Photo By Maj. William Carraway | Georgia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen of the Joint Task Force 781st CBRN render...... read more read more
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Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Henson assumed command of the Georgia National Guard’s Joint Task Force 781st (Chemical Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) from Lt. Col. Stephen Tucker during a ceremony at the Clay National Guard Center Sunday. In his two years of command, Tucker led the JTF 781 during two Vigilant Guard exercises testing the readiness of the unit and preparing it to respond during domestic emergencies.
“Lt. Col. Tucker is probably one of the most innovative officers with whom I have served,” said Col. Wallace Steinbrecher, commander of the 201st Regional Support Group, home brigade of the 781st. “The 781st received the highest scores of any CBRN task force evaluated in the country. That speaks volumes about your leadership Lt. Col. Tucker and I thank you for it.”
The Marietta-based JTF 781st can assemble within six hours to respond to emergencies with transportation, engineer, decontamination and medical personnel and equipment. These capabilities can be employed at the request of the Governor to assist civil authorities to reduce human suffering from natural and man-made disasters. In October 2016, units of the JTF were fielded in the wake of Hurricane Matthew.
Lt. Col. Henson is no stranger to the JTF 781st team or its mission. From 2011 to 2013, Henson served as the administrative officer for JTF 781st. In 2014 he returned to serve as deputy commander and administrative officer.
Colonel Steinbrecher presented Tucker with the Meritorious Service Medal and commended him for his successful command. Steinbrecher also presented the Georgia Commendation Medal to Hanna Tucker in recognition of her contributions to the unit and dedication to the Georgia Guard.
In his comments, Tucker thanked the Soldiers and Airmen of JTF 781st. He summarized innovations and training his units achieved and credited his Soldiers and Airmen with all the successes the unit had realized.
“Today was a good day,” said Lt. Col. Tucker as he reflected on his time in command. “Tip of the Spear!”
For Kate Henson, the day was special for another reason. It was her eight birthday. At the request of Lt. Col. Henson, the 116th Army Band played Happy Birthday while the assembled Soldiers, Airmen and alumni of the 781st joined in a singing rendition.
At the end of the ceremony, Lt. Col. Henson took charge of the formation of Georgia Guardsmen and addressed his new command.
“I look forward to maintaining the team and building on the legacy,” said Henson. “Tip of the Spear.”
| Date Taken: | 05.08.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 05.09.2017 18:17 |
| Story ID: | 233226 |
| Location: | MARIETTA, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 485 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, JTF 781st CBRN Changes Command, Prepares to Build on Legacy, by MAJ William Carraway, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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