An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | April 23, 2013

National Guard troops battling rising waters in Missouri and North Dakota

By Bill Phelan Missouri National Guard

CLARKSVILLE, Mo. - About 100 Missouri National Guardsmen from units in St. Louis, Hannibal and Cape Girardeau joined community volunteers to work in support of flood relief operations in affected areas.

And in North Dakota, about 70 troops were on duty Tuesday as Guard members set up additional traffic control points in Fargo to assist with sandbag levee construction along the Red River.

After more than five inches of rain fell in parts of Missouri last week, Gov, Jay Nixon mobilized the National Guard on Friday to help protect lives and property from rising flood waters, especially along the Mississippi.

In addition to the weekend Guard response in Clarksville, about 50 Soldiers were also called Monday to help with sandbagging operations in Dutchtown, about 150 miles down river, near Cape Girardeau.

"Missouri's Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen have proven themselves as true leaders during times of need, and they again are meeting the challenges of this year's floods," said Nixon, who toured Clarksville on Saturday with Maj. Gen. Steve Danner, adjutant general of the Missouri National Guard.

"Winning these fights to protect lives and property takes close cooperation and coordination between state and local officials, Missouri Guardsmen and volunteers from across the region, and that is what is taking place right now on the Mississippi," Nixon added.

"We are always happy to come to the aid of our fellow Missourians," Danner said. "We will work directly with the Department of Public Safety, other state agencies and local authorities to answer this call. We are going to ensure that we strengthen that levee wall and do anything else we can to assist."

Within one hour of being mobilized, Airmen from the St. Louis-based 121st Air Control Squadron, the 131st Civil Engineer Squadron and Soldiers from the 70th Troop Command were on their way to Clarksville.

There, Guard members immediately began to assist with construction of a 1,500 foot sandbag levee protecting the historic city of 442 people.

Soldiers from the Hannibal-based 2175th Military Police Company were also called up to help with the effort.

"Our primary mission is to fill a lot of sandbags," explained Capt. Wesley Dickman, of Columbia, commander of the 2175th. "My troops have been working throughout the night to build up the main levee and the side levees protecting some of the buildings. The effort here is really impressive."

In addition to National Guardsmen, city officials, area residents, Boy Scouts and even prison inmates worked around the clock to build-up the levee wall.

The Guard’s arrival in Clarksville was a welcome site to volunteers who had been working on the sandbag levee since Wednesday.

"With this kind of manpower we can really get things done," said Ray Wagner, of St. Louis, one of numerous AmeriCorps volunteers working on the wall. "We really appreciate the Guard’s help because we have several projects that we have not started yet."

"When AmeriCorps arrived on the scene we breathed a huge sigh of relief and when the National Guard arrived we breathed a bigger sigh of relief," added Clarksville Mayor, Jo Anne Smiley. "Their arrival has relieved us in so many ways I can’t even describe it. This effort would not be successful without them."

Founded in 1817, Clarksville is no stranger to flooding and has adapted an impressive flood management plan that clearly impressed everyone who saw it implemented.

"This town has been here a long time and I expect that when the waters recede, Clarksville, Missouri will be open for business as usual," said Nixon.

Soldiers of the Cape Girardeau-based 1140th Engineer Battalion and the Perryville-based 880th Engineer Team — both part of the 35th Engineer Brigade, based at Fort Leonard Wood — were called to fight floodwaters in Dutchtown. 

"This is one of the reasons we put the uniform on; it's our way of giving back and protecting our community, and we are ready and prepared to help the community and people of Dutchtown," said 1st Sgt. Haskel Rooker, of the 1140th Forward Support Company.

 

 

Related Articles
The Republic of Zambia's Brig. Gen. Choonga Mutandalike speaks to senior leaders from the North Carolina National Guard, representatives from the Republics of Moldova, Botswana, Malawi, and Zambia at a hurricane response symposium in Raleigh, N.C. April 22, 2025. The symposium was part of a six-day event hosted by the National Guard’s State Partnership program, reviewing and sharing lessons learned from Hurricane Helene.
North Carolina Guard Welcomes SPP Partners to Hurricane Response Exercise
By Lt. Col. Ellis Parks, | April 25, 2025
RALEIGH, N.C. – Senior leaders from the North Carolina National Guard are hosting representatives from Moldova, Botswana, Malawi and Zambia this week for a hurricane response exercise. The six-day event, from April 21-26 in...

A HH-60M Black Hawk, assigned to Wyoming Army Aviation Support Facility, releases water during an interagency bucket drop training at Camp Guernsey, Wyoming, on April 16, 2025. The training brought together Wyoming Aviation crews and partners including Wyoming State Forestry, Camp Guernsey Fire Department, Cheyenne Fire Rescue’s Wildland Team, Glendo Volunteer Fire & Rescue, Albany County Volunteer Fire Department, Yoder Volunteer Fire Department, Guernsey Rural Fire District, and the Platte County Fire Warden. The exercise was designed to sharpen skills like water bucket deployment, aerial coordination, and ground-to-air communications.
Wyoming Guard Aviators Sharpen Wildfire Response Skills in Training
By Staff Sgt. Cesar Rivas, | April 25, 2025
CAMP GUERNSEY, Wyo. – Wyoming Army National Guard aviators, in coordination with local and state firefighting agencies, conducted annual interagency bucket drop training April 16 at Camp Guernsey Joint Training Center,...

Tech. Sgt. Franklin Angel, 105th Airlift Wing production recruiter, poses for a photo with his two Blue Suit Awards at Stewart Air National Guard Base, New York, April 22, 2025. The Blue Suit Award recognizes the 14 top-performing recruiters from around the world, including those in active duty, the Air National Guard, and the Air Force Reserve.
Meet the New York Air National Guard’s Record-Setting Recruiter
By Senior Airman Sarah Post, | April 23, 2025
STEWART AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.Y. – One recruiter at the New York Air National Guard’s 105th Airlift Wing is standing out from his peers, having recruited more Airmen in 2024 than any other recruiter in the Air Force and...