Hammond Appointed Commander of Georgia Air National Guard

ATLANTA, GA (July 20) - Governor Sonny Perdue announced today the appointment of Brigadier General Scott A. Hammond as Commander, Georgia Air National Guard. Hammond, 50, will command more than 3,000 members of the Georgia Air National Guard in ten units throughout Georgia. Hammond, a native of Lancaster, Ohio was formerly Chief of Staff of the Georgia Air National
Guard.
   
   Hammond began his military career following his graduation from the United
States Air Force Academy as a distinguished graduate in 1975, earning a
Bachelor of Science in Psychology. He completed undergraduate pilot
training at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona in September 1976 and remained
there as a T-38 instructor pilot. Hammond then served for one year as
Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations at the
Pentagon. In September 1981, he completed F-15 training at Luke Air Force
Base, Arizona and was assigned as an F-15 fighter pilot with the 33rd
Tactical Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

   Hammond joined the 116th Tactical Fighter Wing of the Georgia Air National
Guard in December 1985 and was appointed Air Operations Officer. Between
September 1989 and September 1992, he served in various command capacities
including instructor fighter pilot in the F-15. In September 1992, Hammond
was selected as the commander of the 128th Fighter Squadron, Georgia Air
National Guard.

   Hammond served as the 116FW Plans Officer and later Director of Operations
at the Georgia Air National Guard headquarters. Returning to the 116th
following the unit's move to Robins Air Force Base and the unit's transition
to the B-1 bomber, he became Vice Wing Commander in March 1998. He returned to the Georgia Air National Guard headquarters in May 1999 as Director of Operations and was later appointed Chief of Staff.

   Hammond is a command pilot with more than 3,300 flight hours in the T-37,
T-38, F-15, and B-1 aircraft. He holds the Meritorious Service Medal, the
Air Force Commendation Medal, and Air Force Achievement Medal. He is also
the recipient of the Combat Readiness Medal with one device, the National
Defense Medal, and the Air Force Longevity Service Award ribbon with six
devices.

   Hammond is Chairman of the Northwest Airlines Safety Action Program. He is
an Instructor Pilot and Line Check Airman on the Airbus A-320 aircraft.
General Hammond is married to the former Cindy Green of Vicksburg, Michigan
and lives in Villa Rica, Georgia. He has two teenage sons, Joshua and
Christopher.