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Guardsmen bound for Middle East

Members of the Georgia National Guard’s 48th Infantry Brigade have been alerted for possible mobilization and deployment in support of the global war on terrorism.

More than 1,200 Guardsmen of the 48th Brigade will report to duty in December, with another 2,300 expected to be called up after the first of the year.

The 48th Infantry Brigade is headquartered in Macon and has units in more than 30 hometowns throughout Georgia.

While the exact schedule has not been announced, the unit is expected to report initially to Fort Stewart, near Savannah, followed by exercises at the U.S. Army’s National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif. The Brigade is expected to deploy for a 12-month rotation to the Middle East beginning sometime next spring.

“Georgians can be proud of the men and women of the 48th Infantry Brigade,” said Brigadier General Stewart Rodeheaver, commander of the 48th Brigade. “They have shown in the past that they can accomplish the mission when their country has called, and I have no doubt they will do so once again with this important deployment.

“At the same time, we can’t do our jobs without the support of employers and communities around the state, as well as the families of our soldiers,” he added.

The last mobilization for the 48th Brigade was in 2001 when 1,200 members served eight months as part of the peacekeeping force in Bosnia.

The 48th Brigade consists of two infantry units, 1st Battalion and 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry headquartered in Winder and Albany respectively; the 108th Armor Battalion headquartered in Calhoun; the 118th Field Artillery Battalion headquartered in Savannah; the 148th Support Battalion headquartered in Forsyth; the 648th Engineering Battalion headquartered in Statesboro; and Troop E of the 108th Cavalry in Griffin. The 48th Brigade will augmented by units from several other states as part of the Brigade Combat Team.

To date, more than 4,000 Georgia Army and Air National Guard members have been called to duty since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on America. Some 500 are currently on active duty, including 350 in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan.