An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Jan. 12, 2018

W.V. Guard provides support to Big Sandy River oil spill

By Capt. Holli Nelson West Virginia National Guard

KENOVA, W.V. - The West Virginia National Guard’s 35th Civil Support Team is providing support to local responding agencies working an oil spill from a sunken towboat along the Big Sandy River.

The 35th CST is providing personnel for environmental sampling and monitoring as a part of their on-scene support to the U. S. Coast Guard.

“The West Virginia National Guard is committed to assisting our civil authorities as they work through this response effort,” said Maj. Gen. James A. Hoyer, the Adjutant General of the WVNG. “This is a core component of what we do in the National Guard - help out our citizens and partner agencies throughout the State whenever they need us.”

The 35th CST supports the State of West Virginia and civil authorities in a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and High Yield Explosives (CBRNE) domestic incident by identifying unknown agents or substances at a site, assessing current and project consequences, advising on response measures and assisting with the appropriate request for additional state and federal support.

 

 

Related Articles
Sgt. 1st Class Michael Engel, Warrant Officer 1 Courtney Topper, Warrant Officer 1 Jacob Shumway, Warrant Officer 1 Alex G. Sama, chief of logistics for the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces, and Maj. Edward K. John pose for a photo during a Department of War National Guard Bureau's State Partnership Program engagement in Michigan, December 2024. The Michigan National Guard hosted two Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces representatives for a weeklong visit focused on logistics, facility management and sustainment operations, including engagements with the 246th Transportation Battalion and the Combined Support Maintenance Shop in Lansing. The exchange strengthened military-to-military cooperation and reinforced the growing partnership between Michigan and Sierra Leone. Photo by 1st Lt. Paige Bodine.
Michigan National Guard Hosts Sierra Leone to Strengthen New Partnership
By 2nd Lt. Paige Bodine, | Dec. 19, 2025
LANSING, Mich.— The partnership between the Michigan National Guard and Sierra Leone recently marked another significant step forward in the Department of War National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program, or SPP.The...

U.S. Army Soldiers from the 1st Squadron, 303rd Cavalry Regiment, 96th Troop Command, Washington Army National Guard fill sand bags in Sedro Woolley, Wash., Dec. 11, 2025. More than 300 Washington National Guard members provided flood relief support to citizens in Skagit County since Dec. 10, 2025. Photo by Staff Sgt. Adeline Witherspoon.
National Guard Responds to Historic Flooding in Western Washington
By Joseph Siemandel, | Dec. 19, 2025
CAMP MURRAY, Wash. – As rivers overtopped banks and levees failed across western Washington, the Washington National Guard launched one of its largest and fastest flood responses in recent memory, mobilizing approximately 300...

Members of the Alaska Air and Army National Guard and the Department of Homeland Security, along with volunteers from the Salvation Army and the Alaska National Guard Child and Youth Program, hosted families from Kipnuk and Kwigillingok during Operation Santa Claus 2025 at the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage, Alaska, on Dec. 14, 2025. Operation Santa Claus, a longstanding annual Alaska National Guard community outreach program, has provided gifts, toys, backpacks and books to children in remote Alaskan communities since 1956. The program partners with the Salvation Army and numerous volunteers to spread holiday cheer and continue its tradition of support. This year’s event supported families who were displaced following Typhoon Halong and provided an opportunity for continued engagement with impacted Western Alaska communities. Photo by Alejandro Peña.
Operation Santa Comes to Anchorage, Spreads Holiday Cheer for Western Alaskans
By Maj. David Bedard, | Dec. 19, 2025
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — For nearly 70 years, the Alaska National Guard has worked with partner agencies to spread holiday cheer to rural Alaskan communities through Operation Santa.   For the first time in...