CLAY NATIONAL GUARD CENTER, Marietta, Ga., April 8, 2013 – The Georgia Army Guard is the recipient of the 2013 Army Communities of Excellence Award (ACOE) – National Guard Specialty Category. Governor Nathan Deal – flanked by Maj. Gen. Jim Butterworth, Georgia’s Adjutant General, Brig. Gen. Joe Jarrard, Assistant Adjutant General-Army and a host of Army Guardsmen – made the announcement today before a crowd of state officials and Guard members during a ceremony held at Hangar No. 1 here on Clay.

Here, Butterworth (left), Jarrard (right) and their fellow Guardsmen, give their organization a rousing round of applause shortly after Deal (center) announced the Georgia Army Guard’s selection as winner of the annual ACOE award.

This is the twelfth year the Georgia Army Guard has competed with other active duty, Guard and Reserve organizations across the country for the award. Competition for ACOE is based on assessment criteria established by the Baldridge Performance Excellence Program in the areas of leadership, strategic planning, customer service, information management, workforce development, and operations. Deal also announced that the Georgia Guard is to receive an estimated $300,000 that can be used for further support of its Citizen-Soldiers, their families, and others, in a variety of areas.

“The Army Chief of Staff has compared the 54 Army Guard organizations across the country, and has found that Georgia’s is the best in the nation,” said Deal. “Those who worked hard to make that selection happen are representative of the Guardsmen and civilian employees who are committed every day to making the Georgia Guard the premier organization that it is.”

Butterworth and Jarrard each echoed that sentiment after the ACOE emblem was unveiled.

“I am honored to be your Adjutant General, and I am thrilled by today’s announcement,” Butterworth said, looking out over the audience. “It is, truly, a great day to be in the Georgia National Guard, and by the banner displayed at our front gate, all those who enter that portal know we are dedicated to being that community of excellence, and that we have an incredible team making it all happen.

“We are very proud to be recognized for the excellence our organization exhibits daily,” Jarrad said. “Our Soldiers, our civilian employees are a competent, caring team devoted to quality and to getting better every day at what they do.”

(Georgia Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Roy Henry)