Georgia Department of Defense The Georgia Department of Defense is a state agency charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the Georgia National Guard . Headquartered at Clay National Guard Center in Marietta , Georgia , the Georgia Department of Defense includes the Georgia Army National Guard , the Georgia Air National Guard , and the Georgia State Defense Force . The Georgia Department of Defense provides ready and relevant military forces to the Combatant Commanders , and with the consent of the Governor provides command and control and capabilities to support Homeland Defense and Defense Support of Civil Authorities . Organization . The Georgia Department of Defense employs over 11 , 000 Army National Guard soldiers , 2 , 800 Air National Guard airmen , 760 State Defense Force members , and 563 state employees . It oversees the Georgia National Guard as part of the total force policy and trains its units to fight and to win on battlefields with modern technology and weaponry . Georgia Army National Guard . The Georgia Army National Guard consists of more than 11 , 100 citizen - soldiers training in more than 79 hometown armories and regional facilities across the state . Georgia ’ s Army Guard is the 8th largest in the nation and includes combat , combat support and combat service support units . The Georgia Army National Guard is organized into five major subordinate commands : the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of Macon ; the 78th Homeland Response Force at Clay National Guard Center in Marietta ; the 78th Aviation Troop Command also at Clay ; the 560th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade at Fort Gillem ; and the 648th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade in Columbus at Fort Benning . In 2009 , the Georgia Army National Guard deployed more than 3 , 200 soldiers in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom . Since September 11 , 2001 , more than 12 , 000 citizen - soldiers from every deployable line unit in the Georgia Army National Guard have seen federal service in support of Overseas Contingency Operations , often with multiple rotations . Georgia Air National Guard . The Georgia Air National Guard is the air force militia of the state of Georgia . It is , along with the Georgia Army National Guard , an element of the Georgia National Guard . It is also considered a part of the United States Air Force . It has 3 , 000 airmen and officers assigned to the two flying wings and seven geographically separated units ( GSUs ) throughout Georgia , including the 165th Airlift Wing at Savannah International Airport ; the 116th Air Control Wing at Robins Air Force Base ; the 117th Air Control Squadron of Savannah ; the 165th Air Support Operations Squadron of Brunswick , Georgia ; the 224th Joint Communications Support Squadron also of Brunswick ; the 283rd Combat Communications Squadron at Dobbins Air Force Base in Marietta ; the 139th Intelligence Squadron at Fort Gordon ; the 202nd Engineering Installation Squadron of Macon ; and the 530th Air Force Band at Dobbins Air Force Base in Marietta . All units of the Georgia Air National Guard play an active role in supporting Georgia ' s homeland defense posture , providing airlift , engineering and communications resources and abilities . Air Guard personnel train regularly with the Georgia Army Guard ' s 78th Homeland Response Force and have responsibilities with Georgia ' s 4th Civil Support Team , as well as the Chemical , Biological , Radiological / Nuclear , and Explosive ( CBRNE ) - Enhanced Response Force Package ( CERFP ) organization . Georgia State Defense Force . The Georgia State Defense Force ( GSDF , GASDF , or Georgia SDF ) is a volunteer military unit of the Georgia Department of Defense , serving in support of the national and state constitutions under direction of the governor and the adjutant general of Georgia . Members of the Georgia State Defense Force serve alongside the Georgia Army National Guard and the Georgia Air National Guard . The GSDF ' s members help support and augment the Georgia National Guard , provide professional skills to the Georgia Department of Defense , and assist Georgia communities . Volunteers are trained to assist the National Guard , provide search and rescue , medical support , and disaster relief . Programs and Missions . Defense Support Civil Authorities . It is a primary mission of the Georgia National Guard to stand by to assist the state or nation in matters of homeland security or natural disasters . This includes anything from fighting wild fires , helping with oil spills , helping flood victims , and assisting with riot control . The Guard has also been fighting drug violence throughout the state of Georgia , with the Georgia Department of Defense having an entire unit dedicated to Counter - drug efforts . In 2009 , the Counterdrug Task Force supported more than 450 missions , which resulted in seizures of illegal narcotics with a street value of more than $ 251 . 7 million . The Joint Staff , through the JFHQ , provides a community - based response force that offers support in defense of the state , region , and country . the Joint Staff enhances mission performance and strengthens the care provided to Georgia Department of Defense members and their families by leveraging community presence , employer support , and family care programs . Under the JFHQ umbrella , the Georgia Department of Defense maintains liaison with the Georgia Office of Homeland Security and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency , along with key emergency and law enforcement officials across the state . The Guard ' s Quick Reaction Force ( QRF ) provides force protection and security for WMD Civil Support Teams and CBRNE Enhanced Response Force Package Teams . The QRF comprises 132 personnel who are capable of responding within eight hours , and 500 personnel who can respond within 24 hours . Youth ChalleNGe Academy . The Georgia National Guard runs the state and federally funded Youth ChalleNGe Academy ( YCA ) program . The stated purpose of the Youth ChalleNGe Academy is to provide " at - risk " youth with academic and life skills training aimed at improving employment potential and creating productive citizens . Each young person that enrolls is matched with a qualified mentor who follows the student during the residential phase and then formally assists and monitors their success during the 12 months following graduation . The Georgia Department of Defense orchestrates two campuses , one at Fort Gordon in the Brems Barracks on Fort Gordon , near Augusta and one at Fort Stewart near Savannah . They service students from around the State of Georgia and accept applications year round . Classes begin four times each year ( two at each campus ) , and are continuous for 5 1 / 2 months . Following the residential phase of the program , the students must complete the 12 month post - residential phase in order to successfully complete the Youth ChalleNGe Program . The Fort Gordon Youth ChalleNGe Academy graduates approximately 425 students each year . Students completing the program successfully can be awarded two separate diplomas , the Youth ChalleNGe Academy Diploma and the General Equivalency Diploma . State Partnership Program With the Nation of Georgia . The National Guard State Partnership Program ( SPP ) was established in 1993 in response to the radically changed political - military situation following the collapse of communism and the dissolution of the Soviet Union . The SPP began as a bilateral military - military contact program to engage the countries of central and eastern Europe , and is a direct growth of the United States European Command Join Contact Team Program . The Georgia National Guard has a state Partnership with the country of Georgia , which began in 1995 . In 2010 , the Georgia National Guard helped train over 2000 Georgian Soldiers . Embedded Georgia National Guard Soldiers have fought side - by - side with Georgian Soldiers in Iraq , with the country of Georgia being the 3rd largest contributor of coalition forces currently in Iraq . The State of Georgia is the home of the second - largest diaspora of Georgians outside the Country of Georgia . Many National Guardsmen are active in the Atlanta - Tbilisi Sister City Committee , which contributes to building relationships within the state . STARBASE . The Georgia Department of Defense ' s Science and Technology Academies Reinforcing Basic Aviation and Space Education ( STARBASE ) program seeks to build interest in science , technology , engineering and math amongst Georgia ' s at - risk youth . The program exposes students and their teachers to real - world applications of math and science , through experiential learning , simulations and experiments in aviation and space - related fields . Georgia ' s STARBASE serves approximately 800 fifth graders annually , with quantifiable improvement . Before participation in the program , students averaged 53 % on a standardized science , technology , and math test . After participating in Georgia ' s STARBASE , average student scores improved by over 20 percentage points to 76 . 9 % . At STARBASE , students interact with military personnel to explore careers and make connections with the real world . The program provides students with 20 – 25 hours of experience , exposing youth to the technological environments found within the Georgia National Guard . Financial Impact . Georgia continues to support its Department of Defense ' s growth , with the new $ 26 million Cumming regional armory and the $ 16 million Lorenzo - Benn facility . The Cumming armory is the first new armory in Georgia in many years . The Georgia Department of Defense also acquired Clay National Guard Center from the Navy , where a new $ 30 million JFHQ building is under construction , the Fort Benning joint use armory , AASF 2 being renovated to house its parachute rigger company , and a new Language Lab . There has been $ 300 Million in renovation and construction over the last ten years , after seeing virtually none over the course of the previous forty . The State ’ s investments in its National Guard has had a significant positive impact on the State ’ s economy . Because most of the organization ’ s funds come from federal sources , Georgia actually sees more tax revenue from the income of its Citizen - Soldiers than it spends on the Georgia Guard as a whole . the Georgia National Guard is provided about $ 10 million in state funding annually . This $ 10 million pulls down another $ 30 million in federal matching funds into the state account . Its federal budget is about $ 500 million , allowing the initial $ 10 million investment to generate $ 500 million for the state ' s economy . On top of that , the guardsmen and women pay about $ 25 million in state income tax . This means the original $ 10 million is a loan the Georgia Department of Defense uses each year to then generate a half - billion dollars in revenue , and paying the loan back with 250 % interest . Georgia ' s Adjutant General Lineage . The Adjutant General is the senior military officer and de facto commander of the Georgia National Guard . Also known as TAG , they are subordinated to the Governor , the Chief Executive . As of today , there have been 35 Adjutant Generals in Georgia and the position has changed hands 40 times .