By Maj. William Carraway
Historian, Georgia Army National Guard
The Georgia Army National Guard’s 348th Brigade Support Battalion a unit of the
Columbus-based 648th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, was
inactivated during a ceremony at the Clay National Guard Center in Marietta
Saturday, Aug 22, 2020. Colonel Brian Ellis, commander of the 648th MEB was the keynote speaker at the ceremony.
Col. Brian Ellis Commander, 648th MEB Photo by Maj. William Carraway |
“Today is a somber day as we case the colors of the Trailblazer Battalion, even though it reflects the normal process of change the Army makes year in and year out,” said Ellis. “That is the mechanical and unsentimental process of the Army. Units, however, are more than capabilities and effects that can be achieved on the battlefield. This is especially true of units in the National Guard… Units in the National Guard not only reflect the people that make up the units but the cities, towns and states in which they are organized."
During the ceremony, the battalion command team of Lt. Col. Charles Newton and Command Sgt. Major William Scaggs cased the battalion colors. Captain April Johnson and 1st Sgt. Eric Yates cased the colors of Headquarters Company while the colors of Company A were cased by Capt. Reggie Corbett and 1st Sgt. Olivia Singleton. Each of the commanders addressed the ceremony.
“I don’t look at it as an inactivation,
said Corbett. “To me, we are dispersing excellence throughout the state. We
will be able to carry on what we learned here in the rest of the Georgia
National Guard.”
Capt. Reggie Corbett and 1st Sgt. Olivia Singleton case the colors of Company A, 348th BSB. Photo by Maj. William Carraway
Charles Newton, the outgoing battalion
commander, recognized the Soldiers of the Trailblazer Battalion in his remarks.
“I am immensely humbled to have been your
commander,” Said Newton. “We come from a proud legacy. We have never dropped a mission;
we have served on foreign soil and frequently in partnership with civil
authorities. As we complete our last milestone and the Trailblazer colors fly
for the last time, I encourage you to remember the experiences and
relationships you developed in the 348th. Deliver the Strike. Trailblazer Six signing off.”
The 348th BSB served as the support element for the 648th MEB throughout its existence. In addition to a
headquarters company, the 348th BSB was comprised of Company A, a distribution company and Company
B, a maintenance Company.
Command Sgt. Major William Scaggs with the colors
of the 348th BSB. Photo by Maj. William Carraway
Throughout
its history, the 348th BSB has supported the 648th MEB in training exercises at home and overseas,
traveling to Korea, Romania and the country of Georgia. The 348th provided critical assistance to the Macon-based 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team during its train-up for
its 2018 Afghanistan deployment and has provided logistical support during
hurricane responses in Georgia and Florida. In the final days before its
activation, Soldiers of the 348th continued to support COVID-19 response operations.
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