78th Aviation Troop Command Home-stationed at Clay National Guard Center in Marietta, the Georgia Army National Guard’s 78th Aviation Troop Command is the aviation arm of the Georgia Army Guard. Colonel Brent Bracewell, with Command Sgt. Major Claude Ray as his senior enlisted leader, commands the 78th ATC. The mission of the 78th’s more than 574 pilots, aircrew, maintenance, and support personnel is to mobilize and deploy aviation forces for providing command and control, air movement, and air assault operations in support of combat operations worldwide, as well as to provide aviation support during state and national emergencies in response to homeland defense operations. The 78th ATC’s major deployments and redeployments in 2010 included: CH-47 Chinook helicopters of Detachment 1, Company B, of the 169th on their second deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom; UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters of the 171st mobilized in November for their second deployment to Iraq, this time in support of Operation New Dawn; C-23 Sherpas of Company H, 171st Aviation completed their fourth rotation to Iraq – this time in Balad – in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom; and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters of the 185th mobilized for deployment to Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn. The most recent aviation asset to deploy were the UH-60M Black Hawks of the 1-111th, which left Feb. 5, 2011 for deployment in Iraq. There, under the Army’s 49th and 29th Aviation brigades, its 60 pilots,
aircrew, maintenance, flight medical and support personnel, will provide MEDEVAC support to troops now involved in Operation New Dawn. Among the 78th Aviation’s accomplishments is the creation of the C-27J Spartan – Joint Cargo Aircraft – facility at Robins Air Force Base. Facility personnel successfully supported the first C-27J aircraft qualification courses taught there by New York-based L-3 Communications. Georgia Army National Guard Aviation has been, and remains, integral in the selection and fielding of the C-27J Spartan JCA. During 2010, Company H, 171st Aviation personnel successfully completed the multi-service operational test and evaluation of the aircraft, thereby completing transfer of the program – on time and budget – to the Georgia Air National Guard. The Georgia Army National Guard is responsible for the overall flight operations risk management of the $2 billion JCA procurement contract.
Col. Brent Bracewell Commander 78th Aviation Troop Command Ga. Army National Guard
78th ATC Units • 78th Aviation Troop Command Headquarters, Clay National Guard Center, Marietta • 1st of the 171st General Support Aviation Battalion, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Marietta • Company H, 171st Aviation Regiment, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Marietta • 2nd Battalion, 151st Service and Support, Clay National Guard Center, Marietta • 1st of the 169th General Support Aviation Battalion, Hunter Army Airfield, Savannah • Company C, 1st of the 111th General Support Aviation Battalion, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Marietta • 1st of the 185th Air Assault Battalion, Winder
• 935th Combat Service Support Battalion, Hunter Army Airfield, Savannah • Detachment 9, Operational Airlift, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Marietta • Company C, 2nd of the 151st Aviation Security and Support Battalion, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Marietta • Army Fixed Wing Support Activity, Robins Air Force Base, Warner Robins • Army Aviation Support Facility No. 1, Winder Barrow Airport, Winder • Army Aviation Support Facility No. 2, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Marietta • Army Aviation Support Facility No. 3, Hunter Army Airfield, Savannah
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