Photo By Charles Emmons | Soldiers of the Georgia National Guard pose with senior leaders and legislators during...... read more read more
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The Soldiers of the Georgia Army National Guard’s 1st Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment, headquartered in Calhoun, Ga., celebrated two big milestone events August 6-7 in their hometown.
On Aug. 6, the squadron conducted a change of command and responsibility ceremony, bidding farewell to the outgoing team of Lt. Col. Robert M. Morris and Command Sgt. Maj. William P. Bookout , while welcoming new leaders Lt. Col. Jace Walden and Command Sgt. Maj. Timothy Deane. Soldiers, families, and friends witnessed the event at the Calhoun City High School auditorium.
Walden and Deane served together in the 1-108th Cav throughout their careers and expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to serve the squadron they grew up with.
“It’s really awesome to come back to the unit in this capacity, and at this time, breaking in a new facility, getting the unit ready for mobilization and getting to do this with someone I’ve come up with in the Cav,” said Walden.
On August 7, the squadron hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to highlight several new upgrades to the Bernard Franklin Armory, the headquarters and readiness center for the organization that was established in 1962. Several senior leaders and legislators attended the event where Major General Dwayne Wilson, commander of the Ga. Army National Guard, delivered a keynote address and officially declared the upgraded armory was now open for business.
“There’s no finer example of the relationship between community, local businesses and families than right here in Calhoun,” said Wilson.
The new upgrades include a new tactical operations center which will give the squadron greater control and flexibility during domestic response operations such as blizzards and hurricanes.
“We can project power to South Georgia and keep our squadron staff here while troops are down on the coast,” said Deane.
Additional improvements include a multipurpose building that provides more space and separation for the squadron’s headquarters and support companies, expanded bathrooms which offer more shower bays, and a nursing room for new mothers.
The $5.48 million renovation of the Bernard Franklin Armory is part of a multi-year effort to provide upgraded facilities to Ga. National Guard personnel who train in nearly 70 hometown armories across the state. The August 7 ribbon cutting is the fourth of six planned ceremonies to highlight State Operational Asset Readiness (SOAR) projects across Georgia in 2023.
The renovations are the result of Governor Brian Kemp and the Georgia General Assembly providing the Ga. National Guard with bond funds that are matched dollar-for-dollar by the U.S. Department of Defense.
| Date Taken: | 08.07.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 08.07.2023 20:25 |
| Story ID: | 450888 |
| Location: | CALHOUN, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 363 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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