Following Six-Months of Unprecedented Civil Support Operations, Lt. Col. Brent Henson, J3, Ga. DoD Promoted to Colonel

Photo By Maj. William Carraway | Georgia Army National Guard Lt. Col. Brent Henson, Director of Domestic Operations for the Ga. Department of Defense, is promoted to colonel during a ceremony At the Clay National Guard Center in Marietta, Ga. Sept. 4, 2020.  

MARIETTA, GEORGIA, UNITED STATES

09.08.2020

Story by Maj. William Carraway 

Georgia National Guard

Family, friends and service members of the Georgia Department of Defense gathered in the drill hall of the Ga. DoD Joint Force Headquarters in Marietta, Ga. Sept. 4, 2020 to witness the promotion of Lt. Col. Brent Henson to colonel. Major General Tom Carden, Georgia’s Adjutant General presided over the ceremony.

“Today, in addition to being able to celebrate the success and future potential of Col. Henson, we have the opportunity to thank a committed and patriotic family who enabled the service of this warrior,” said Carden. “I just want to tell you personally how proud and honored I am to be a part of this and how honored I am to serve with you. We are very proud for you and your family.”

Henson entered military service in 1995 in the Army Reserve. After receiving a bachelors of arts degree in history from Kennesaw State University, Henson commissioned in the Georgia Army National Guard as an aviation officer and completed Initial Entry Rotary Wing Training at Fort Rucker, Ala. Henson served with the Marietta-based 171st Aviation Regiment as a platoon leader and executive officer and commanded Company A, 1st Battalion 171st Aviation Regiment during a combat tour in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2005.

Henson’s joint service began following the implementation of the Ga. DoD joint staff in 2009. From 2011 to 2013, Henson served in the Marietta-based 78th Troop Command. In 2014, Henson was selected to serve as the deputy commander of the Marietta-based 201st Regional Support Group which serves as the homeland response force for Region IV of the United States. From 2017 to 2018 he concurrently served as commander of the 781st Troop Command Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Enhanced Response Force Package (CERFP). The 781st trains to assemble within six hours to respond to emergencies with transportation, engineer, decontamination and medical personnel and equipment. As commander, Henson deployed these capabilities at the request of the Governor to assist civil authorities following Hurricane Irma in September 2017.

Following a successful command tour, Henson attended the National War College in Washington D.C. Upon graduation, he was assigned as the deputy operations officer for the Ga. ARNG.

On March 1, 2020, Henson was assigned as the Director of Domestic Operations for the Ga. DoD. Within days of his assignment, the Ga. DoD began operations as part of Georgia’s coordinated response to the Coronavirus Pandemic. For the next six months, Henson managed the efforts of the joint staff in unprecedented civil support operations ranging from infection control to medical support as part of largest domestic response in the history of the Georgia National Guard.

• Date Taken: 09.08.2020
• Date Posted: 09.08.2020 14:13
• Story ID: 377615
• Location: MARIETTA, GEORGIA, US