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 | April 10, 2019

Louisiana Guard, local agencies practice disaster readiness

By Spc. Cody Kellum Louisiana National Guard

NEW ORLEANS – The Louisiana National Guard and the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness coordinated with 48 federal, state and local partners from around the state in an annual disaster response exercise designed to test and reinforce the capabilities and cohesive action between various government and non-governmental agencies, April 5-7.

The exercise, organized and coordinated by the LANG and GOHSEP, involved field training missions which occurred simultaneously in Natchitoches, Port Sulphur and Sterlington with 912 military and civilian personnel to reinforce readiness before hurricane season.

Maj. Gen. Glenn H. Curtis, adjutant general of the LANG, emphasized the importance of these training exercises.
“What we really want to do is drive our systems to the point where they actually break so we can understand where our gaps are and refine our processes,” said Curtis.

At the Natchitoches location, Guard members with the 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, headquartered in Lafayette, practiced boat and land search and rescue operations along with parish, state and federal agencies. Guard members and their partners conducted "lily pad" operations, which are consolidation points where people are brought once rescued to receive medical support, security, pet processing and transportation out of devastated areas. Intercommunication capabilities were also tested in coordination with other agencies.

"Just like you’d want a battle-hardened Soldier in a fight, you want someone who has experience in fighting off disasters and rescuing people," said Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards. “Louisiana has been through a lot of natural disasters, and we have a lot of experience when it comes to responding to them. We are the best in the country in disaster response.”

In Sterlington, approximately 200 Guard members from the 225th Engineer Brigade, headquartered at Camp Beauregard in Pineville, conducted boat and land search and rescue operations using three flat-bottom boats four high-water vehicles, in addition to practicing proper installation and placement of flood control measures such as water dams, HESCO barriers and sandbags.

Caesar Velasquez, the mayor of Sterlington, closely monitored the exercises with state and local officials.

“This has been a tremendous exercise that is going to develop and drive interagency cooperation, which is very important,” said Velasquez. “It gives our people the preparedness they need going forward.”

The 159th Fighter Wing, headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, conducted a multi-parish exercise in Port Sulphur consisting of search and rescue operations for citizens and animals using flat-bottom boats and light medium tactical vehicles.

“A lot of us have worked together before in both training events and real situations within Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes,” said Col. Matthew Rippen, commander of the 159th. “The cooperation is tremendous and the relationships that we’ve built on has been wonderful. We’re ready and willing to help whenever we’re called upon.”

These types of joint exercises provide the LANG as well as state and local officials with the opportunity to build relationships with the people they will be working with during real-world storms and disasters.

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Army Soldiers from the Idaho Army National Guard participate in the Cyber Discovery Innovative Readiness Training mission at the State of Idaho Office of Information Technology Services’ Chinden Campus, Boise, Idaho on June 4, 2025. Cyber Discovery is an annual joint exercise where the Idaho Military Division and state agencies collaborate to test cyber defenses and enhance military personnel’s offensive cyber skills.
Guard Soldiers Train with Civilian Experts in Cyber Discovery Exercise
By Staff Sgt. Jadyn Eisenbrandt, | June 23, 2025
In an era where threats are just as likely to be identified in cyberspace as on the battlefield, the Idaho National Guard is redefining what it means to protect and defend.Through exercises such as Cyber Discovery, the Guard...

Alaska Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Quintan Hecimovich, 176th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, supports wildfire containment efforts June 21, 2025, at Bear Creek, Alaska. The Alaska National Guard activated volunteers to support containment efforts in  the Interior.
Alaska Guard Works to Contain Fires
By Maj. David Bedard, | June 23, 2025
BEAR CREEK, Alaska – Alaska National Guard service members were activated on June 20 to support local, state and federal efforts to contain fires threatening Alaska Interior communities. Col. Christen Brewer, Alaska National...

Pennsylvania Air National Guardsman, Senior Airman Asa Henderson, assigned to the 171st Civil Engineer Squadron, operates an excavator to move riprap during a deployment for training, Assateague Island, Virginia, June 17, 2025. The 171st engineers are the 5th rotation of 8 during the deployment for training on the island. The DFT has provided engineers with unique training consistent with installing a runway while creating a new road for the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Air Guard Engineers Build Roads, Skills in Assateague Island Project
By Master Sgt. Bryan Hoover, | June 23, 2025
ASSATEAGUE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE, Va. - Air National Guard civil engineers from across the country are rotating through Assateague Island in support of a months-long deployment for training, where they’re building vital...