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 | March 22, 2018

Pa. Guard supports statewide response to winter storm

By Sgt. Zane Craig Pennsylvania National Guard

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – More than 400 members of the Pennsylvania National Guard were placed on state active duty to assist the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), and the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) in response to a winter storm from Tuesday through Thursday.

The storm, named Toby, impacted wide swathes of Pennsylvania on Wednesday, becoming the fourth nor’easter to strike the commonwealth in three weeks. 

“We are very fortunate to have our PA National Guard members living and working in our communities and able to mobilize on short notice to provide help,” said Gov. Tom Wolf. “Their service is vital to our commonwealth, and I thank them and the staff at PEMA for their dedication to helping Pennsylvanians affected by this storm.”

The Pennsylvania Guard members were positioned throughout the commonwealth, with equipment and troops ready to respond at the request of civilian authorities.

Upon receipt of a mission, troops brave the weather to help their fellow citizens. Guard members received eight PEMA-directed missions during the activation. The missions included acting as emergency preparation liaison officers, assisting disabled vehicles, and positioning high-clearance medical and heavy transport vehicles in strategic areas.

During state activations, the Pennsylvania National Guard organizes into task forces by region: Pennsylvania Task Force North, Pennsylvania Task Force South, and Pennsylvania Task Force West. Two functional task forces augment these geographic commands, Task Force Support and Task Force Aviation. 

Pennsylvania National Guard members are always on duty at the Pennsylvania National Guard’s joint emergency operations center. The center maintains continuous communications with National Guard Bureau and PEMA in order to anticipate future requirements that could be assigned to Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers and Airmen.

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Chadley Simms, infantryman, 1st Battalion-157th Infantry (Mountain), Colorado Army National Guard uses handheld counter-unmanned aerial system equipment to neutralize a simulated drone threat during a drone warfare familiarization course at a Fort Carson, Colorado, training range, April 15, 2025. The course, led by the Drone Warfare Cell, part of the Multi-Domain Special Operations Cell at 5th Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne), COARNG, paired traditional guard members with special forces to build interoperability and strengthen joint UAS threat response capabilities. (U.S Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Melissa Escobar-Pereira)
Colorado Army Guard’s Drone Warfare Cell Reshapes Warfighting
By Melissa Escobar-Pereira, | June 17, 2025
WATKINS, Colo. - As the battlespace continues to evolve, so too must the tools and training of those who fight within it. Among the quiet forces reshaping U.S. warfighting readiness is a specialized group called the Drone...

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Garret Carstensen, 716th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, helps Sgt. Luis Romero don protective equipment before carrying out an EOD clearance of a simulated weapons of mass destruction chemical lab June 9, 2025, at AJ Dock, Juneau, Alaska, as part of Exercise ORCA 25. The exercise is a full-scale all-hazards chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosives joint and interagency training exercise testing and evaluating the operational capability of the whole-of-government emergency management system. (Alaska National Guard photo by Maj. David Bedard)
Alaska National Guard Leads Exercise ORCA 2025
By Maj. David Bedard, | June 17, 2025
JUNEAU, Alaksa - Dressed in hazardous material protective suits, two Airmen from the Virginia National Guard slowly crept into a quiet building June 9 at AJ Dock on Juneau’s shore.Virginia National Guard’s 34th Civil Support...

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment, Michigan Army National Guard, maneuver through the trenches during Exercise Baltic Viking near Alūksne, Latvia, June 8, 2025. Large-scale Combat Operations involve extensive military engagements, coordinated strategies, and significant resource deployment across vast areas.  The U.S. military participates in multinational training and exercises across Europe to increase lethality and strengthen partnerships with NATO allies and regional security partners.
Baltic Viking Enhances Michigan Guard Support for NATO, Latvia
By Staff Sgt. Joseph Novak, | June 17, 2025
CAMP ADAZI, Latvia — U.S. Army Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment, 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the Michigan Army National Guard recently conducted training with soldiers from NATO Multinational...