Jimmy Carter’s Role in Shaping the Georgia National Guard for the 21st Century, 1971-1975

By Maj. William Carraway, Historian, Georgia National Guard

 

The passing of President Jimmy Carter has brought forth an outpouring of tributes to the former President, his years of public service and his legacy. The Georgia National Guard History office has prepared a retrospective on Carter’s years as Governor and Commander in Chief of the Georgia National Guard from 1971-1975 in observance of the long-lasting effects his leadership had on the Citizen Soldiers and Airmen of Georgia.

Georgia National Guardsmen stand with former president Jimmy Carter while visiting the Carter Center and Presidential Museum in Atlanta,
June 14, 2018. Photo by Charlie Emmons.

Early Life

James Earl Carter Jr. was born October 1, 1924 near Plains, Georgia. His father, James Earl Carter Sr. was a farmer and state representative. His mother, Lillian Carter, was a registered nurse. Graduating from Plains High School, Carter enrolled at Georgia Southwestern and Georgia Tech before accepting an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy. After graduating from the Naval Academy, Carter married Rosalynn Smith of Plains.

Following the death of his father, Carter returned home to Plains where he established a peanut and cotton warehouse. He organized the West Central Georgia Planning Commission and was elected chairman of the local school board. During two terms in the Georgia Senate he served on the education, highway, agriculture and appropriations committees and chaired the university committee.

Governor Jimmy Carter addresses Soldiers of the Georgia Army National Guard at Fort Stewart, Ga. in June 1971. Georgia National Guard Archives.

Governor and Commander in Chief

Carter assumed office as the 76th governor of Georgia January 12, 1971. He selected Ernest Vandiver to serve as Adjutant General of the Georgia National Guard. Vandiver had previously served as Georgia’s Adjutant General from 1948 to 1954. Vandiver served as an Army aviator in World War II. At the end of the war he returned home to Lavonia and was elected mayor. As adjutant general he organized the Civil Defense Division of the Georgia Department of Defense, forerunner of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, and in 1952, became the youngest federally recognized major general in the Air National Guard. Resigning in 1954 he successfully ran for lieutenant governor and was elected governor of Georgia in 1959.[1]

Carter’s selection for commander of the Georgia Air National Guard was Brig. Gen. Joel B Paris III who assumed office March 13, 1971. Paris was a retired veteran of the Amy Air Corps and Georgia Air National Guard. As an Army aviator in the Pacific Theater, Paris shot down nine Japanese aircraft in his P-38 Lightning and earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart Medal. Paris joined the Georgia National Guard in 1946 and was an instrumental force in the early organization of the Georgia Air National Guard. He commanded the 128th Fighter Interceptor Squadron and later served with the 14th Air Force at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia.[2]

Governor Jimmy Carter presents a proclamation honoring the
Georgia Military Institute to Col. Donald Mees, commandant of
GMI April 19, 1971. Georgia National Guard Archives.

Carter assumed office during a turbulent time of civil upheaval against the unpopular Vietnam War and demonstrations for civil rights. In the early weeks of his governorship, Carter was briefed by Vandiver and senior leaders of the Georgia National Guard on the organization’s ability to respond in the event of a civil disturbance such as the upheaval that occurred in Augusta, Georgia in 1970. Vandiver’s briefing included the Guard’s capabilities to mobilize as well as legal procedures and options for use of force.[3]

On April 19, 1971 Governor Carter issued a proclamation designating the day in honor of the Georgia Military Institute. Carter’s proclamation honored the Georgia National Guard Officer Candidate School Program which began in 1851. Governor Vandiver restarted GMI in 1961, and in the ensuing decade, the institute commissioned 348 lieutenants into the Georgia Army National Guard, some of whom went on to serve in Vietnam.[4] Notable graduates of GMI during that period included Brig. Gen. Robert Kennemer, past president of the National Guard Association of Georgia and Brig. Gen. Terrell Reddick, former commander of the 78^th Troop Command.

Ernest Vandiver announced his plans to resign as adjutant general to run for the Senate on October 30, 1971.[5] Upon Vandiver’s resignation, Carter appointed Paris to serve as Georgia’s Adjutant General. Carter pinned the rank of major general on Paris following his appointment November 2, 1971.[6]

“I was inspired by the enthusiastic support given me by Governor Carter,” Paris wrote in December 1974. “His ambition and determination to make the Georgia Guard among the best in the nation was a challenge that I anxiously accepted.”[7]

ATLANTA, November 2, 1971 – Governor Jimmy Carter appoints Maj. Gen. Joel B. Paris III Adjutant General of Georgia. Georgia National Guard Archives.

Carter appointed Col. Cleveland J. Perkins to replace Paris as commander of the Georgia Air National Guard on November 15, 1971. Perkins, who was promoted to brigadier general, enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1943 and served as a crewmember on a B-24 completing 16 combat missions over Germany. Joining the Georgia Air National Guard in 1949, Perkins went on to command the 116th Fighter Group and 116th Military Airlift Group.[8]

Governor Jimmy Carter appointed Col. Cleveland J. Perkins to replace Brig. Gen. Joel Paris as commander of the Georgia Air National Guard
on November 15, 1971. Georgia National Guard Archives.

Carter would subsequently have the opportunity to name a new commander of the Georgia Army National Guard. With the retirement of Maj. Gen Charlie Camp on March 1, 1973, Carter appointed Brig. Gen. Don Mees to command. Mees, a World War II veteran who served with the Georgia Army National Guard’s 101^st Coast Artillery Battalion in Papua New Guinea, had previously served as the commandant of the Georgia Military Institute.[9]

Carter and Employer Support to the Guard and Reserve

Carter recognized the important role employers played in ensuring the Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen of the Georgia National Guard could fulfill their military commitments. He cultivated employer interest in the Georgia National Guard at a time when Georgia units were called upon for extra training to satisfy Army requirements under the Reserve Components Mobilization Readiness Program.[10] He solidified his commitment as a keynote speaker at the National Guard Association of Georgia Conference March 25, 1972. Speaking before 750 National Guardsmen, Carter proclaimed his support for the organization and vowed to “eliminate to the highest degree” any political influences on decision making concerning the Guard.[11] In July, Governor and Mrs. Carter spent two days visiting with Georgia Guardsmen at the Georgia Garrison Training Center at Fort Stewart, Ga. The first couple viewed units conducting annual training, dined in the mess hall and chatted with Soldiers before visiting the range to try their hand at firing the M-60 Machine Gun.[12]

FORT STEWART, Ga. July 7, 1972- Governor Jimmy Carter prepares to fire an M-60 Machine Gun during a visit to Georgia Army National Guard troops
undergoing annual training at Fort Stewart. The Governor and First Lady observed a firing demonstration by the 1st Battalion 121st Infantry
then got to fire the weapons themselves. Georgia National Guard Archives.

In November 1972, Carter welcomed more than 1,000 senior officers of the Air National Guard representing 50 states and Puerto Rico to Atlanta for the Air National Guard Commander’s Conference.[13] In addition to lauding the value of the National Guard at the conference, Carter signed a proclamation in January 1973 following the passage of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve by the U.S. Congress. Carter’s proclamation urged employers to honor the sacrifice their employees made in choosing to serve the state and nation and urged employers to sign statements of support.[14]

Directing Emergency Response Operations

Carter’s first opportunity to employ the Georgia National Guard in emergency response operations came in the winter of 1973 following a severe ice storm which struck Georgia in January. Carter ordered the full resources of the Ga. DoD’s National Guard and Civil Defense components to assist in the joint effort that provided 27 generators to restore power to a hospitals and facilities in Dahlonega, Washington, Dalton, and Atlanta. The Georgia Air National Guard transported the generators and provided two power plants from the 224th Mobile Communications Squadron and 129th Tactical Control Squadron.[15] Also in January, C-124 Globemasters of the Georgia National Guard transported relief supplies to Nicaragua in response to a powerful earthquake that rocked the nation.[16]

MACON, Ga. Feb. 10, 1973 - Soldiers of the 3rd Brigade, 30th Infantry Division, Georgia Army National Guard prepare to load a truck with food
supplies flown from Atlanta in a UH-1 Helicopter assigned to the 151st Aviation Battalion out of Winder, Ga. More than 6,000 pounds of food
was airlifted by the 151st Aviation Battalion. Georgia Army National Guard Archives.

February brought unprecedented snowfall to Georgia prompting Carter to again activate the Georgia National Guard. Carter viewed the damage from a Georgia National Guard helicopter February 10. Following his aerial survey he ordered the closure of I-75 and authorized the activation of Guard units as snow continued to accumulate. Tracked vehicles of the Georgia National Guard were able to negotiate the snow-choked roads to rescue motorists while armories across the state served as emergency shelters and warming stations. Engineers of the Columbus-based 560th Engineer Battalion cleared roads with heavy equipment while Georgia Air National Guard aircraft flew relief supplies to Forsyth and Macon. During its three-day response, the Georgia National Guard transported more than 6,300 people to shelters.[17]

March continued the spate of disaster responses as tornadoes struck six Georgia counties March 31 and Carter again called on the Georgia National Guard and Civil Defense. Guardsmen of the 170th Military Police Battalion were dispatched to Conyers and Athens where they worked with the Georgia State Patrol and local police to assist traffic flow and debris clearing operations.[18]

Promoting Diversity in the Ranks

Carter’s tenure as governor saw increasing diversity in the Georgia National Guard. On May 17, 1973, Gail Wagner became the first woman to enlist in the Georgia Army National Guard.[19] The following year, Jimmie Bailey became the first female to enroll in the Georgia Military Institute’s officer candidate school. Under Carter’s leadership, minority representation in the Georgia National Guard increased tenfold from 1971 to 1974. Carter authorized special recruiting efforts to encourage African Americans to join the Guard and created a committee of leading African American citizens to serve as the National Guard Advisory Council. Council members met quarterly, attending National Guard training events and advising the governor and adjutant general on recruiting and incentives.[20]

The 48th Brigade

In October 1973, The National Guard Bureau approved Carter’s request for a separate brigade assignment to the Georgia National Guard. The 48th Infantry Brigade was designated December 1, 1973, from existing elements of Georgia’s 3rd Brigade, 30th Infantry Division.[21] Carter’s vision for a separate brigade continues to pay dividends more than 50 years later as the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team has completed four combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as well as a peacekeeping mission in Bosnia Herzegovina and mobilization for the Persian Gulf War. Elements of the 48th IBCT again mobilized in 2024 supporting missions on two continents simultaneously.

Governor Jimmy Carter and Brig. Gen. Donald Mees, commander of the Georgia Army National Guard review damage caused by tornadoes that struck
six Northwest Georgia counties on March 31, 1974. Georgia National Guard Archives.

Governor Carter authorized the activation of the 48th Brigade’s Calhoun-based 1st Battalion 108th Armor Regiment after a tornado struck Calhoun April 4, 1974. Carter visited Calhoun speaking with Guardsmen and citizens impacted by the tornado.[22]

Readiness and Renovation

On October 29, 1974, Carter toured the newly completed headquarters of the Georgia Department of Defense Emergency Operations Headquarters. The $900,000 structure now serves as part of GEMA headquarters.[23]

Under Governor Carter’s leadership, the Georgia Army National Guard achieved the highest state of readiness in its history to that date. Georgia Air National Guard units, flying the F-100 Super Sabre, received the highest category of operational readiness while the 165th Military Airlift Group replaced the aging C-124 Globemaster with the C-130 Hercules, an airframe it continues to fly in 2024.[24]

In his final weeks in office, Carter penned a letter to Maj. Gen. Paris lauding the accomplishments of the Georgia National Guard:

During the past four years, the achievements of the Georgia National Guard are too numerous to relate. However, I hope it will suffice for me to say that my personal association with you and the personnel of your Department has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my administration. I salute all of you who have been so dedicated and diligent in carrying out your responsibilities to the citizens of our state and nation.[25] 

 

FORT STEWART, Ga. July 7, 1972 - Governor Jimmy Carter and Maj. Gen. Joel B. Paris III, Georgia's Adjutant General, with Georgia Guardsmen
of the Calhoun-based 1st Battalion, 108th Armor Regiment. Georgia National Guard Archives.

Photos: Flickr Album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/georgiaguardhistory/albums/72157658923913980

---

[1] “After Two Decades Vandiver Returns To Command Georgia National Guard,” Georgia Guardsman, Jan Jun 1971, 2.

[2] “WWII Ace Appointed Assistant AG For Air,” Georgia Guardsman, Jan June 1971, 3.

 

[3] “Legislators Briefed on Riot Control,” Georgia Guardsman, Jan June 1971, 7.

 

[4] Georgia Guardsman, Jan June 1971, 19.

 

[5] Phil Gailey, “Vandiver Senate Bid Seen,” Atlanta Constitution,” October 30, 1971, 1.

 

[6] “Governor Carter Appoints Joel B. Paris III Adjutant General of Georgia,” Georgia Guardsman, July Sept 1971, 2.

[7] “A Message from Maj. Gen. Joel B. Paris, III,” Georgia Guardsman, Sept Dec 1974, inside cover.

 

[8] “BG Perkins Appointed Head of GANG,” Georgia Guardsman, July Sept 1971, 4.

 

[9] Georgia Department of Defense. Annual Report, FY 1973, (Atlanta: 1973).

 

[10] “3rd Bde Readiness To Be Tested Next 18 Months,” Georgia Guardsman, Jan Mar 1972, 3.

 

[11] “Talmadge, Carter & Hershey Highlight 24th Annual NGA Conference,” Georgia Guardsman,” Jan Mar 1972, 7-9.

 

[12] “Governor and State Officials Visit Troops,” Georgia Guardsman, Jul Sept 1972, 10-11.

 

[13] “ANG Commanders Meet in Atlanta,” Georgia Guardsman, Oct Dec 1972, 3.

 

[14] “Employer Support of Guard and Reserve Grows,” Georgia Guardsman, Mar April 1973, 9.

 

[15] “Guard Lends a Hand During Icy Crisis,” Georgia Guardsman, Jan Feb 1973, 6.

 

[16] “Earthquake Victims Aided by Ga. Air Guard,” Georgia Guardsman, Jan Feb 1973, 7.

 

[17] “Guardsmen Rescue Georgians and Travelers,” Georgia Guardsman, Mar Apr 1973-2-7.

 

[18] “Guardsmen Patrol Areas after Twisters Hit,” Georgia Guardsman, Mar April 1973, 8.

 

[19] “First Female Enlists in Ga. Army Guard,” Georgia Guardsman, May June 1973, 1.

 

[20] “Minority Recruiting Soars,” Georgia Guardsman, Mar April 1974, 10.

 

[21] “Third Brigade is Now 48th,” Georgia Guardsman, Nov Dec 1973, 6.

 

[22] “Tornadoes Devastate N. Ga.,” Georgia Guardsman, Mar Apr 1974, 3.

 

[23] “New DoD Building Completed,” Georgia Guardsman, Sep Dec 1974, 2.

 

[24] “A Message from Maj. Gen. Joel B. Paris, III,” Georgia Guardsman, Sept Dec 1974, inside cover.

 

[25] Jimmy Carter to Joel Paris, November 12, 1974.

In Memoriam: Capt. William McKenna, 121st Infantry Regiment

By Major William Carraway
Historian, Georgia Army National Guard

Captain William McKenna (pictured in 1939) was twice awarded the Silver Star Medal for his actions while leading Soldiers of the 121st Infantry Regiment
in combat during World War II. 

Early Life

William Andrew McKenna was born in Macon, in 1910[1] to first generation Irish Americans William and Mary McKenna. The elder William worked as a bookkeeper in a jeweler’s store while Mary tended to seven children of which young William Andrew was the third.[2]

In May 1927, McKenna joined the local National Guard company, the famed Floyd Rifles, which had served in the 151^st Machine Gun Battalion in World War I. Though still in high school McKenna took to Soldiering quickly and was promoted to private 1^st class.

The 151st Machine Gun Battalion in France in 1917. Georgia Guard Archives.

McKenna graduated from Lanier High School in 1930. Nicknamed Duck by his classmates, McKenna had played baseball, basketball and football. His high school quote was prophetic: “All great men are dying – I feel ill myself.”[3]

Preparing for War

First Lieutenant William McKenna in 1941. 
Georgia National Guard Archives

McKenna rose through the enlisted ranks and by May 1939 was first sergeant of Company F. In November he was commissioned a second lieutenant. On September 16, 1940, he was accepted into federal service with Company F and the 121^st Infantry Regiment and dispatched to Fort Jackson S.C. for sixteen weeks of initial training. On December 26, 1940, McKenna married Ms. Cecile Cassidy during a ceremony at St. Joseph’s Church in Macon.

McKenna was promoted to 1^st lieutenant March 14, 1941, and two months later, the 121st participated in the Tennessee Maneuvers followed by the Carolina Maneuvers. In the fall of 1941, the 121st was transferred from the 30th Division to the 8th Infantry Division. 

McKenna participated in the grueling train up through the Second Army Maneuvers in Tennessee to the Desert Training Center in Yuma Arizona. He displayed impressive leadership qualities and was promoted to captain August 22, 1942. Finally, on November 25, 1943, McKenna, and the Soldiers of the 121st boarded a train bound for Camp Kilmer, N.J. before embarking from Brooklyn, N.Y. aboard the U.S.S. Beanville and Columbia. While at sea, McKenna confided that he had a suspicion that he would never return to the United States.[4]

After a ten-day voyage, the Gray Bonnets arrived in Belfast Harbor. Over the next six and a half months, the 121st conducted field problems and combat training in anticipation for the Normandy invasion.

Normandy

On July 4, the first Soldiers of the Gray Bonnet Regiment splashed ashore on Utah Beach. Upon landing and consolidating, the 121st was dispatched south to La Haye du Puits where the U.S. VIII Corps was attempting to dislodge German forces and advance out of the swampy lowland terrain. Arriving on July 8, the 8th Division was assigned as the main effort of the attack which would strike a narrow front between Lessay and Perriers. 

La Haye du Puits, France in 2023.
Photo by Maj. William Carraway

The next morning, the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 121st assaulted La Haye du Puits from the northeast moving out under cover of artillery. Having advanced perhaps 500 yards, the Gray Bonnets were checked by withering German machine gun fire. The 1st Battalion, in the vicinity of Hill 95 found itself in a particularly desperate situation with elements of Company A temporarily isolated. Though outnumbered, the German Infantry were well entrenched in strong hedgerow positions with interlocking fields of machine gun fire and mortar coverage. 

During the heavy fighting, McKenna led companies of the 2^nd Battalion forward to reestablish contact with 3^rd Battalion. Surveying the enemy line, McKenna perceived that hostile fire had ceased from a sector and moved forward to investigate. McKenna advanced to a hedgerow which concealed a considerable force of German troops. Calling loudly for their surrender, McKenna was rebuffed when the German commander ordered his Soldiers to open fire. Calmly, McKenna secured a string of hand grenades and continued to advance within a few yards of the enemy where he destroyed the German strong point with hand grenades. For his actions, McKenna was awarded the Purple Heart and Silver Star.[5]

Soldiers of the 121^st Infantry move through the ruins of Hurtgen, Germany in December 1944. National Archives.

From France to Germany

McKenna fought with the 121^st Infantry Regiment through Normandy and the successive Brittany Campaign. He endured savage fighting in the Hurtgen Forest and by December 1944 was leading Company B in the attack on Obermaubach, a German town that overlooked a dam on the Roer River.

Position of Company B, 121st Infantry Regiment on December 24, 1944, just north of Obermaubach, Germany. Photo by Maj. William Carraway

On Christmas Day, 1944, McKenna was characteristically leading his men from the front, crawling ahead of the company, and reporting the positions of machine gun positions for artillery. McKenna remained thus exposed until machine gun fire compelled him to return to Company B’s fighting positions just as his company was receiving a heavy artillery barrage. Ignoring the incoming fire that split fir trees and caused geysers of frozen earth to erupt around him, McKenna moved among his men’s fighting positions encouraging them to maintain their fire. When the enemy artillery fire slackened, McKenna once again moved to the front of his men to direct a counterattack. He was out in front of his company when he was killed by small arms fire. 

McKenna was posthumously awarded a second Silver Star in recognition of his bravery in the face of the enemy. He rests in the Netherland American Cemetery with full military honors. 

On October 23, 1960, an armory was dedicated in honor of Capt. William McKenna in his hometown of Macon. 

Dedication ceremony of the William McKenna Armory October 23, 1960. McKenna’s widow Cecile participated in the unveiling ceremony as did
 Lt. Col. Holden West, commander of the 3rd Medium Tank Battalion, 108th Armor Regiment. West would later serve as the first commander of the
48th Infantry Brigade and would ultimately command the Georgia Army National Guard.

---

[1] 1930 US Census.

[2] 1920 U.S. Census.

[3] The Lanierian, 1930.

[4] The Gray Bonnet: Combat History of the 121st Infantry. Baton Rouge, LA: Army & Navy Publishing Company, 1946, 43.

[5] Carraway, William. It Shall Be Done: The 121st Infantry Regiment Enters Fortress Europe. http://www.georgiaguardhistory.com/2019/07/it-shall-be-done-121st-infantry.html

The 810th Engineer Company

 By Maj. William Carraway

Historian, Georgia Army National Guard

National Guard history is intrinsically linked with community history as the ties between a town and its local National Guard unit run deep. Such is the case with Swainsboro and its 810^th Engineer Company which celebrates the anniversary of its federal recognition December 18.

Soldiers of the 810th Engineer Company at the Swainsboro armory June 11, 2023. Photo courtesy of the 810th Engineer Company. 

Constituted July 5, 1946, in the Georgia National Guard as Battery C, 101st Antiaircraft Automatic Weapons Battalion[1] the Swainsboro unit was federally recognized December 18, 1947. On July 1, 1959, the unit was reorganized to form Battery C, 2^nd Gun Battalion, 214^th Field Artillery.[2] A reorganization of May 1, 1962, established Company B, 5th Medium Tank Battalion, 108th Armor in Swainsboro.[3] The following year, the unit was again reorganized as Company B, 3^rd Battalion 121^st Infantry Regiment.[4] When Georgia’s 48^th Armor Division was inactivated January 1, 1968, the Swainsboro unit was redesignated Company A, 878th Engineer Battalion.[5]

Lieutenant General Albert Watson II, commanding general of the 3rd U.S. Army reviews the 5th Medium Tank Battalion, 108th Armored Regiment, 48th
Armored Division August 24, 1963 with Lt. Col. William L. Britton Jr. of Augusta at Augusta. Georgia National Guard Archives.

In 1968 Company A, 878^th was awarded the Eisenhower Trophy which was presented annually to the best company in the Georgia Army National Guard. Captain. Alton Lawson, commanding Company A, accepted the award from Maj. Gen. George Hearn, Georgia’s Adjutant General.[6]

Following civil unrest in Augusta in May 1970 the Swainsboro unit was among the Georgia National Guard units dispatched to maintain peace and order.[7] The following year, Swainsboro Guardsmen, utilizing equipment of the Fort Stewart-based 575^th Engineer Battalion, completed multiple projects at Fort Stewart and the Georgia Garrison Training Center.[8] Company A completed the work during unit training assemblies from February to April.

 

Guardsmen of the 878th Engineer Battalion help clear the streets of Swainsboro Feb. 10, 1973 following a record-breaking snowfall.
Georgia National Guard Archives.

Record snowfall in February 1973 prompted the activation of the Swainsboro engineers. Soldiers of Company A, operating heavy equipment, cleared local roads and assisted in clearing sections of Interstate 16.

Company A was reorganized and redesignated October 1, 1976 as Company D, 878th Engineer Battalion. In 1982, the 878^th completed its largest project to date. Rotating units, the 878^th completed site preparation and grading at Dobbins Air Force Base for the hangar and office facilities of the 158^th and 159^th Military Intelligence Companies who flew the OV-1 Mohawk aircraft.[9] These properties are currently the home of the 201^st Regional Support Group, 265^th Chemical Battalion and 4^th Civil Support Team.

Following more than a decade as Company D, the Swainsboro unit was reorganized and redesignated December 1, 1988 as Company A, 878th Engineer Battalion.[10] Company D was pressed into service in 1994 when heavy rains caused massive flooding across southwest Georgia. The engineers cleared debris and repaired roads damaged by Tropical Storm Alberto.

 Company A was ordered into federal service March 15, 2003, with the 878^th Battalion and mobilized to Iraq. The unit conducted military construction missions for 15 months before returning to the United States. The unit was again activated September. 22, 2005 and mobilized to Iraq. The 81 Soldiers operated from bases near Tikrit and Kirkuk before returning to the United States in November 2006 returned to state control Jan. 28, 2007.

On September 1, 2007, Company A relocated to Augusta while a consolidation of Company A Detachment 1 and the Lyons and Sandersville detachments of the 878^th Engineer Battalion constituted the 810^th Engineer Company in Swainsboro. [11]

 

A few of the more than 100 members of Swainsboro’s 810th pose for a parting picture before departing for one year to Afghanistan Sept. 20, 2009.
Georgia National Guard Archives.

The 810th deployed to Afghanistan September 20, 2009. Throughout its deployment, the 810^th Engineer Company conducted more than 390 route clearance missions and cleared over 30,000 miles of road, enabling commanders there to move supplies and troops safely and freely throughout the battlefield. On June 26, 2010, Sgt. David Holmes of the 810^th Engineer Company was killed when his vehicle was struck by an IED. Sergeant 1^st Class Edgar Roberts was mortally wounded in the same attack and died of his wounds August 17, 2010. The 810^th returned to Georgia September 16, 2010.

 

Swainsboro’s own 810th Engineer Company’s main body returned from Afghanistan to Volk Field
 Wisconsin. demobilized at Fort McCoy and returned to Fort Stewart Sept. 16, 2010.  Photo by Capt. Will Cox

Soldiers of the 810^th spent annual training in Germany in July 2011.[12] Two years later, the 810^th received CBRNE search and rescue familiarization at the Guardian Center in Perry Georgia in support of the Region 4 Homeland Response Force mission to maintain readiness for future CBRNE incidents.[13] In 2015, the 810^th put their CBRNE training to work during Exercise Vigilant Guard in South Carolina.[14] Part of Joint Task Force 781, the 810 was responsible for locating and extracting simulated victims from a collapsed structure.

 

Combat engineers with the 810th Engineer Company, Joint Task Force 781, Georgia National Guard assess and clear debris from a simulated
collapsed building site in Georgetown, S.C., March 8, 2015, during Vigilant Guard South Carolina. Vigilant Guard is a series of federally funded disaster-response
 drills conducted by National Guard units working with federal, state and local emergency management agencies and first responders. Photo by Capt. William Carraway

In May 2015, the 810^th along with the 848^th Engineer Company became the first Guard engineers to field the M-7 Spider System – a man-portable, remotely controlled force protection munition dispensing set.[15] In October of that year, following Hurricane Joachin, nearly 70 Soldiers of the 810^th rushed to Hephzibah, Georgia to fill sandbags to help stave off flooding in South Carolina.[16] In October 2016, the 810^th mobilized to Glynn County, Ga. in the wake of Hurricane Matthew.[17]

 

Soldiers of the Georgia Army National Guard’s 810th Engineer Company conduct a controlled detonation at the remote Vaziani Training Area.
The 810th trained with Georgian Armed Forces in support of Exercise Noble Partner 2017. Photo by Capt. William Carraway 

In recent years, the 810^th Engineer Company has completed unprecedented training and real-world missions at home and overseas. 2017 found 65 Soldiers of the 810^th a half a world away supporting exercise Noble Partner in the Country of Georgia.[18] Soldiers of the 810^th were among thousands of activated to support the state’s coordinated response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In January 2021, Swainsboro’s Citizen Soldiers were called to duty in the nation’s capital to provide security for the presidential inauguration.

Specialist Robert English, a combat engineer with the 810th Engineer Company, provides security near the U.S. Capitol, Feb. 21, 2021.
Photo by Sgt. 1st Class R.J. Lannom Jr.

In September and October 2024, Soldiers of the 810th Engineer Company mobilized in response to Hurricane Helene which ravaged counties in South Georgia. The 810th joined a massive debris clearance effort as part of Joint Task Force 648.

Soldiers of the 810th Engineer Company conducting debris clearance in response to Hurricane Helene October 4, 2024. Photo courtesy of the
810th Engineer Company.

---

[1] AGAO-I 325, 23 January 1951.

 

[2] OA 73-59, 10 July 1959.

 

[3] OA 47-62, 16 April 1962.

 

[4] OA 57-63, 21 March 1963.

 

[5] OA 71-67, 14 December 1967.

 

[6] “Mees, Scruggs, Gaines Awarded Distinctive Service Medal.” The Georgia Guardsman. May August 1968, 7.

 

[7] “Governor Sends 2,000 Ga. Guardsmen to Augusta, Athens to Restore Calm in Wake of May Civil Disturbances.” The Georgia Guardsman. April – June 1970 3-4.

 

[8] “NG Unit Aids Fort Stewart.” The Georgia Guardsman Magazine. January-June 1971, 8.

 

[9] “Guard Engineers Complete Largest Project.” The Georgia Guardsman. March 1982, 15.

 

[10] OA 34-89, 23 February 1989.

 

[11] OA 112-08, 21 May 2008.

 

[12] Alexander Gantt. “Guard Engineers Conduct Annual Training in Southeast Germany. The Georgia Guardsman. August 2011, 3-4.

 

[13] Steven Bennett. “810^th Engineers: Three Days of Disaster.” The Georgia Guardsman, August 2013, 16.

 

[14] Christopher Stephens. “Operation Vigilant Guard.” The Georgia Guardsman. March 2015, 3-4.

 

[15] William Carraway. “Georgia Guard Engineers First to Field M-7 System. The Georgia Guardsman. May 2015. 10-11.

 

[16] William Carraway. “Guard Responds to Hurricane Joachin.” The Georgia Guardsman. October 2015, 5-6.

 

[17] Desiree Bamba. “Hurricane Matthew: The Georgia Guard Responds.” The Georgia Guardsman. Fall 2016 11-14.

 

[18] William Carraway. “Operation Noble Partner. The Georgia Guardsman. Q3 2017, 19-20.