METTER, Ga. - The 265th Regional Support Group became the first unit in Georgia Army National Guard history to be awarded a Navy Presidential Unit Citation during a ceremony Nov. 1 here at the Metter Armory.
Brig. Gen. Maria Britt of the Georgia Army National Guard called it a historic and momentous day. "It is a high honor for a unit to receive a Presidential Unit Citation," she said. "To put it in perspective, this unit award requires the same degree of heroism as individual awards such as the Distinguished Service Cross, the Air Force Cross and the Navy Cross."
The award, which can come in the form of an Army, Navy or Air Force citation, is given to units of the U.S. Armed Forces for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy, said Britt.
While other Georgia Guard units have received Presidential unit citations, the 265th is the first to receive the Navy version of the award.
In April 2002, the 265th, then an engineering group, was engaged in pre-war planning with the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), said Maj. Reginald Cook, who served as company commander of the 265th from 1998 until 2004.
The unit as a whole was called into service in February 2003 and deployed to Kuwait with the 1st MEF the following month.
"It was an honor to be part of the 1st MEF," said Cook.
The group was tasked with conducting engineering command and control operations, and together with the 1st MEF, crossed the border into Iraq on Mar. 24, 2003.
The unit's first mission was to provide combat engineer support to British forces attempting to seize the port of Um Kasar, said Cook.
Other missions included maintaining and improving more than 4000 kilometers of key supply roads throughout Iraq, rebuilding and protecting Iraqi oil facilities, and numerous humanitarian assistance operations.
In all, the 265th repaired two major electrical plants, four hospitals, three water facilities and more than 20 schools said Cook.
In addition to the 1st MEF, the 265th also worked closely with the 1st Naval Construction Regiment, an Army Guard unit from West Virginia, a unit from the Republic of Korea and British combat forces.
"The 265th Engineers' participation in Operation Iraqi Freedom illustrated the true joint and multinational nature of today's military operations around the world," said Col. Thomas Blackstock, the unit's current commander. "They were able to maximize the strengths of many diverse organizations."
Sgt. Tonnette Boyd, one of those who remain from the unit's 2003 deployment, said she is proud of her unit and what it did to earn the award.
She said that she looks back fondly on the bonds that formed during that time, both within the unit and among other units.
"I feel like it's the best group I could have been with. When you're away from your real family, you learn how to build a new family. In Iraq, we all became a family," said Boyd.