Photo By Maj. William Carraway | Command Sergeant Major John Ballenger accepts responsibility as the 11th State Command...... read more read more
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Command Sergeant Major Jeff Logan relinquished responsibility as the Georgia Army National Guard’s State Command Sergeant Major during a ceremony May 6, 2023 at Dobbins Air Force Reserve Base in Marietta, Ga. Command Sergeant Major John Ballenger assumed responsibility as the 11th State Command Sergeant Major of the Ga. ARNG.
The ceremony marked the culmination of Logan’s 40-year military career as he embarks on retirement. Logan enlisted in the United States Army in April 1983 and served initially as an M1A1 tank crewman. Near the end of his eight years of active Army service, Logan mobilized overseas during the Gulf War. In February 1991, Logan enlisted in the Georgia National Guard’s Company C, 878th Engineer Battalion in Lyons, Ga. He rose through the ranks while serving in the 878th as a heavy equipment operator, team leader and squad leader.
Logan deployed to Iraq in March 2003 as a platoon sergeant with Company A, 878th Engineer Battalion. Upon returning to the United States he was promoted and assigned as first sergeant of the 877th Engineer Company which was converted from the former Company B, 878th Engineer Battalion.
Logan oversaw the transition of the 877th as the search and extraction element under Joint Task Force 781st Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives. In December 2010, Logan deployed to Afghanistan where the 877th conducted combat engineer missions in three separate regional commands.
Upon returning from Afghanistan, Logan was advanced to the rank of command sergeant major and assigned as the senior enlisted leader of the 878th Engineer Battalion which deployed to Afghanistan in 2013. During their deployment, Soldiers of the 878th conducted route clearance operations over a wide area of Afghanistan providing freedom of movement to coalition partners and ensuring the safety of Afghan citizens. Additionally, the 878th trained Soldiers of the Afghan National Army in demolitions and explosives eradication. The 878th returned home in January 2014.
Logan was assigned as the command sergeant major for the rear detachment of the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team after returning from Afghanistan, and in December 2014, assumed responsibility as the senior enlisted leader of the 48th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, which converted to form the 177th Brigade Engineer Battalion. Transferring to the 648th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade in 2016, Logan deployed with the 648th Military Engagement Team which operated throughout the Central Command area of responsibility.
Returning from his fifth deployment, Logan was assigned as the command sergeant major for the 201st Regional Support Group. He served as the senior enlisted leader of the 201st RSG rear detachment until appointed to serve as the tenth State Command Sergeant Major of the Georgia Army National Guard in July 2019.
Logan’s tenure as State Command Sergeant Major saw unprecedented mobilization of the Ga. ARNG in support of overseas and domestic operations. Nearly 2,000 of Georgia’s Citizen-Soldiers mobilized overseas to all six geographic combatant commands. In Georgia, Guardsmen conducted missions of unprecedented scope as part of the state’s coordinated response to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Succeeding Logan is Command Sgt. Major John Ballenger who has extensive experience in leadership and operations. Born and raised in Georgia, Ballenger enlisted in the Army in 1995. Ballenger served initially as a cannon crewman with the 4th Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Regiment at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. In 2001, Ballenger joined the Georgia Army National Guard as an infantryman with Company H, 121st Infantry Long Range Surveillance. Transferring to Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 108th Armor Regiment, Ballenger deployed to Iraq as part of the 48th Brigade’s 2005 mobilization.
Following the establishment of the 560th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade in 2007, Ballenger was assigned to Troop B, 3rd Squadron 108th Cavalry Regiment where he served as a platoon sergeant and later first sergeant. For the next decade, Ballenger served as first sergeant for the 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, Headquarters Troop and Troop A of the 3-108th, and the 165th Quartermaster Company. Promoted to sergeant major, Ballenger mobilized to Afghanistan from 2018-2019 as operations sergeant major for the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. Upon returning from Afghanistan, Ballenger was assigned to the 1-108th, as operations sergeant major and later served as the squadron command sergeant major. In 2022, Ballenger accepted responsibility as command sergeant major of the 48th IBCT.
| Date Taken: | 05.06.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 05.06.2023 12:47 |
| Story ID: | 444168 |
| Location: | MARIETTA, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 255 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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