RICHMOND, Va. – More than 420 Virginia National Guard personnel responded to two winter weather events in the span of a week, staging and answering calls for assistance from regional emergency managers Jan. 23 - Feb. 1, in locations across Virginia.
Beginning Jan. 23, about 300 Virginia National Guard Soldiers, Airmen and members of the Virginia Defense Force staged in every region of the state after Gov. Abigail Spanberger declared a state of emergency ahead of a threatening snow and ice forecast projected to impact the entire commonwealth. The Virginia National Guard answered the call with response teams, command and control staff, administrative and logistics resources and other support elements. Aviation elements also were staged and ready with helicopters. Those teams were staged and ready by Jan. 24 in key locations across Virginia.
Almost a week later, while under the same emergency declaration, a second weather system threatened to bring heavy snow, strong winds and coastal flooding, primarily in the southeast part of the commonwealth. About 125 Virginia National Guard personnel responded, staging primarily in Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore, again with response teams, aviation capabilities and support elements.
Over the course of the two winter weather events, Virginia National Guard crews conducted missions in support of local and regional responders, such as a commodity distribution mission in Marion, Virginia, during the first storm. There, Virginia National Guard crews helped transport ready-to-eat meals and cases of drinking water.
In central Virginia, a duo of Airmen assigned to the Virginia Beach-based 203rd Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers, or RED HORSE, squadron supported a Virginia Department of Transportation mission to help clear rural roadways of ice and snow left behind from the first storm.
“I’m proud of the way our Soldiers and Airmen responded to these complex, wide-ranging weather events,” said Brig. Gen. Todd Hubbard, the Virginia National Guard director of the Joint Staff. “Their ability to respond quickly and safely, then train for, prepare for and execute a variety of missions is a tremendous asset to statewide storm response efforts. They should be proud of a job well done, and so should their families and employers who make their support possible.”
During the 203rd RED HORSE’s route-clearing support mission, the team used heavy engineering equipment to help clear roads caked with compacted snow and ice. They helped clear about 28 miles of travel lane, primarily in Goochland County.
Virginia Defense Force, or VDF, personnel played a vital role in supporting operations, ensuring each response team had the equipment and supplies they needed, and conducting in-processing for activated personnel through the Emergency Response Management System.
“Every part of the organization plays a role in conducting a safe, efficient and effective response during an emergency,” Hubbard said. “In addition to our Soldiers and Airmen, there are VDF and civilian support personnel whose skill, knowledge and experience boost our capabilities and readiness.”