5th Brigade

5BDE Mission Statement:The mission of 5BDE, GSDF is to provide mission-ready military forces to assist state and local authorities in times of state emergencies (man-made, natural disasters, pandemic), to conduct homeland security and community service activities under the umbrella of Defense Support to Civil Authorities, and to augment the Georgia Army and Air National Guard as required.

First in Georgia! (In Primum Georgia!)

5th Brigade has Enlisted and Officer position openings across all units. All experience levels are welcome!

All 5th Brigade units support Direct Support of Civilian Authorities (DSCA), Community Engagement (COMENG), and Military to Military Support (MTMS).

5th Brigade leads the way in MTMS. The missions we undertake are highly varied and offer a challenging array of engagement involving opportunities for soldiers at all levels to develop skills, build relationships and contribute in a meaningful way to the citizens of Georgia when they need help most. Some examples of MTMS missions include:

  • Pre-mobilization Training and Assistance Element (PTAE) means helping troops identify areas of improvement as a starting point for advanced deployment training.
  • Small Arms Leaders Course (SALC) allows soldiers to support National Guard units as they advance their skills on live-fire ranges.
  • Andrew Sullens Marksmanship Competition lets soldiers engage in range support and includes a chance to compete if selected for the GSDF competitive marksmanship team.
  • 1/54th Security Forces Assistance Brigade (SFAB) missions provide in-depth training in traditional combat tactics and small unit tactics as an avenue for SFAB soldiers to hone their skills before deployment to assist in training security forces for our allies in developing nations.

DSCA and COMENG are also significant parts of 5th Brigade’s mission set. In addition to cooperating with multiple Emergency Management Agencies (EMAs) we work with numerous government agencies and non-government organizations (NGOs). Some recent examples include:

  • Points of Distribution (PODs) operation
  • Food Bank relief box packing
  • Hurricane evacuation shelter setup
  • Search and Rescue (SAR)
  • COVID-19 related missions embedded with National Guard units.

Many 5th Brigade units are embedded with and fully support GAARNG (Army National Guard) and GARNG (Air National Guard) as organic assets enabling more comprehensive training to take place for host units. Current host units include:

  • 2-121 INF, 48th IBCT (multiple companies of 2nd battalion)
  • 201st Regional Support Group, FEMA Region IV (support of 265th JTF / 1177th TC)
  • The Georgia Garrison Training Center (GGTC) / Land Dominance Center (LDC) at Fort Stewart, Ga.
  • 1 – 54th SFAB at Fort Benning, Ga.

16 Jan 2023

Maj. Clark Howard Retires After 21 Years of Service

Maj. Clark Howard retires after serving 21 years in the Georgia State Defense Force (GSDF) during a ceremony held at Georgia National Guard headquarters, Clay National Guard Center, Marietta, Ga., Jan. 7, 2023. Maj. Howard, a well-known syndicated media personality, inspired one-third of the GSDF Force to join its ranks.