RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia National Guard alerted personnel for possible winter storm response operations and planned to stage 45 Soldiers and Airmen in key locations along the southern I-95 corridor and the Hampton Roads and Eastern Shore areas Jan. 21.
“For the third time in two weeks, the Virginia National Guard is staging personnel to be ready in case they are needed to help state and local authorities respond to possible severe winter weather,” explained Brig. Gen. James W. Ring, the VNG director of the Joint Staff. “The key to a rapid response is giving the advance notice to our units so that they can be in place before the bad weather makes travel more challenging. We are on track to have VNG forces ready to go. Once again we want to extend a special thanks to our families and employers for their continued support, which is so critical to our mission success.”
At the request of the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, the VNG is staging personnel with heavy-duty vehicles able to travel through deep snow and chainsaws to clear any fallen trees.
Additional Soldiers, Airmen and members of the Virginia Defense Force will also be on duty to provide logistics, administrative and operations center support in the Richmond area.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s emergency declaration Jan. 20 authorized the VNG to bring personnel on state active duty to support state and local authorities in advance of possible significant winter weather.
During domestic operations, the VNG receives missions from VDEM and responds as part of a multi-agency team with other state and local agencies.
VNG Soldiers and Airmen recently helped open roads in Stafford County and cleared trees along power line routes in Louisa County.