We are a proud organization. Proud because our Governor, and our community, rest assured knowing that they can depend on us no matter the time, day, night, weather, or circumstances. Our pride is affirmed when civilians, fellow Georgia residents, can enjoy their event because the GASDF is there to ensure their safety and security. By providing security, traffic and crowd control, a helpful hand, general or emergency medical care by trained Paramedics, doctors, nurses, EMTs, and other medical professionals the GASDF is beacon of confidence wherever we go. Specifically, and I feel confident speaking for everyone who assisted in the mission, we felt a sense of pride and accomplishment beyond expression when military aircraft touched down at Dobbins Air Force Base with evacuees from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita stricken areas and we are able to give them the attention they needed with a trained and helping hand and a warm heart. We feel proud every time we assist in locating a fellow Georgia citizen that has been lost for days. We are proud of our fellow soldiers when he or she is standing tall in front of his or her comrades to receive an award or promotion for a job well done without pay, without any kind of personal gain, and only because they chose to give of themselves in such a way. I have heard it said that there is no bigger heart than that of a volunteer, and it is an honor to be associated with someone of that caliber.

Another adjective to describe how we feel is "blessed". We are blessed in the fact that we live in the greatest country in the world. We are fortunate in that we enjoy freedoms that other people will never know. We are blessed that we have a strong military to defend those freedoms at home and abroad like many of our brothers and sisters in uniform currently on foreign soil. We are blessed because we are helping our fellow citizens enjoy their activities in a safe and secure environment. We are inspired and motivated by recognizing all that we have with the aspiration and inspiration to freely give back in return.

"Humble" is another word that can be used to describe the members of the GASDF. For many of us the start and end of our military service is as volunteers. What we do is not for fame, fortune, or glory. We know in our hearts that we are appreciated at the end of the day when a civilian approaches us to offer a simple handshake, smile, and heartfelt "thank you". Our motivation comes from a love of service, and dedication to our state and country. We know that we have accomplished our mission when the organizer says “...because of your help, next year's event will certainly be bigger and better".

When we don our uniform from beret to boots, we are confident that we can handle whatever the day will bring. When a non-prior service civilian sees that uniform they do not distinguish between the services, paid or volunteer. It is the uniform of the United States Armed Forces whom we do proudly represent every time we wear it. The training we receive is the most current and comprehensive in every respective field, and it is obvious to all who see us on missions. From search and rescue to medical evacuations to security and crowd control the training is impeccable and from leading agencies in that discipline. We conduct joint agency training exercises with FEMA, GEMA, the Department of Homeland Security, the Army and Air National Guards, State Police, and more!

If the words "proud", "blessed", and "humble" resonate with and describe you, I ask that when you are done reading this to please email or call me to further discuss how you can find your place in the Georgia State Defense Force. It does not matter whether you are currently volunteering somewhere else (as many of us do), I guarantee that we have a spot waiting for you in the GASDF!

For more information, call 770-855-4040.