OKLAHOMA CITY – While life as usual has resumed for most Oklahomans after Winter Storm Fern, for Oklahoma Guardsmen deployed in support of D.C. Safe and Beautiful, winter storm response is still in full-swing.
Lingering subfreezing temperatures in Washington have allowed now rock-hard snow to lock into place, creating road hazards and blocked sidewalks more than two weeks later.
“It was directed for some of the other task forces to go clean up ice around the schools, but we just voluntarily decided that wherever we are patrolling, we were also going to clean up the ice,” said Lt. Col. Robert Riddle, commander of Oklahoma’s Task Force Thunder. “Our mission hasn’t changed, but for us it’s about creating a safe environment, for ourselves to work in and for the citizens who are commuting through the areas we’re assigned to patrol.”
For a task force built entirely of volunteers, many of whom are serving outside their home state for the first time, adaptability has become the mission’s defining trait.
“Some of the most gratifying moments for me have been when I’ve been able to help the homeless population,” said Spc. Antonio Ferrero, electromagnetic warfare specialist assigned to D Company, 545th Brigade Engineering Battalion, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. “Really, it’s just if you see someone struggling, you lend a hand … with the ice and snow, there’s been a lot of opportunities to help people.”
For leadership, the extreme cold presents additional safety challenges. Although Guardsmen were issued cold-weather gear and rotated between patrols and designated warming areas, noncommissioned officers remain vigilant in monitoring Soldiers’ and Airmen’s hands and feet for moisture that could lead to frostbite, while also reinforcing situational awareness and caution to prevent slips and falls on icy surfaces.
The work is extremely physically demanding as well.
“I wish it were as easy as shoveling snow,” Riddle said. “We had about six inches of snow and then another two inches of freezing rain on top of that – they’re calling it ‘snowcrete’ – we have to break it up, with metal shovels or sometimes with hammers before we can shovel it away.”
But the hard work isn’t crushing spirits. In fact, Riddle says it’s having the opposite effect.
“We’re getting positive feedback from the civilian community and that is making morale extremely high,” Riddle said. “We take care of them and they take care of us. We’re having genuine conversations, they ask us about our families back home and there are volunteers who allow us to use their businesses as a place to warm up.”
Even as forecasts suggest future icy blasts are in store for our nation’s capital, Task Force Thunder remains engaged, conducting presence patrols, clearing snow and ice and reinforcing trust through voluntary, visible acts of service.
“Snow clearance isn’t part of our mission. Changing flat tires isn’t part of our mission either, but I’ve seen our Soldiers do it,” Riddle said. “This is different than any mission we’ve ever done before. It’s Americans taking care of Americans, [the positive feedback is] a by-product of Oklahomans doing the right thing.”