CLAY NATIONAL GUARD CENTER, May 1, 2010 – Major Gen. Scott A. Hammond,  Georgia Air National Guard commander, announced today that the 139th Intelligence Squadron headquartered at Fort Gordon has reached Initial Operational Capability (IOC).  This significant achievement places the two year-old unit on its way toward Full Operational Capability.

The 139th Intelligence Squadron, Georgia’s newest Air National Guard unit, was officially activated on May 29, 2008 at Fort Gordon, becoming the ninth Air Guard unit in the state and the first new Georgia Air Guard unit in more than 30 years.  The designation of IOC indicates the unit is qualified and ready to execute specific missions.

The primary mission of this new unit is to execute cryptologic intelligence operations to satisfy strategic, operations and tactical intelligence requirements of national decision makers, combatant commanders and combat operations.  Additionally, the 139th IS has the important state mission of providing a trained and equipped force to assist the citizens of Georgia in times of emergency.

The 44-member intelligence squadron is commanded by Lt. Col. Kimberly Chatfield, and the detachment commander is Lt. Col. Troy Lewis. The unit employs 37 traditional and seven full-time Guardsmen.  The unit fits the classic associate squadron model of the Air Force by working alongside the 31st Intelligence Squadron at Fort Gordon.   The 139th IS enhances preexisting intelligence capabilities at Fort Gordon. As home of the U.S. Army Signal Corps, Fort Gordon is the largest communications electronics facility in the world.  The Distributed Common Ground Systems (DCGS) for the Air Force also resides at Ft. Gordon.

Originally activated in February 1942 as the 139th Signal Radio Intelligence Company with a cadre of 13 intercept and traffic analysis operators, the unit was designated the 2nd Radio Signal Mobile in 1944, and deployed to France with the 9th Air Force a year later. The unit was later transferred to the Department of the Army, where it operated under the Army Security Agency (ASA) while in Germany.  In 1983, the unit was called to duty again during the Cold War to combine with the 6911th Electronic Security Squadron and re-designate as the 402nd Intelligence Squadron.  In 2000, the 402nd was deactivated until its recent reactivation as part of the Georgia Air National Guard.

Contact: Lt. Col. (Ret.) Ken Baldowski (678) 569-6064