Hurricane Helene

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The Guard in 2024: Deployments, Hurricanes, Wildfires and New Leadership
December 27, 2024 — ARLINGTON, Va. – As 2024 began, Soldiers with 1st Squadron, 221st Cavalry Regiment, Nevada Army... MORE

U.S. Army Sgt. Isaac Bradshaw, a combat medic with C Company, 230th Brigade Support Battalion, North Carolina Army National Guard, wraps his arms around an older couple and uses his body to block them from debris and strong winds produced by the rotor wash of a landing CH-47 Chinook helicopter in Burnsville, North Carolina, Oct. 10, 2024. The Chinook crew responded in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, bringing generators, fuel, and other supplies to the remote area that was isolated when floodwaters washed away the main road in and out of the area.

New York Guard Helps Floridians Recover from Hurricane
October 22, 2024 — PALMETTO, Fla. – Forty-three New York Army National Guard Soldiers spent a week assisting the... MORE

New York Army National Guard Sgt. Tyler Linendoll, an infantryman assigned to Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment, 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, cuts downed tree branches with a chainsaw following Hurricane Milton in Palmetto, Florida, Oct. 11, 2024. Soldiers from the 27th IBCT worked with members of the Florida Army National Guard to provide relief to communities impacted by the hurricane.

National Guard Leaders See Guardsmen Answer the Call
October 18, 2024 — MORGANTON, N.C. – The National Guard’s top officer ceremoniously assumed his new role Tuesday. His... MORE

Air Force Gen. Steven Nordhaus, chief, National Guard Bureau, meets with Florida National Guard leaders and Guardsmen mobilized in Tampa, Florida, to help communities affected by Hurricane Milton Oct. 16, 2024.

North Carolina Guard Clears Roads after Tropical Storm Helene
October 16, 2024 — NEBO, N.C. - “The troops are here!” said Western North Carolina resident Rick Brite, who watched as... MORE

North Carolina National Guardsmen with the 113th Sustainment Brigade and the 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team conduct bridge-building operations in Nebo, N.C., Oct. 9, 2024, to connect roads for residents following Tropical Storm Helene.

Florida National Guard Responds to Storms in and out of State
October 15, 2024 — STARKE, Fla. - The end of September and beginning of October proved to be a heavy lift for Soldiers... MORE

Florida Army National Guard Soldiers prepare for a flight during Hurricane Helene support missions at Army Aviation Support Facility 1 in Florida Sept. 29, 2024. Members of the 1-111th General Support Aviation Battalion provided aerial capabilities for an Emergency Management Assistance Compact.

Florida National Guard Assists Tornado Victims
October 13, 2024 — FORT PIERCE, Fla. - The Florida National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment, quickly... MORE

U.S. Soldiers assigned to Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment, 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, deliver water, meals and non-perishable goods to senior citizens in the Spanish Lake community in Port St. Lucie, Florida, Oct. 11, 2024. The state of Florida established point of distribution centers throughout Florida and deployed staging areas to ensure supplies were available to those in need.

Virginia Guard Aids Hurricane Response in Florida, Virginia
October 10, 2024 — RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia National Guard is helping Florida respond to Hurricane Milton while it... MORE

Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Cedar Bluff-based 1033rd Engineer Company, 276th Engineer Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group, assist with food and water distribution Oct. 5-6, 2024, in Damascus, Virginia. Approximately 20 1033rd Soldiers with tactical trucks capable of high-mobility transportation are staged in Abingdon to support the response to Hurricane Helene.

New York National Guard Troops Assist with Hurricane Response
October 10, 2024 — SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The New York National Guard dispatched 65 Soldiers and Airmen to Florida Oct. 9 to... MORE

Soldiers from the New York Army National Guard’s 27th Infantry Brigade Combat team board a C-17 Globemaster III from the New York Air National Guard’s 105th Airlift Wing as they head to Camp Blanding Joint Training Center near Jacksonville, Florida, to support the Florida National Guard response to Hurricane Milton’s landfall.

National Guard Helps Hurricane Milton, Helene Victims
October 9, 2024 — ARLINGTON, Va. - Over 11,000 National Guard Soldiers and Airmen were conducting Hurricane Milton and... MORE

Tennessee Guardsmen Support Hurricane Recovery
October 9, 2024 — NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nearly 600 Tennessee National Guardsmen, with more than 150 vehicles and... MORE

U.S. Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Ryan Schulze, 118th Wing pavements and construction equipment craftsman, cuts a fallen tree with a chainsaw during Hurricane Helene relief efforts in Elizabethton, Tennessee, Oct. 5, 2024. Airmen continue to commute to the town and surrounding areas daily to help clear debris and help local residents in need due to flooding from Hurricane Helene.

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Faces of AFRICOM | Office of Legal Counsel

U.S. Africa Command

Aug. 17, 2022 | 0:38

The "Faces of AFRICOM" project is a recurring series that aims to provide greater insight to different positions across U.S. Africa Command and how those roles support U.S. and African partner shared goals.

This edition sheds light on the role of the Office of Legal Counsel from the perspective of Sandra Franzblau, a civilian attorney at U.S. Africa Command.

Legal advisors are essential to U.S. Africa Command as they guide commanders and their staff on making informed decisions in accordance with the law. Their goal is to provide advice in a timely and accurate manner to ensure operations and missions are rewarding for both the U.S. military and its partners.

"We are not like a traditional legal office, where we are providing legal opinions on other staff's plans. Instead, we are working as staff officers ourselves, providing guidance to the command on security cooperation activities designed to address our partner's capacity and capability gaps," Franzblau said.

The Office of Legal Counsel provides legal guidance in various areas, including international law, operational law, administrative law, legal engagements, military justice, ethics/ standards of conduct, personnel matters, fiscal law, and contract law. Almost everything at U.S. Africa Command goes through the Office of Legal Counsel.

"We provide essential support to the exercise program, engaging with African military legal partners on how they exercise consistent with the law. We have our own two signature legal engagements - the African Military Law Forum and the Accountability Colloquium. It is one of the most gratifying professional positions that I have ever held," said Franzblau.

U.S. Africa Command is one of seven U.S. Department of Defense geographic combatant commands. The command is responsible for all U.S. military operations, exercises, security cooperation, and conducts crisis response on the African continent in order to advance U.S. interests and promote regional security, stability, and prosperity.

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