Life has enough obstacles. The National Guard thinks money shouldn't be one of them.

Whether you are seeking additional income, funding for college, job training or another type of financial assistance, you can get it all for a commitment of just one weekend per month, and a two-week training period each year.

The Guard's got your back on the fiscal front.

Benefits Start Right Away

Upon signing with us, you may be eligible for an enlistment bonus. The amount varies, but $10,000 to $20,000 is common.

If you're a recent high school grad or an adult looking to change careers, we'll give you on-the-job paid training in the vocation of your choice. You'll not only earn while you learn, but you'll skip the minimum wage jobs and jump straight to the good ones in civilian life.

If you're a current or future college student, you'll appreciate programs like 100% Tuition Assistance and student loan repayment. You may also qualify for the Montgomery G.I. Bill and its supplement, the Kicker, which provide monthly stipends.

Security on the Horizon

As we grow older, certain things become important—home loans, life insurance, and medical and retirement benefits. As a Guard member or veteran, you'll be eligible for these and many other essential resources when you need them.

Life costs. Being in the Guard pays.

Contact your local recruiter to learn more. Call SSG Thomas Hindelang at 770-262-7773.

The agency also implemented Offender Watch, a computer database that keeps track of registered sex offenders in the county. Offender Watch is available to the public and lets parents and business owners map the registered sex offenders who live near their homes and businesses. As a member of the National Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, investigators with the Criminal Investigations Division were able to set up sting operations and arrest predators trying to solicit sex from minors by way of the Internet.

Last December, the sheriff's office was awarded the Paul Coverdell Law Enforcement Forensic Grant for the purchase of a Video Analysis System. With the advent of digital surveillance, investigators badly needed a system to analyze recordings made with new technology. The new system allows investigators to analyze both digital and analog recordings, extract photographs and enhance images.

Also in 2006, in a collaborative effort with the ATF, the sheriff's office began using e-Trace. The on-line system allows investigators to obtain trace information on firearms in days rather than weeks including matching persons to specific weapons, mapping, and statistical data.

While much focus was placed on prevention and education, the sheriff's office diligently focused on increasing its manpower statistics. Members of the agency led tremendous recruiting efforts at job fairs, colleges and military bases. The recruiting efforts turned out almost 1,000 applications and 51 officers and support personnel were hired in 2006. Recruiters continue to search for qualified and highly motivated law enforcement officers to protect the citizens of the county.

Also in 2006, a gang intelligence unit was implemented to help identify and quash gang activity in the county through education and investigative tactics. The Uniform Patrol Division saw a 3 ½ percent increase in calls for service with the majority of the calls coming out of the Bridge Mill Precinct. Many of the other precincts experienced a decrease in calls for service. Overall, there was a decrease in crimes against persons reported in the county. Deputies also responded to more than 4,500 auto accidents, a 2 percent increase from 2005. There were almost 400 accidents per month in the county.

The warrant unit served more than 8,000 warrants, more than 18,000 subpoenas and more than 11,000 civil processes in 2006.

An additional K-9 unit was added in 2006, bringing the unit to a total of five K-9 teams. All of the K-9s are trained in narcotic detection with three of the K- 9s being trained in patrol uses and the remaining two being trained in explosives detection. The K-9s were used to search more than 1000 buildings and vehicles last year and were asked to assist other law enforcement agencies with 54 searches.

What Can Cooperative Extension Do for You?

Learning something new everyday should be a life-long pursuit and can be as easy as picking up and reading a magazine or newspaper each day. That is why the new slogan for Cooperative Extension in Georgia is в€œLearning for Life.в€ This might seem like a trivial slogan at first, but for me is a driving motivation for my job and an aspect of my job that makes me enjoy what I do. Everyday, our office gets numerous calls and questions on everything from ants to xeriscaping (pronounced zeer-i-skey-ping). For those who don't know, xeriscaping is landscaping that uses various methods for minimizing the need for water use. As we all know, water is a limited natural resource that we need to protect and conserve for future generations. Of course, with such a variety of calls and questions, I will be the first one to admit that I don't know everything and often have to do a little research or make a few calls to Extension specialists to answer someone's question. And in the process, it seems that I enjoy the benefits of learning something new everyday.