BEAUFORT, S.C. - For Staff Sgt. Devin Boggan, serving in the Alabama Air National Guard is simply a family tradition.
"I joined just as my father retired (from the Guard)," said Boggan, who works as a paramedic with the 187th Medical Group based in Montgomery, Ala.
Boggan, who lives in Montgomery and grew up in Greenville, Ala., said the Air National Guard has given her two key benefits: her service has helped pay for college and allowed her to do something she loves to do.
"Being in the medical field in the Guard is a great job. I love going to work every day," said Boggan, who works full-time for the Guard.
This week, Boggan and other members of the Montgomery-based 187th Medical Group are working in Beaufort County, S.C., creating and staffing a 6-bed field hospital as part of an Expeditionary Medical Support (EMEDS) team during Vigilant Guard 2008, one of the largest disaster response training exercises in the history of the National Guard. More than 3,000 National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are working in the Beaufort County area for the April 21-24 Vigilant Guard, responding to a simulated earthquake centered in Beaufort. The exercise provides an opportunity for local, state and federal agencies to work together with the National Guard to respond to the emergency.
"While the National Guard can bring tremendous technology and equipment to support a community in response to a disaster, our most important asset is our people," said Brig. Gen. Les Eisner, deputy adjutant general for Army in South Carolina and commander of troops for Vigilant Guard 2008. "I'm proud of the professionalism being displayed by the Soldiers and Airmen participating in this exercise."
Boggan said she gets during Vigilant Guard will be useful to her not only should the need to arise to respond to a real disaster, but the staff sergeant said she expects to be forward deployed overseas soon in support of the Global War on Terror.
"The training we get here, we take with us and makes us ready to go, ready to respond to whatever medical needs there might be, wherever we are," she said.