Georgia Air National Guard
Encyclopedia
The Georgia Air National Guard is the air force
militia
of the U.S. state
of Georgia
. It is, along with the Georgia Army National Guard
, an element of the Georgia National Guard
. It is considered a part of the United States Air Force
, as well as its state mission.
.
at Dobbins Air Reserve Base
in Marietta
includes the state headquarters staff, whose mission is to provide command and control of Georgia Air Guard units. Co-located with the headquarters is the 530th Air Force Band. Major General Scott Hammond is the current commander of the Georgia Air National Guard. Brigadier General Bobby Shannon is serving as vice-commander.
The current headquarters was the former location of Naval Air Station Atlanta
, which was discontinued in late September 2009 on recommendation of the Base Realignment and Closure
(BRAC) committee. It is located on the south side of Dobbins, near Smyrna
, and shares the runway
s with the U.S. Air Force Reserve. It is also the headquarters of the Georgia Army National Guard
and the Georgia Department of Defense
itself. Parts of the DOD, including the directorate
, are also still listed on Confederate Avenue in southeast Atlanta
(south of Ormewood Park
), where it was previously headquartered.
at Robins Air Force Base
in Warner Robins
flies and maintains the Air Force's only fleet of Joint STARS (Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System) aircraft. The air-to-ground surveillance radar system is capable of tracking moving ground targets from more than 150 miles away, and provides ground commanders with real time intelligence. In 2008 the 116th earned its 14th Air Force Outstanding Unit Award.
in Garden City
flies C-130 cargo aircraft carrying personnel and equipment around the world. In 2005 the unit deployed aircraft and more than 100 personnel to Karshi-Khanabad (K2), Uzbekistan for 11 months. During this period the unit airlifted more than 35,660 tons of cargo in support of the Global War on Terror.
is headquartered in Garden City. It provides theater command with battle management, radar surveillance, control, and communication capabilities to plan and execute combined air operations, and provide state authorities with a dedicated force ready to react to local emergencies.
provides air liaison and terminal attack ground controllers to plan and coordinate close air support for ground maneuver units.
, provides worldwide engineering, installation and relocation of command, control, communications, computers and intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems. The squadron is aligned under the 253d Engineering Installation Group (MA ANG). The squadron received its eighth Air Force Outstanding Unit Award in 2009. It also received the 2009 Outstanding Support Plaque from the National Guard Association of the United States. At the end of FY11, the squadron will relocate to Robins AFB, Georgia due to BRAC. The unit's motto is "Global Technicians, Anywhere, Anytime!"
, FL
. The squadron earned its fifth Air Force Outstanding Unit Award in 2007.
, is one of four such training facilities in the nation — Savannah Combat Readiness Training Center, Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center, and Gulfport Combat Readiness Training Center. The CRTC provides airspace parking, maintenance areas, training facilities, dormitories, and other support functions for Air Force
, Marine
and Navy
units.
unit in Georgia were activated in support of the Global War on Terror
. Flight crews, aircraft maintenance personnel, communications technicians, air controllers, intelligence analysts and air security personnel deployed to Iraq
, Afghanistan
, Qatar
, Uzbekistan
and other locations throughout the Southwest Asia
.
Air force
An air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or...
militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. It is, along with the Georgia Army National Guard
Georgia Army National Guard
The Georgia Army National Guard is the Army National Guard component of the Georgia National Guard, administratively part of the Georgia Department of Defense. It consists of more than 11,100 Citizen-Soldiers training in more than 79 hometown armories and regional facilities across the state...
, an element of the Georgia National Guard
Georgia National Guard
The Georgia National Guard is the National Guard of the U.S state of Georgia consists of the Georgia Army National Guard and the Georgia Air National Guard...
. It is considered a part of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, as well as its state mission.
Georgia Air National Guard units
The Georgia Air National Guard has 3,000 airmen and officers assigned to two flying wings and six geographically separated units (GSUs) throughout GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
Georgia Air National Guard headquarters
The Georgia Air National Guard headquartersHeadquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
at Dobbins Air Reserve Base
Dobbins Air Reserve Base
Dobbins Air Reserve Base or Dobbins ARB is a United States air reserve base located in Marietta, Georgia, a suburb about northwest of Atlanta. It was named in honor of Captain Charles M. Dobbins, a World War II C-47 pilot who died near Sicily...
in Marietta
Marietta, Georgia
Marietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat.As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 56,579, making it one of metro Atlanta's largest suburbs...
includes the state headquarters staff, whose mission is to provide command and control of Georgia Air Guard units. Co-located with the headquarters is the 530th Air Force Band. Major General Scott Hammond is the current commander of the Georgia Air National Guard. Brigadier General Bobby Shannon is serving as vice-commander.
The current headquarters was the former location of Naval Air Station Atlanta
Naval Air Station Atlanta
General D. Lucius Clay National Guard Center is a military facility located south of Marietta, Georgia, United States. It is located immediately south of Dobbins Air Reserve Base and shares its runways....
, which was discontinued in late September 2009 on recommendation of the Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
(BRAC) committee. It is located on the south side of Dobbins, near Smyrna
Smyrna, Georgia
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 40,999 people, 18,372 households, and 9,498 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,949.9 people per square mile . There were 19,633 housing units at an average density of 1,412.6 per square mile...
, and shares the runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
s with the U.S. Air Force Reserve. It is also the headquarters of the Georgia Army National Guard
Georgia Army National Guard
The Georgia Army National Guard is the Army National Guard component of the Georgia National Guard, administratively part of the Georgia Department of Defense. It consists of more than 11,100 Citizen-Soldiers training in more than 79 hometown armories and regional facilities across the state...
and the Georgia Department of Defense
Georgia Department of Defense
The Georgia Department of Defense is a state agency charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the Georgia National Guard...
itself. Parts of the DOD, including the directorate
Directorate
A directorate is an agency usually headed by a director, often a subdivision of a major government department.* Immigration and Nationality Directorate* Dairat al-Mukhabarat al-Ammah * Veterinary Medicines Directorate...
, are also still listed on Confederate Avenue in southeast Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
(south of Ormewood Park
Ormewood Park
Ormewood Park is a neighborhood located east-southeast within the Downtown Atlanta area of Atlanta, Georgia. Ormewood Park is east of Grant Park, south of Reynoldstown, west of East Atlanta, and north of East Confederate Street....
), where it was previously headquartered.
116th Air Control Wing
The 116th Air Control Wing116th Air Control Wing
The United States Air Force's 116th Air Control Wing is a joint active duty/Air National Guard air control wing located at Robins AFB, Georgia.-Mission:...
at Robins Air Force Base
Robins Air Force Base
Robins Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force base located in Houston County, Georgia, United States. The base is located just east of and adjacent to the city of Warner Robins, Georgia, SSE of Macon, Georgia, and about SSE of Atlanta, Georgia...
in Warner Robins
Warner Robins, Georgia
Warner Robins is a city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located primarily in Houston County with a small portion in Peach County. The city has its own metropolitan statistical area . As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 48,804...
flies and maintains the Air Force's only fleet of Joint STARS (Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System) aircraft. The air-to-ground surveillance radar system is capable of tracking moving ground targets from more than 150 miles away, and provides ground commanders with real time intelligence. In 2008 the 116th earned its 14th Air Force Outstanding Unit Award.
165th Airlift Wing
The 165th Airlift Wing165th Airlift Wing
The Georgia Air National Guard's 165th Airlift Wing is a unit located at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, Georgia. The Airlift Wing, which currently flies the C-130H cargo aircraft, came into existence after World War II in 1946. The unit was officially mobilized first for the Korean...
in Garden City
Garden City, Georgia
Garden City is a city in Chatham County, Georgia, United States. It lies along the Savannah River just northwest of Savannah. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 8,778...
flies C-130 cargo aircraft carrying personnel and equipment around the world. In 2005 the unit deployed aircraft and more than 100 personnel to Karshi-Khanabad (K2), Uzbekistan for 11 months. During this period the unit airlifted more than 35,660 tons of cargo in support of the Global War on Terror.
117th Air Control Squadron
The 117th Air Control Squadron117th Air Control Squadron
The 117th Air Control Squadron is an air control unit headquartered in Hunter Army Airfield, Savannah, GA. It provides theater command with air battle management, radar surveillance, air space control, and long haul communication capabilities to plan and execute combined air operations; air...
is headquartered in Garden City. It provides theater command with battle management, radar surveillance, control, and communication capabilities to plan and execute combined air operations, and provide state authorities with a dedicated force ready to react to local emergencies.
165th Air Support Operations Squadron
The 165th Air Support Operations Squadron in BrunswickBrunswick, Georgia
Brunswick is the major urban and economic center in southeastern Georgia in the United States. The municipality is located on a harbor near the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 30 miles north of Florida and 70 miles south of South Carolina. Brunswick is bordered on the east by the Atlantic...
provides air liaison and terminal attack ground controllers to plan and coordinate close air support for ground maneuver units.
202d Engineering Installation Squadron
The 202d Engineering Installation Squadron, headquartered in MaconMacon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
, provides worldwide engineering, installation and relocation of command, control, communications, computers and intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems. The squadron is aligned under the 253d Engineering Installation Group (MA ANG). The squadron received its eighth Air Force Outstanding Unit Award in 2009. It also received the 2009 Outstanding Support Plaque from the National Guard Association of the United States. At the end of FY11, the squadron will relocate to Robins AFB, Georgia due to BRAC. The unit's motto is "Global Technicians, Anywhere, Anytime!"
224th Joint Communications Support Squadron
Brunswick's 224th Joint Communications Support Squadron provides deployable tactical communications for Joint Task Force (JTF) Headquarters and Joint Special Operations Task Force (JSOTF) Headquarters, and can operate in environments without a reliable terrestrial network. The squadron operationally reports to the Joint Communications Support Element (US Joint Forces Command) at MacDill AFBMacDill Air Force Base
MacDill Air Force Base is an active United States Air Force base located approximately south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida...
, FL
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. The squadron earned its fifth Air Force Outstanding Unit Award in 2007.
283d Combat Communications Squadron
The 283d Combat Communications Squadron, located at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, provides deployable, long range communication and information capabilities supporting Air Force and Joint Force commanders.Combat Readiness Training Center
The Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC), located at Savannah International Airport in SavannahSavannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
, is one of four such training facilities in the nation — Savannah Combat Readiness Training Center, Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center, and Gulfport Combat Readiness Training Center. The CRTC provides airspace parking, maintenance areas, training facilities, dormitories, and other support functions for Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, Marine
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
and Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
units.
History
Starting in 2001, elements of every Air National GuardAir National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
unit in Georgia were activated in support of the Global War on Terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
. Flight crews, aircraft maintenance personnel, communications technicians, air controllers, intelligence analysts and air security personnel deployed to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
, Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
and other locations throughout the Southwest Asia
Southwest Asia
Western Asia, West Asia, Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia are terms that describe the westernmost portion of Asia. The terms are partly coterminous with the Middle East, which describes a geographical position in relation to Western Europe rather than its location within Asia...
.
Active aircraft
| Aircraft | Origin | Type |
|---|---|---|
| E-8 Joint STARS E-8 Joint STARS The Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System is a battle management and command and control aircraft of the United States Air Force... |
Airborne battle management | |
| C-130 Hercules | Tactical Transport |