Georgia National Guard appoints first female artillery battery commander

Courtesy Photo | First Lt. Racene Basore assumes command of Battery C, 1st Bn., 118th Field Artillery Regiment during a change of command ceremony Dec. 4, 2016 in Savannah, Ga. Basore is the first female to command an artillery battery in the Georgia National Guard.  

SAVANNAH, GA, UNITED STATES

12.04.2016

Story by Capt. Charles Emmons 

Georgia National Guard

A Savannah-based Georgia National Guard artillery battery welcomed a new leader and made history December 4, 2016 during a change of command ceremony.

First Lieutenant Racene Basore assumed command of Battery C (Charlie), 1st Battalion, 118th Field Artillery Regiment, becoming the first female officer to hold such a distinction in the Georgia National Guard.

“Being selected [to command] Charlie battery is an honor and a privilege especially within this organization,” said Basore.

Basore’s new responsibility marks another step forward in the recent Department of Defense initiative to integrate women into combat roles. The move was announced by Defense Secretary Ash Carter in 2015 when he directed all military occupations be opened to female service members.

"She has the confidence of her Soldiers, peers, and leaders," said Maj. Justin Leslie, the operations officer for 1-118th FA. "It's all about dedication to duty and being a team player; both are traits that are clearly present in Basore's work." Leslie works with Basore full time where she serves full time as the battalion's training officer.

Prior to joining the Georgia Guard, Basore served in the Army Reserve and deployed to Southwest Asia with a military police company. Transferring to the Georgia Guard, she served as a fire direction officer and operations officer in the 1-118th FA before assuming battery command.

“I understand the historical significance of it - being a female,” said Basore. “I can’t wait to get moving and start training.”

1-118th FA is one of the battalions that recently began training with 3rd Infantry Division as part of the Associated Units Pilot. The structural change began earlier this year when the Georgia Guard’s 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team became the first of 27 Active Component, National Guard, and Army Reserve units to “associate” with a larger organization to strengthen readiness across the Army.

First Lt. Basore’s appointment as a battery commander marks yet another significant milestone for the Georgia Department of Defense in 2016.

“The Georgia National Guard has led the way this year with the Associated Unit Program transition, the National Guard’s Best Warrior, and now the [Georgia National Guard’s] first female battery commander” said Brigadier General Tom Carden, Commanding General of the Georgia Army National Guard. “I’m very excited for First Lt. Basore and this next step in her career as a commander of artillery Soldiers.”

The ceremony also marked the completion of Capt. Jared Smith’s time as the commander of the battery. Smith was the unit’s first commander when it was re-activated in 2015, a decade after its deactivation. The unit’s history traces back as far as 1751 as part of the Georgia Militia in the district of Savannah. The re-activation of the battery was necessary to upgrade the battalion’s capabilities and add 155 mm. M777 Howitzers to their arsenal.

Basore looks forward to leading the next chapter of the unit’s storied legacy by serving as one of 3rd ID’s firing batteries.

“The next couple of years we have some very big training events both with 3rd ID and within the unit,” said Basore. “I’m very excited to get to it and to utilize the resources that 3rd ID will be able to provide for us.”

• Date Taken: 12.04.2016
• Date Posted: 12.07.2016 16:52
• Story ID: 216752
• Location: SAVANNAH, GA, US