Photo By Maj. William Carraway | Logisticians of the Georgia National Guard’s logistics directorate discuss large...... read more read more
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Soldiers of the Georgia National Guard’s logistics directorate conducted a staff ride in Richmond and Petersburg, Va. in November 2022. The staff ride considered the Overland and Petersburg Campaigns of the American Civil War and allowed the Soldiers to synthesize modern lessons of sustainment, operational reach and large-scale combat operations relevant to the modern war fight.
Brigadier General Dwayne Wilson, commander of the Georgia Army National Guard, observed that the study of large-scale combat operations in the American Civil War is immediately relevant to today’s leaders as the Army shifts its operational focus from counterinsurgency to the future threat environment encompassing near-peer adversaries and emerging technologies.
“I appreciate that our G4 team is pulling logisticians from across the state to perform this staff ride. As we transition to large scale combat operations, it presents a different sustainment strategy and philosophy. We don’t have to figure this out for ourselves as the lessons of history are there for us to learn from.”
One week prior to the staff ride, Wilson, and other senior leaders of the Georgia National Guard, conducted a strategic management board to discuss one of the largest transformations of the Georgia National Guard in the past 40-50 years as the Army transitions from brigade-centric operations to division and corps-centric operations. This is not the first time the Army has confronted this transition as Georgia National Guard units were mobilized as part of Army divisions in both world wars. But as Wilson notes, the current transformation represents a departure from recent Army history.
“Early in the Global War on Terrorism (the Army) transitioned to brigade-centric operations,” said Wilson. “We transformed all our brigade combat teams to be, for the most part, self-sustaining and the focal point operationally for the Army. This worked well, especially well during counterinsurgency operations as we saw in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
From 2001-2021, the Georgia National Guard mobilized more than 23,000 Soldiers and Airmen in support of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The largest mobilizations occurred in 2005 and 2009 when the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat team mobilized to Iraq and Afghanistan. For over two decades, Airmen of the Georgia Air National Guard maintained a constant overseas presence. With the end of combat operations in Afghanistan, senior leaders of the Army and Air components of the Georgia National Guard are making plans for the next two decades.
“Our formations will operate as part of a division and the division will be enabled by a corps headquarters,” said Wilson. “This transition is part of an approach to large scale combat operations to allow the Army to mobilize and deploy large formations anywhere we need to in the world and execute operations successfully as part of the joint force.”
Wilson is optimistic that the Georgia Army National Guard is poised to weather these changing times. Georgia was first among the 54 states and territories in overall strength management in 2022 and is a perennial top finisher in the Army’s Integrated Management System competition which evaluates Army units based on their best business practices. Wilson notes Georgia’s history of exceeding recruiting and retention goals and demonstrating sound stewardship of taxpayer funds argues well for future force structure in the transitioning Army.
“The Georgia Army National Guard has been selected as one of the first National Guard states to field the new extended range cannon. We will begin to transition the 1-1214th Field Artillery Battalion to the ERCA in the near future. As we look across the formation, we are in the process of transforming and modernizing and we will be doing it for the next 10-15 years.”
Modernization includes replacement of many key Army weapon systems. Wilson notes many familiar Army platforms such as the M-1 Abrams, M-2 Bradley and UH-60 Black Hawk were designed in the 1970s and fielded in the 1980s. While these systems have been in service for four decades, Wilson anticipates the Soldier of the very near future will be presented with new formations equipped with entirely new technologies.
“I can’t think of a more exciting time to serve,” said Wilson. “Soldiers coming into the formation today will be the ones to see these changes and field these new weapons systems.”
While the Georgia Army National Guard and its five brigades undergo transition as part of the Army transformation, change is also coming to the Georgia Air National Guard and its two wings. The Savannah-based 165th Airlift Wing will upgrade its C-130H to the newest J model. After two decades of constant deployment with its E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System, the 116th Air Control Wing has begun the transition to the Advanced Battle Management Family of Systems.
“What we are doing now sets the table for the next 25 years,” observed Major General Tom Grabowski, commander of the Georgia Air National Guard.
Grabowski has seen change before in the course of his career. Like Wilson, he considers the lessons of history in approaching future changes.
“With change comes angst and uncertainty,” reflected Grabowski. “But the Georgia Air National Guard has flown more than 20 different weapon systems since the 1940s and with every transformation our Airmen have come out better.”
| Date Taken: | 12.05.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 12.05.2022 10:21 |
| Story ID: | 434364 |
| Location: | MARIETTA, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 23 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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