A History of Company B 148th Brigade Support Battalion

 By Major William Carraway

Historian, Georgia Army National Guard

 

Then and Now: Left:1st Lt. Walter Pope, Capt. Henry D. Russell and 2nd Lt. Ezra Settle, Company A, 2nd Georgia Infantry Regiment at Camp Cotton,
El Paso, Texas in 1916. Right: Soldiers of Company B, 148th Brigade Support Battalion Dec. 7, 2019. Photo by Maj. William Carraway.

Company B, 148^th Brigade Support Battalion carries on the tradition of Georgia Army National Guard service in Jackson, Ga. that began with the establishment of the Jackson Rifles in 1902.[1] The Jackson Rifles, Company A, 2^nd Georgia Infantry Regiment, were called into active federal service July 20, 1916 under the command of Capt. Henry Dozier Russell and mobilized to the Mexican Border.[2] The unit was stationed at Camp Cotton, El Paso, Texas patrolling the Rio Grande and protecting citizens from cross border raids before returning to Georgia in March 1917. Remaining in federal service due to declaration of war against Germany, the unit was redesignated Company A, 121^st Infantry Regiment Oct. 1, 1917 while training for European mobilization at Camp Wheeler, Ga. The 121^st deployed to France in October 1918 but arrived too late to participate in combat operations. Returning to the United States in 1919 the unit was inactivated January 14, 1919 at Camp Gordon, Ga.[3]

Poster commemorating Company A, 2nd Infantry Regiment’s mobilization to the Mexican Border in 1916.
Georgia National Guard Archives.

The Jackson Rifles were reorganized September 21, 1920 as Company A, 121^st Infantry.[4] 

Company A, 121st Infantry Regiment at annual training, St. Simons, Island, Ga. July 1927. Georgia National Guard Archives.

On Sept. 16, 1940 the unit was once again called to active duty and mobilized to Fort Jackson, S.C. as part of the 30^th Infantry Division. With the reorganization of Army divisions in November 1941, the 121^st was reassigned to the 8^th Infantry Division.

On July 4, 1944 the121st splashed ashore on Utah Beach and entered the Normandy Campaign. Within a week of landing, the regiment would suffer its first casualties and in less than 10 months, the casualty list of the 121st would grow to 70 pages as the regiment fought its way from La Haye du Puits France to Schwerin Germany and the liberation of concentration camps near Wobbelin.[5] Returning to the United States the 121^st was inactivated October 20, 1945 at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.[6]

Georgia National Guard Soldiers of the Jackson-based Company A, 121st Infantry Regiment in formation before the start of annual training
July 24, 1949. Georgia National Guard Archives.

Company A was reorganized and federally recognized April 14, 1947 as part of the newly established 48^th Infantry Division commanded by Maj. Gen. Henry Dozier Russell.[7] When the 48^th was converted to an armor division in November 1955 Company A was redesignated Headquarters and Service Company, 48^th Reconnaissance Battalion.[8] In 1959 the unit was reorganized as Troop A, Reconnaissance Squadron, 108^th Armor Regiment.[9]

Troop A, 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, 108th Armor Regiment at Fort Stewart, Ga. in August 1959. Georgia National Guard Archives.

In 1963, Georgia was allocated all units of the 48^th Armor Division Troop A was redesignated Troop A, 748^th Cavalry Regiment.[10]

Troop A, 1st Squadron 748th Cavalry Regiment at the Jackson Armory Nov. 21, 1965. Georgia National Guard Archives.

On January 1, 1968, the 48^th Armor Division was inactivated, and the Jackson unit was redesignated Company D, 878^th Engineer Battalion.[11] The unit was redesignated Company A, 878^th in 1976.[12]

Company D, 878th Engineer Battalion on parade at Fort Stewart, Ga. circa 1968. Georgia National Guard Archives.

On Sept. 16, 1980, The Jackson began its modern history as a maintenance unit as it was redesignated the 648^th Maintenance Company.[13] On August 12, 1985, the company was redesignated Company D, 148^th Support Battalion.[14] In 1987, the unit was redesignated Company B, 148^th Support Battalion.[15] In August 1993, the unit was redesignated the 166^th Maintenance Company[16] before reverting to Company B 148^th Support Battalion in 2008.[17]

 

FORT GILLEM, Ga. September 2, 2005  - Vehicles of the Georgia Army National Guard's 166th Maintenance Co. are lined up at Fort Gillem
prepared to convoy to the Gulf Coast. Georgia National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Gail Parnelle.

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[1] Adjutant General of the State of Georgia. Register of the National Guard of Georgia for the year 1917. Atlanta, January 1, 1917

[2] “Muster-in Roll of Company A, 2^nd Regt. Inf. Ga. N.G. Called into Service 20 July 1916” 180.

[3] Center for Military History. “Lineage and Honors of the 121^st Infantry Regiment.”

[4] “30^th Infantry Division (States of Georgia Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.) Division Troops, Georgia.”

[5] “Historical Data 121^st Infantry Regiment (Old Gray Bonnet) 8^th Infantry Division European Theater of Operations (ETOUSA) World War II.” Command Historian, Georgia Army National Guard Aug. 17, 1988.

[6] Center for Military History. “Lineage and Honors of the 121^st Infantry Regiment.”

[7] NGAROTO 325.4 Nov 1, 1955.

[8] NGAROTO 325.4 Nov 1, 1955.

[9] RA 73-59 June 10, 1959.

[10] RA 57-63 March 21, 1963.

[11] RA 71-67 Dec. 14, 1967.

[12] RA 229-76 Oct. 14, 1976.

[13] OA 182-80 Sept. 16, 1980.

[14] OA 111-85August 12, 1985.

[15] OA 7-87 Feb. 12, 1987.

[16] OA 169-93 August 9, 1993.

[17] OA 112-08  May 21, 2008.

1936: The Georgia Guard Response to Historic Gainesville Tornado

 By Maj. William Carraway

Historian, Georgia Army National Guard

 

The operations center of the 122nd Infantry Regiment in the town square of Gainesville, Ga. April 7, 1936. Photo by Kenneth Rogers. Atlanta Constitution.

On April 6, 1936, residents of Gainesville, Ga. were just arriving to work on the Monday morning before Easter Sunday when two tornadoes shattered the downtown area killing more than 200 and injuring 1,600. More than 85 years later, The Gainesville Tornado remains the fifth deadliest in United States history.[1]

Within 90 minutes of the storm impact, Soldiers of the Georgia National Guard's Atlanta-based 122^nd Infantry Regiment were ordered to report to their home armories. Companies A, B, C, E and F were dispatched north to Gainesville to assist civil authorities. Upon their arrival the Soldiers beheld a scene of complete destruction. Entire blocks of brick buildings had been torn to pieces by the wind splintering telephone poles and hurling vehicles. With the streets clogged with debris, the Soldiers had to clear their way to the town square where they set up a base of operations.[2] The headquarters tents of the 122^nd Infantry Regiment stood in sharp contrast to the wrecked surroundings which included the Gainesville City Hall and the Hall County Courthouse, both destroyed by the tornado.[3]

Colonel T. L. Alexander, commander of the Georgia National Guard’s 122nd Infantry Regiment discusses response operations with Lt. Carleton Redfearn
and Capt. Sterling Howard. Georgia National Guard Archives.

The Georgia National Guard joined a response effort comprised of local, state and federal agencies. In addition to the Red Cross, representatives from the Works Progress Administration, Civilian Conservation Corps and Salvation Army swelled the ranks of responders who rushed to aid the people of Gainesville. President Roosevelt visited Gainesville April 9, met with responders and addressed a crowd of 2,000 citizens expressing condolences and promising federal aid.

With the town’s water supply contaminated by debris, the Soldiers were pressed into service distributing food and water. Additional Guardsmen, trucked water into the city in converted oil tanks.  

By April 7, more than 200 residents remained missing. The Red Cross opened a missing person’s bureau to assist families. Two local churches were pressed into service as make-shift morgues housing nearly 50 dead while rescuers desperately searched debris for survivors.

Georgia National Guard Soldiers of the 122nd Infantry Regiment patrol the streets of Gainesville, Ga. just days after the city was struck by a tornado
April 6, 1936. Georgia National Guard Archives.

Throughout the response, the Guardsmen performed a myriad of duties including guard duty, traffic control and debris clearance. While most of the Guardsmen were relieved from response duties one week after the tornado impact the last of the Soldiers remained on duty until April 20.[4]

 

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[1] “The 25 Deadliest U.S. Tornadoes.” National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. https://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/killers.html

[2] “Gainesville Tornado of 1936 killed 165; Former Guardsmen of 122^nd Infantry Recall the Disaster.” The Georgia Guardsman. March-June 1961, 6.

[3] Austin Eller. “Remembering the Gainesville tornadoes of 1936.” Access WDUN. https://accesswdun.com/article/2021/4/994788/remembering-the-gainesville-tornadoes-of-1936

[4] “Gainesville Tornado of 1936 killed 165; Former Guardsmen of 122^nd Infantry Recall the Disaster.” The Georgia Guardsman. March-June 1961, 7.

New Leadership for the Ga. ARNG’s Historic 122nd TSD

 By Maj. William Carraway, Historian, Georgia National Guard

 

Left: Col. John Fuchko passes the guidon of the 122nd Tactical Support Detachment to Brig. Gen. John Gentry symbolizing his relinquishing of detachment
command during a ceremony at the Clay National Guard Center April 1, 2023. Right: The 122nd TSD, then Field Hospital Number 1, on the
Mexican Border in 1916. Photo by 2nd Lt. Vivian Roberts.

Colonel John Fuchko relinquished command of the 122nd Tactical Support Detachment to Lt. Col. John Avera during a ceremony at the Clay National Guard Center April 1, 2023. Fuchko has commanded the 122nd TSD since October 17, 2021. In his more than two decades of service, Fuchko has completed multiple overseas combat deployments, commanded the 221st Expeditionary Military Intelligence Battalion and served as the intelligence officer of the Georgia Army National Guard. 

 

Lt. Col. John Avera assumes command of the 122nd TSD.
Photo by Maj. Charles Emmons.

Assuming command of the 122nd TSD is Lt. Col. John Avera, a veteran commander who has completed combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and previously led the 2nd Battalion 121st Infantry Regiment. During his command tenure, Avera directed battalion response efforts during the Corona virus outbreak, mobilized Soldiers of the 2-121 to Washington DC to provide security during the presidential inauguration of 2021 and later mobilized Soldiers to Morocco for Exercise African Lion.

 

The 122nd TSD wears the shoulder sleeve insignia of the 7th Infantry Division which symbolizes not only the unit’s mission to support the 7th ID but also recalls the shared history of the two units. The 122nd TSD was originally constituted in the Georgia National Guard as the Field Hospital Number 1 in 1914. Following service on the Mexican border in 1916 and 1917, the unit was sent to Camp Wheeler in Macon, Ga. to prepare for World War I mobilization. The 7th Infantry Division was organized at Camp Wheeler Dec. 6, 1917, and for the next several months, the forerunners of the 7th Infantry Division and 122nd TSD trained on the same ground. The 122nd mobilized to France in World War I and World War II and received the Presidential Unit Citation for its actions as an element of the 30th Division in 1944. More than one hundred years later, as part of its mission, the 122nd TSD supplements the staff of the 7th Infantry Division during National Training Center rotations.