1. Joint Staff authorities. It gathers, synthesizes,
and disseminates worldwide relevant
and critical information throughout
The Director of the Joint Staff the Ga. DoD.
is responsible for the management, The Director of the Joint Staff
leadership and direction of the Ga. also has several other programs
DoD Joint Staff related to defense under his purview.
support to civil authorities, homeland The Service Support Directorate
security and homeland defense. is responsible for planning,
The Joint Staff is comprised developing, supervising and
of members of the Georgia Army directing family programs for
National Guard, Air National Guard, Georgia National Guard and
and State Defense Force, as well as Reserve members and their families, Col. Brent Bracewell
Director, Joint Staff
Department of Defense civilians and including any family or deployed
contractors. military personnel – regardless of
The purpose of the Joint Staff service or component – at all levels
is to provide the Adjutant General of contingency and mobilization,
with time-sensitive intelligence and with operations throughout the state.
information relative to issues in This program also advises
Georgia, the United States and the the Adjutant General on family
world. readiness, quality of life, other
This information may come from family program matters, and the
NGB, Northern Command (located development and implementation of
in Colorado Springs), or other state work and life services and activities
or federal government agencies. for Georgia National Guard Family
The Joint Staff provides a Programs.
community-based response force
that offers ready, rapid support in
defense of the homeland. It seeks
to build the strength of the Georgia
Department of Defense through
internal and external partnerships.
It does this by leveraging and
maintaining liaisons with the Georgia
Office of Homeland Security, the
Georgia Emergency Management
Agency, and other key emergency
and law enforcement officials across
the state.
A critical part of the Joint
Staff is the Joint Operations
Center, currently located at the
Clay National Guard Center in
Marietta. The JOC is manned 24
hours-a-day, seven days-a-week,
to provide the critical information
and communications node for
all information with reference to Combat engineer Sgt. John Horst, with Douglas’ 848th Engineer
Company, climbs a rubble pile wearing a new style decontamination
homeland security, homeland suit being tested for fielding by Kennesaw’s Joint Task Force 781.
defense and defense support to civil
29 | Georgia Department of Defense

2. 2011 Annual Report | 30