A Brief History of the 78th Troop Command

By Major William Carraway, Historian, Georgia Army National Guard

 

Left: Color guard of the 78th TC during a brigade change of command ceremony in July 1997. Right: Guidons of units assigned to the 78th
Troop Command in 2017. Photo by Pfc. Isaiah Matthews.

Early History

The Georgia Army National Guard’s 78^th Troop Command was organized and federally recognized as the Command-and-Control Headquarters in Atlanta October 1, 1978, to provide command and control for separate organizations within the state.[1] Prior to the establishment of the CAC, these units were organized under the Emergency Operations Center and later the 122^nd Support Center. Upon organization, the CAC adopted the Oglethorpe crest shoulder-sleeve insignia which had been created for the State Headquarters Detachment in 1970.[2]

 

The CAC was initially composed of Army aviation, signal, public affairs, maintenance, transportation, medical, military police companies and the Army band.[3] Commanded by Brig. Gen. Horace L. Cheek Jr., the CAC supported active Army units at Fort Benning, Fort Campbell, Anniston Army Depot, the US Military Academy and NATO forces in West Germany during fiscal year 1979.[4]

 

A CH-54 of the 1160th Transportation Company (Heavy Helicopter) in flight circa 1980. Georgia Guard Archives.

The 1980s

In 1980, with an authorized strength of 2,854, CAC units participated in a command post exercise with the 167^th Corps Support Command at Anniston Army Depot.[5]

 

In 1981, the 1^st Battalion, 122^nd Infantry Tow Light Anti-Tank Battalion became mission capable as part of the CAC. The 122^nd was one of four TLAT units in the nation.

 

During fiscal year 1982, the CAC was reorganized and redesignated as Troop Command in order to streamline its mobilization capabilities.[6] The 170^th Military Police Battalion participated in an overseas deployment training exercise in Mannheim, West Germany and the 122^nd Support Center participated in Exercise Vulcan Knight at Camp Blanding, Fla.[7] The aviation component of the Troop Command continued to grow with the 151st Military Intelligence Battalion, comprised of the 158^th and 159^th MI Companies flying the OV-1 Mohawk and the 1160^th Transportation Company which operated the CH-54 Skycrane.[8]

 

An OV-1 Mohawk of the 158th Military Intelligence Battalion in flight. Georgia National Guard Archives.

In 1983, the 122^nd TLAT was rated as combat ready and the 277^th Maintenance Company supported active-duty units during annual training in West Germany.[9] The Troop Command, then composed of 24 units in 12 Georgia locations participated in extensive mobilization exercises designed to familiarize units with their war-time mission and area of operation.

 

Headquarters of Troop Command moved from Atlanta to Decatur in 1984. That year, the 122^nd TLAT won the National Guard Bureau’s Milton A. Reckford Trophy with Company C receiving the Eisenhower Trophy designating the most outstanding National Guard unit in Georgia. Personnel from Troop Command again conducted overseas deployment training in West Germany.[10]

WINDER, Ga. November 2, 1986 - Soldiers of the 78th Troop Command's 122nd TLAT Battalion
 became the first Georgia Guardsmen to drill with the High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled
Vehicle. The HMMWV replaced the jeeps that had been the mainstay of the Ga. Army National
Guard.‬‬‬‬ Georgia National Guard Archives.‬‬‬‬‬

In 1985, personnel from the 110^th Maintenance Battalion, 277^th Maintenance Company and 122^nd Rear Area Operations Center mobilized to West Germany for ODT missions while units of the 122^nd TLAT participated in Exercise Cascade Peak in Fort Lewis, Wash. The following year, Company A, 122^nd TLAT mobilized for Team Spirit Exercise in South Korea. Members of the 151st Military Intelligence Battalion also mobilized in support of Team Spirit. Meanwhile, the 138^th Medical Company and 122^nd RAOC supported ODT missions in Europe.[11]

 

By the end of 1986, the 122^nd TLAT became the first unit in the Georgia Guard to field a new low-profile vehicle known as a HMMWV.[12] Company A, 122^nd deployed to Korea for the Team Spirit Exercise while members of the 151^st MI Battalion augmented maintenance operations of the 2^nd Division in Korea. Soldiers of the 138^th Medical Company and 122^nd Rear Area Operations Center additionally mobilized to Europe for Battle Book and Crested Eagle exercises.

 

Soldiers of the 166th Maintenance Company prepare for a training mission at Fort Stewart
April 25, 1988. Photo by Elliott Minor. 

1987 found several Troop Command units overseas for ODT missions. The 110^th Maintenance Battalion, and 138^th Medical Company travelled to Ecuador for Blazing Trail Exercise while the 124^th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment travelled to Panama. Troop Command welcomed new units in 1987 including Company H, 122^nd Infantry Long Range Reconnaissance Platoon, and the 202^nd Explosive Ordnance Detachment. Troop Command also sent 300 Soldiers in support of the Forsyth, Ga. “Brotherhood March.”[13]

 

Troop Command Soldiers from the 170^th MP Battalion participated in cold weather training In Minnesota in 1988. Later that year, the battalion sent MPs in support of the Democratic National Convention. The 82nd Maintenance Company conducted annual training in West Germany and the 122^nd RAOC and 201^st Maintenance Company supported missions in Germany for the Return of Forces to Europe exercise. Personnel of the 122^nd TLAT returned to Korea for Team Spirit and also supported Exercise Crested Eagle in California.[14]

 

By 1989, Troop Command was comprised of 35 units and was heavily involved in exercises around the world. In addition to operations in Virginia, Florida, and Washington, Troop Command Soldiers participated in Operation Quetzal in Guatemala and Yama Sakura in Japan.[15]

 

The 1990s

In August 1990, the first units of the Georgia Army National Guard were mobilized for Desert Storm service with the 190^th MP and 1148^th Transportation Company arriving first in Saudi Arabia and the 165^th Supply Company soon to follow. The 1148^th TC would travel more than 520,000 miles and deliver nearly 10 million gallons of fuel during Operation Desert Shield/Storm, and the 190^th MP Company would provide supply route and VIP security. The 166^th Maintenance Company was mobilized to Fort Stewart to assist the 48^th Brigade with its mobilization and the 124^th MPAD would accompany the 48^th to Fort Irwin, Calif. The 202^nd Ordnance Detachment mobilized to Fort Drum and conducted more than 70 missions in a four-state area.[16]

 

The years following Operation Desert Storm brought reorganization and reductions.[17] The 122^nd TLAT was inactivated in September 1992. The same reorganization brought the 1^st Battalion 214^th Field Artillery into the TC. The 1-214^th conducted training in Norway in September 1992 while the 277^th Maintenance Company conducted training in Germany. Further reorganizational changes found the 151^st converting to form a medical evacuation battalion while the 110th Maintenance Battalion converted to form a corps support battalion. The Troop Command also received the 117^th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital.[18]

 

The 117th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital at Fort Stewart. Georgia National Guard Archives.

A major reorganization in 1994 caused Troop Command to be redesignated as the 78th Troop Command, Headquarters, State Area Command, under command of Col. Robert Hughes.[19] Under the consolidated structure, the 78^th TC received the 265^th Engineer Group, to include the 560^th and 878^th Engineer Battalions. For several years thereafter, the State Area Command was divided into two separate units: the 48^th Infantry Brigade (Mechanized) and the 78^th Troop Command. In 1994, the 1-214^th returned to Norway and conducted training with Norwegian and Canadian forces. Nearly 100 Soldiers of the 277^th Maintenance Company deployed to Kuwait in June to participate in overseas deployment training. Company G, 244^th Aviation Regiment supported the Florida National Guard ahead of their 1995 rotation at Fort Irwin while the 1177^th Transportation Company participated in exercises in Mississippi and Texas. Company B, 244^th Aviation prepared to become the first company in the Georgia National Guard to receive the UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter and the 117^th MASH provided medical support to Winn Army Hospital at Fort Stewart as part of their annual training. The 151^st EVAC received the Beechcraft U-21 aircraft in support of its new mission.[20]

 

Colonel Robert Hughes relinquished command of the 78th Troop Command to Col. Mike Seely during a ceremony in July 1997.
Georgia National Guard Archives.

In 1997, the 78^th Troop Command was 3,600 strong. [21] The following year, the 1-214^th became the first Georgia Guard unit to field the Paladin Self-Propelled Howitzer. Headquarters hosted ten physicians from the country of Georgia to witness U.S. military and civilian medical practices. Following the outbreak of massive forest fires, the 1^st Battalion, 171^st Combat Support Aviation Battalion and Detachment 1, Company F, 131^st Aviation were called to provide mission support to the state of Florida.[22]

 

By 1999, the 3,000-member 78^th TC was comprised of the 265^th Engineer Group, the 878^th Engineer Battalion, 110^th Corps Support Battalion, 151^st Medical Evacuation Battalion and the 122^nd Rear Operations Center. The aviation units that had formerly been part of the Troop Command were reorganized under the 1^st Aviation Group, forerunner of today’s 78^th Aviation Troop Command. Command of the 78^th transitioned from Brig. Gen. Michael Seely to Col. Terrell T. Reddick. Seely advanced to command the Georgia Army National Guard. Later that year, the 110^th CSB participated in Operation Golden Cargo 99, a massive transportation operation reminiscent of Patriot Bandoleer in 2015. The 110^th CSB transported 4,500 tons of MLRS pods from Northern Illinois to Eastern Texas. Engineers of the 878^th participated in Operation Caribbean Castle in the Dominican Republic and the 277^th Maintenance Company spent three weeks in Germany. Travelling to Panama, the 202^nd EOD cleared small arms and artillery ranges of unexploded ordnance. Also deploying to Panama, the 178^th Military Police Company supported the closing of the Panama Canal Zone and was the last US Reserve component unit to rotate through the country before the transition. LRS Soldiers traveled to the country of Georgia and Tunisia in support of operations. In June, the 221^st MI Battalion made history when Lt. Col. Maria Britt became the first female battalion commander in the history of the Georgia Army National Guard.[23]

 

Sergeant Harold Davis of the 190th Military Police Company, waves traffic through to the next stop at the Fort McPherson gates September 12, 2002.
The 190th MPs were mobilized to augment Fort McPherson and Fort Gillem security following the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Georgia National Guard photograph by Specialist Jeff Lowry.

The Global War on Terror

In 2001, Brig. Gen. Reddick commanded 3,560 Troop Command Soldiers. Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, Soldiers of the 78^th Troop Command were the first Georgia Guard Soldiers in Afghanistan, and in December, the brigade was redesignated the 78th Troop Command.[24] By 2003, 3,000 Troop Command Soldiers were serving in the Middle East. Beginning with the November 2001 mobilization of the 122^nd ROC, the 78^th TC began a steady mobilization schedule in support of the Global War on Terror. The 139^th Chaplain Detachment was the last unit of the 78^th deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2010 while the 170^th Cyber Protection Team was the last Troop Command unit to support Operation Enduring Freedom. Units of the 78^th TC continue to support overseas contingency operations such as Spartan Shield and Freedom Sentinel.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Donna Cheek, Georgia Agribusiness Development Team III Large Animal Specialist talks to the Sangin District para-vet
through her linguist to discuss medication and vaccine quality at the Sangin District Center, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, March 1, 2013.
Photo by Spc. Cynthia Medina.

 

Homeland Response

While maintaining a steady overseas deployment schedule, units of the 78^th Troop Command participated in missions at home ranging from the flood of 1994 and the herculean effort in support of the 1996 Olympic Games to support for the G8 conference at Sea Island in the summer of 2004.[25] That same year the 78th TC relocated to Ellenwood.[26] In 2006, the Kennesaw-based 781^st Troop Command assumed the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear role in support of homeland response.[27]

 

Tropical Storm Alberto dropped 25 inches of rain on Southwest Georgia in July 1994 and nearly 4,000 Georgia Guardsmen mobilized to assist.
Among those responding were Soldiers of the Augusta-based 878th Engineer Battalion seen here bulldozing fresh dirt over a washed-out road in
Montezuma, Ga. Photo by Spc. Chris Pearson.

In 2010, the 78^th Troop Command was selected as one of ten regional homeland response forces in the nation.[28] The headquarters of 78^th TC moved from Decatur to the Clay National Guard Center in July 2011.[29] The 78^th maintained the HRF mission until the establishment of the 201^st Regional Support Group as a separate major command on October 1, 2013.[30]

The Marietta-based 4th Civil Support Team, conducts a response exercise with emergency service personnel April 3, 2009. Georgia National Guard Archives.

Recent History

Within the last 20 years, Soldiers of the 78^th Troop Command have supported a wide array of missions at home and abroad. The 265^th Regional Support Group based in Metter Georgia supplied an Agricultural Development Team which mobilized to Afghanistan in 2013. That same year, the 110^th Combat Service Support Battalion supported logistics missions in Africa while the 124^th MPAD assisted the country of Georgia in development of its national disaster response plan.[31] In 2014, the 265 RSG participated in Operation Golden Coyote in South Dakota and the Medical Detachment supported U.S. Army Health clinic operations in Vicenza, Italy.[32]

 

In 2015, the 110^th CSSB supported Operation Bandoleer transporting more than 2,500 containers across the United States and later supported Ulchi Freedom Guardian in Korea. That same year, the 78^th received the 170^th Cyber Protection Team, one of the first ten CPTs established.[33]

 

Also in 2015, the 161st Military History Detachment and 139th Chaplain Detachment deployed to Kuwait and Afghanistan. Elements of the 221st Military Intelligence Battalion deployed to Qatar in 2015 under the 560th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade. In November the battalion transferred to the 78th Troop Command and on March 7, 2016, the battalion returned to the United States following a successful mission in support of Central Command operations.

 

Later in 2016, the 78^th TC lost the 265^th RSG to inactivation but gained the services of the 116^th Aerial Intelligence Brigade and the 560th Battlefield Coordination Detachment. Later in 2016, units of the 78^th were activated in support of Hurricane Matthew Response Operations.[34]

 

Just one year after Hurricane Matthew, the 78^th TC responded to the impact of Hurricane Irma supplying emergency relief supplies to impacted coastal areas. Soldiers of the 124^th MPAD and 221^st EMIB deployed to Cuba in support of Task Force Guantanamo Bay and the 170^th CPT mobilized to Fort Meade in support of Cyber operations. The 122^nd Tactical Support Detachment assisted the 7^th Infantry Division at the Yakima Training Center during Exercise Bayonet Focus and the 110^th CSSB supported a second iteration of Patriot Bandoleer.[35]

 

A Georgia National Guardsman of the 165th Quartermaster Company exits a C-130 of the during an airborne training mission at Fort Stewart, Ga.
January 12, 2017. Photo by Capt. William Carraway.

In 2018, the 82^nd Maintenance Company, 406^th Quartermaster Detachment and Company H, 121^st Long Range Surveillance Unit inactivated.

 

The guidon of the Company H, 121st Infantry Regiment, Long Range Surveillance is cased by Lt. Col. John Fuchko, commander of the 221st Military
Intelligence Battalion; Capt. Christopher Pulliam and 1st Sgt, Ray Kinney during the company’s inactivation ceremony at Fort Stewart’s Wright
Army Airfield November 29, 2017. Photo courtesy of Lt. Col. Jason Baker.

The devastation wrought by Hurricane Michael again prompted activation of 78^th TC units in 2018. The 1148^th Transportation Company provided critical logistical support to the relief effort and its Soldiers were among the last on duty in support of the response.[36] In 2019, the 1148^th was again called to active duty to support hurricane relief efforts following Hurricane Dorian. [37]

 

Soldiers Fort Gordon-based 1148th Transportation Company provide support to a Fulton County COVID-19 testing site warehouse in Alpharetta, Ga.
on June 24, 2020. Georgia Guardsmen assist in the warehouse by loading and organizing medical supplies to be distributed to various locations
throughout Fulton County. Photo by Spc. Tori Miller.

Units and personnel of the 78^th Troop Command played key roles during Georgia’s coordinated response to the COVID-19 pandemic with units supporting food bank and distribution operations, assisting the Department of Public Health and staffing infection control teams and rapid testing teams.

 

In 2020, the 78^th Troop Command added the 781^st Troop Command to its organization structure. The 781^st acts as a headquarters element providing command and control for several Troop Command detachments.

 

Soldiers of the 93rd  FMSC mobilized to Kuwait and
Afghanistan from October 2020 to September
2021. Photo courtesy of the 93rd FMSC.

The 78^th Troop Command continues to support overseas training missions. Soldiers have mobilized to the country of Georgia for multiple iterations of Exercise Noble Partner and Agile Spirit while Soldiers of the 124th MPAD have documented missions in Korea and Morocco.

 

The demand for 78^th TC capabilities at home and overseas continued to increase in the years following the COVID outbreak. The 93^rd Financial Management Support Company became the first financial unit in the history of the Georgia National Guard to mobilize when it deployed to Kuwait and Afghanistan in 2020. The unit made history again in 2026 when it mobilized again, this time as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 93^rd Finance Battalion.[38]

 

In July 2024 elements of the 110th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion provided support of Operation Patriot Press 2024, providing long-haul transportation capability. The Georgia Army National Guard’s 1230th Transportation Company, supported by a maintenance Team from the 1788th Quartermaster Company, mobilized to Anniston Army Depot July 13. Soldiers of the 1148th Transportation Company traveled to McAlester Army Ammunition Plant in Oklahoma and then on to Bluegrass Army Depot in Richmond, Ky. A team of Soldiers from the 124th MPAD mobilized to Anniston to provide coverage of 110th units in the exercise.[39]

 

While mobilized to Europe in November 2024, Soldiers of the 110th CSSB completed the 3rd Annual Polish Stamina March alongside Soldiers of partner nations
covering 11.3 miles in the Table Mountains of southern Poland. Photo courtesy of the 110th CSSB.

Two months after Patriot Press, Headquarters Company, 110^th CSSB, mobilized to Poland in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve.[40] From September 2024 to August 2025, the 110th CSSB provided sustainment command and control to U.S. formations across the region, supporting multinational operations and training events that strengthened interoperability with U.S. and allied forces.

 

The 221^st was reorganized as an Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Battalion and continued to mobilize units across the globe and received additional units including the 111th Electromagnetic Warfare Company in June 2025 and Company C, 221st in April 2026.[41]

 

Captain Caleb D. Rogers, commander of the 111th Electromagnetic Warfare Company, receives the unit guidon from Lt. Col. Luke E. Gurley,
commander of the 221st Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Battalion, during the company's activation ceremony June 7, 2025, in Forest Park, Ga.
Photo by Charles A. Emmons.

In 2025, the 78^th and 781^st relocated from the Clay National Guard Center to a newly renovated armory in Marietta.[42]

 

In 2026 alone, nearly 300 Soldiers from 78^th TC units were mobilized around the globe supporting overseas operations in U.S. Central Command and U.S. Southern Command areas of operation. At the same time, the 78^th TC supported operations domestically in support of operations along the southern border and security missions in Washington DC.

Soldiers of the 78th Troop Command, stand in formation during a change of command ceremony at Campbell High School in Smyrna, Georgia,
May 2, 2026. During the ceremony, Brig. Gen. Theodore Scott relinquished command to Brig. Gen. Rodney Tatum. Photo by Sgt. Cameron Boyd.

---

[1] National Guard Bureau. Organizational Authority 287-78. November 6, 1978.

 

[2] GA NGR 670-5 May 28, 1970.

 

[3] An additional unit under the original 78^th TC organization was the 1140th Transportation Company   which was organized in 1967 by OA 71-67 following the inactivation of the 48^th Armor Division. The 1140^th Served as an aviation direct support unit. In 1979, the 1140^th was reorganized as 111th Signal Battalion (OA 64-79).

 

[4] Robert Whistine. “What’s This CAC Thing?” The Georgia Guardsman. April 30, 1979, 13.

 

[5] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1980, 14.

[6] National Guard Bureau. Organizational Authority 144-82. October 1, 1982.

 

[7] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1982, 18.

 

[8] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1982, 21.

 

[9] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1983, 5.

 

[10] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1984, 5.

 

[11] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1985, 3.

 

[12] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1986. 4.

 

[13] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1987, 2-3.

 

[14] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1988, 3.

 

[15] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1989. 2.

 

[16] Kenneth Davis. “After the Storm.” Georgia Guardsman Magazine Fall 1991, 1-6.

 

[17] Troop Command was redesignated January 1, 1991, as Detachment 1, Headquarters, State Area Command, Georgia Army National Guard - National Guard Bureau, Organizational Authority 35-91. Washington DC: March 12, 1991.

[18] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1993, 6.

 

[19] National Guard Bureau. Organizational Authority 94-94. Washington DC: May 16, 1994.

 

[20] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1994, 7.

 

[21] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1997, 14.

 

[22] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1998, 7.

 

[23] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1999, 9-10.

 

[24] National Guard Bureau. Organizational Authority 168-01. Washington DC: December 28, 2001.

[25] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 2004. 13.

 

[26] National Guard Bureau. Organizational Authority 181-01. Washington DC: September 24, 2004.

 

[27] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 2006, 6.

 

[28] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 2010, 12.

 

[29] National Guard Bureau. Organizational Authority 215-11. Washington DC: August 8, 2011.

 

[30] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 2013, 17.

 

[31] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 2013, 17.

 

[32] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 2014, 20.

 

[33] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 2015, 20.

 

[34] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 2016, 19.

 

[35] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 2017, 19.

 

[36]Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 2018, 19.

 

[37] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 2019, 18.

[38] Thomas Norris, “Georgia Guard Finance Unit Set to Deploy,” Nationalguard.mil, February 9, 2026, https://www.nationalguard.mil/News/Article-View/Article/4401542/georgia-guard-finance-unit-set-to-deploy/

 

[39] James Braswell, “Georgia Guard Provides Ammunition Transportation Support During Operation Patriot Press 2024,” DVIDS, July 19, 2024, https://www.dvidshub.net/news/476668/georgia-guard-provides-ammunition-transportation-support-during-operation-patriot-press-2024

 

[40] James Braswell, “110th CSSB prepares for departure,” DVIDS, September 20, 2024, https://www.dvidshub.net/news/481436/110th-cssb-prepares-departure

 

[41] Charles Emmons, “Georgia National Guard Activates First-Ever Electromagnetic Warfare Company,” DVIDS, June 7, 2025, https://www.dvidshub.net/news/499989/georgia-national-guard-activates-first-ever-electromagnetic-warfare-company

 

[42] James Braswell, “78th Troop Command Officially Opens South Cobb Readiness Center,” DVIDS, March 27, 2026, https://www.dvidshub.net/news/561476/78th-troop-command-officially-opens-south-cobb-readiness-center