190th Military Police Company, 877th Engineer Company, and the 1-171st General Support Aviation Battalion. Volunteers of the State Defense Force were equally active this year in their growing role as a supplementary force to the Georgia National Guard. Notable was their quick response to community needs for disaster relief and search and rescue operations following local tornados – and the professionalism and competence they bring to the fight.
  • 2. Major joint operations this year included successful Counterdrug operations, validation of Marietta’s 78th Homeland Response Force, and the graduation of the 10,000th Youth ChalleNGe Academy graduate. 2011 was also a year of great change for the National Guard, with the retirement of Major Generals William T. Nesbitt and Maria Britt, and the subsequent appointment of Maj. Gen. Jim Butterworth and Brig. Gen. Joe Jarrard as Georgia’s Adjutant General and Commander of the Georgia Army National Guard, respectively. Over 700 civilian dignitaries and members of the military attended a ceremony marking the transition of responsibility. Here in the Annual Report, you can learn more about some of these events, as well as the units themselves, and some specifics about the economic and educational effects the Ga. DoD has on Georgia. Taken holistically, it is clear that the operations we conduct, the assistance we provide, the chances we have to learn and to lead – all allow us to live the organization’s values and truly realize our own potential in service to the state and nation. We Guardsmen are proud of our mission, and proud of the role we play both at home and abroad. We look forward to continuing to serve, and to continuously seek ways to improve our service through the Georgia Department of Defense. (Word Count 803)