U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Matthew Mathison, sniper section noncommissioned officer in charge assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Georgia Army National Guard, discusses the importance of sniper training during the 48th IBCT annual training at Fort Stewart, Georgia, June 4, 2026. Sniper training strengthens precision marksmanship, develops reconnaissance capabilities and prepares Soldiers to operate effectively in realistic, mission-focused environments. Annual training provides Soldiers opportunities to sharpen critical combat skills while reinforcing readiness across the formation. (U.S. Army National Guard video by Staff Sgt. Rydell Tomas Jr.)
MARIETTA, Ga. –Soldiers from the Georgia Army National Guard departed today for a deployment
to Djibouti, where they will provide critical fixed-wing aviation support across the Horn of Africa.
The departing element, Bravo Company of the 245th Aviation Regiment, operates the C-26 aircraft.
They will serve primarily under U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), handling VIP transport, cargo
logistics, and casualty evacuation (CASEVAC) missions.
"If somebody needs to get to a higher level of care down in Nairobi, which is obviously a little bit of
a further helicopter ride, we would load them on the airplane and take them down there," said Maj.
Charlie Snyder, the unit commander and a pilot.
Before heading overseas, the unit will spend a brief...
A C-26 Metroliner aircraft carrying deploying members of the 245th Aviation Regiment, Georgia National Guard, taxis down the flightline for a deployment, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia, May 13, 2026. Soldiers from the Georgia Army National Guard departed today for a deployment to Djibouti, where they will provide critical fixed-wing aviation support across the Horn of Africa. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Josiah Meece).
