ENTERPRISE, AL - March 1, 2007 will long be remembered as more than just the first day of the third month of the year in this Southeast Alabama town with a population of more than 23,000 residents. For residents here, Thursday, March 1, will be a day remembered for the devastation and broken lives caused by an EF Category three tornado.
The deadly twister, part of an extremely severe weather system that stretched from the Florida Panhandle to Missouri, ripped a half-mile path through the downtown area and gutted the focal point of the community when it hit Enterprise High School. In the aftermath of the thirty seconds of fury following the afternoon tornado, nine deaths were confirmed, including eight high school students as well as millions of dollars of damage to homes and businesses.
"I have lived here for 49-years and although I have worked many natural disasters during my time in the Guard, this has been more personal to me because this is my hometown," said Lt. Col. Nicky Medley, commander of a 160 Alabama Army National Guard contingent that was immediately dispatched to state active duty by Governor Bob Riley after the natural disaster occurred.
"We were able to mobilize soldiers rapidly, and physically have them here (Enterprise) within an hour after this tragedy. Most of the soldiers that are part of this security task force are volunteers that just wanted to do something to help," Medley said. "They have been very motivated about this mission as well as sensitive to the needs of the residents here in Enterprise. I am very proud of these soldiers."
While on state active duty, the soldiers aided civilian authorities by conducting roving patrols and traffic control points to areas of the city hit hardest by the tornado. Â Â On the campus of Enterprise High School, which has been referred to as 'ground zero', soldiers escorted teachers to their classrooms and helped parents and students find their vehicles in the school's damaged parking area.
On the third day, they helped provide security as President Bush toured the area and met with families of those students killed.
"I really appreciate them providing me with this opportunity to get back to my classroom and retrieve my student roster complete with my students phone numbers. I want to call each one to let them know that I am thinking about them," said Enterprise High School teacher Jim McClellan, who was with his students in one of the worst hit areas of the school. "I was fortunate that all of my students were okay, (but the scene afterward was just as bad as the thirty seconds we suffered through when the tornado hit).
The Guardsmen called up for the disaster are assigned to units in the neighboring communities of Hartford (Bravo Company) and Florala (Charlie Company) along with soldiers from North Alabama's Det. 1, C Co., of Calera. Both companies and detachment are part of the 1st Battalion of the 131st Armor headquartered in nearby Ozark. Local soldiers from Enterprise's 31st FSB headquarters company were also part of the task force with Montgomery's 62nd Troop Command as the commanding element. Â Â Members of the 1st Battalion, 131st Aviation Regiment, who are serving as a rear detachment while the battalion is deployed to Iraq, also provided assistance.
Forward task force elements were housed in Enterprise at the Fort Julius W. Hicks Armory and Daleville at the Fort William A. Hornsby Armory.
"It hurts to see my high school this way," said Bravo Company's Sgt. Ronald Acreman, a 2000 Enterprise High School graduate. "I have been called up several times for state active duty in missions similar to what I am being asked to do here, but never thought I would have to pull duty at my alma mater.
"The people here have been great, and have personally thanked us for the job that we are doing - providing a safe and secure environment in a time of uncertainty. That means a lot, because just being here as a soldier to help them is what being a soldier is about."
Charlie Company commander, Capt. David Van Horn, the OIC responsible for providing escorts to the parking areas, noted that for many of soldiers this is not the first time they have had to respond in the wake of Mother Nature's fury.
"A good portion of the soldiers that are working 12-hour shifts each day during this mission were called up for either Hurricane Ivan (2004) or Hurricane Katrina (2005). "Having 'boots on the ground' with experience in this type of operation is undoubtedly comforting to me and helpful to the residents affected by this disaster."
Medley also indicated that the mission in Enterprise has afforded soldiers in the 1st Battalion of the 131st Armor an opportunity to work together prior to some of them mobilizing for a possible overseas mission this summer.
Enterprise Mayor Kenneth Boswell commended the Alabama Guard's role.
"The Guard has been exceptional and I really appreciate the manpower that they have been able to provide to us in working with our police department," he said. "They are exactly what they portray, 'citizen soldiers helping neighbors in times of need'."