CAMP JOSEPH T. ROBINSON, Ark. - With over 3000 Arkansas Guardsmen currently supporting the global war on terror, the devastating wave of tornados across the state Tuesday night offered a test of the Guard's continued capabilities here at home.
Troops rolled out before the sun Wednesday morning, with 30 Soldiers and nine vehicles heading out to support the community of Atkins by request of local authorities.
As the 142nd Fires Brigade welcomed its Ozark unit home from Iraq at a ceremony in Fort Sill, Okla., this morning, the brigade's Fort Smith unit answered the call in response to disaster back home. With a call for search and rescue support, the troops moved out at 4:38 a.m. and arrived on scene shortly after to assist the local sheriff's department with the effort. The mission is ongoing with total length of call up currently undetermined.
Governor Mike Beebe approved the city's request for National Guard support and later assessed the damage to the state from the air via a Blackhawk helicopter piloted by the Arkansas Army National Guard's 77th Aviation Brigade.
The Guard also answered the call to provide generator power to the community of Gassville. The 87th Troop Command's 224th Maintenance Company, from Mountain Home answered the call with 10 personnel, 2 vehicles and a 30 K generator.
Upon arrival on scene, the mission ended by request of the incident commander, Fire Chief Bill Johnson, who determined the equipment could not be utilized at that time.
A request to support the city of Clinton with fresh water also came down to the Arkansas Guard's Emergency Operations Center at Camp Robinson. The post's Institute Support Unit was tasked to deliver a single 5,000 gallon tanker of water to the community in support of the mission.
Over 10,000 Soldiers and Airmen strong, the Arkansas Guard strives to maintain a minimum of 50 percent of that force in the state at all times. Today, just under 6,000 of those troops are available for response in support of civil authorities as needed for a variety of missions here in the state.