Members of the Georgia General Assembly and senior leaders of the Georgia Department of Defense stand in the Capitol rotunda following passage of resolutions in both chambers officially recognizing Feb. 11, 2026 as National Guard Day. The ceremonial observance honored the service, leadership, and contributions of the Georgia National Guard and the Georgia State Defense Force (GSDF) in support of homeland defense and emergency response missions across the state.
Pictured left to right: Senator Chuck Payne; Lt. Col. Bob Burgess, Georgia State Defense Force (GSDF); Command Sgt. Maj. Ramos, GSDF; Senator (Maj., GSDF) Kay Kirkpatrick; Col. Tony Dill, GSDF; Representative (Col., U.S. Army Reserve) Josh Bonner; Brig. Gen. Jason Fryman, Assistant to the Adjutant General–Army; Maj. Gen. Dwayne Wilson, The Adjutant General of Georgia; and Col. Barry Simmons, Georgia Army National Guard, Chief of the Joint Staff.
The GSDF is a component of the Georgia Department of Defense, along with the Georgia Air National Guard and Georgia Army National Guard.
(Photo courtesy of Georgia State Defense Force Maj. Kay Kirkpatrick)