NASHVILLE, Tenn. – More than 100 Tennessee Army and Air National Guard engineers continue to support recovery operations in East Tennessee counties impacted by severe flooding following Hurricane Helene. These Guard members work with state, county, and local emergency personnel to remove flood and storm debris in Carter, Cocke, Greene, Unicoi, and Washington counties.
Using bulldozers, dump trucks, chain saws, skid steer loaders, and other equipment, Soldiers and Airmen are helping clear roads and other critical locations so emergency managers can improve services to the affected areas.
“Our Guardsmen are doing everything possible to help open roads, provide access to needed public and emergency facilities, and make the area safe,” said Tennessee Army National Guard Maj. Christian Yoder, Executive Officer for the 230th Engineer Battalion. “We have an amazing team of combat and horizontal engineers using bulldozers, bobcats, and everything available to load our dump trucks, removing debris. We have already cleared roads and taken hundreds of loads of wreckage from the area.”
The engineers are organized into a task force comprised of Soldiers, Airmen, and equipment from across Tennessee. Units and Soldiers involved are from Jackson’s 194th Engineer Brigade, Trenton’s 230th Engineer Battalion, Union City’s 913th Engineer Company, Paris’ 212th Engineer Company, McKenzie’s 190th Engineer Company, and Huntingdon’s 890th Engineer Company. The Tennessee Air National Guard also has engineers from Nashville’s 118th Wing and Knoxville’s 134th Air Refueling Wing on the task force.
“This is a joint operation between the Tennessee Army and Air National Guard and every engineer out here volunteered to help,” said Yoder. “When we first learned that a hurricane was imminent, and we may be needed, everyone wanted to get to East Tennessee and help as fast as we could.”
All task force missions being conducted are managed through the local emergency managers at the request of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency. These engineers are part of nearly 400 Tennessee Guardsmen currently supporting relief efforts.
“We are a force multiplier, and everyone is proud to be here,” and Yoder. “We will stay for as long as we are needed.”