ARLINGTON, Va. - Members of the National Guard continue to stand ready and prepare for response to possible natural disasters and other events as the summer months, and the potential for hurricanes and tornadoes, approaches.
The Alabama National Guard recently ran a hurricane preparedness exercise where they worked with local, state and federal officials and practiced hurricane response plans.
"This is an exciting event," said Army Brig. Gen. Allen Harrell, director of the joint staff with the Alabama National Guard. "I am pleased with how good we have gotten. We are synchronized and coordinated in our expected missions. I am convinced that if we can get our (troops) mobilized and to the point of need, that we can effectively accomplish the mission."
Members of the Alabama Guard are scheduled to follow up this training with a weeklong hurricane response exercise to be conducted in May.
This recent training, and the upcoming training in May, has worked to seal the relationship between the Alabama Guard and local and state authorities.
"The (Alabama Emergency Management Agency) and the Alabama National Guard's relationship is seamless," said Jeff Byard, AEMA executive operations officer. "All I have to do is ask and the National Guard responds. The Alabama National Guard is the best in the nation — EMA could not do what they do without them."
In early April, United States Northern Command and U.S. Army North worked with National Guard members and the Federal Emergency Management Agency in a hurricane response rehearsal of concept drill that brought together both Guard members and active duty members to help prepare for potential hurricane response plans.
"This event emphasizes the importance of pre-incident planning and collaboration between mission partners and increases awareness across the interagency community of military capabilities available for potential support missions," said Army Col. Wes McClellan, deputy director for domestic operations and force development at the National Guard Bureau. "(The) National Guard Bureau participated in this…in an effort to streamline and improve the reporting processes to keep senior DoD leadership informed of National Guard activities supporting civil authorities and to increase their awareness of National Guard preparedness efforts."
That preparedness paid off in 2012 with Guard members responding to more than 100 natural disasters or emergencies, to include wildfires in western states and Hurricane Sandy.
"In 2012 Air Guard crew members flew close to 600 sorties in support of the National Interagency Fire Center, protecting entire communities from wildfires," said Army Maj. Gen. Gerald Ketcham, director of operations with the NGB. "Army National Guard helicopter crews provided additional support and throughout the year trained with state, local and federal fire officials perfecting the techniques needed to provide that support where and when it's needed."
Meanwhile, at Camp Gruber, Okla., National Guard units and service members from six states converged for a training exercise that focused on responding to a large-scale disaster scenario. The event allowed for training with a more complex setting and for some service members it meant training with agencies they were unfamiliar with.
"Not everyone here is from the same…region," said Sgt. 1st Class Mark Wallace of the Joint Interagency Training and Education Center, "which is a huge plus, coming out of your comfort zone and working with other teams is realistic because if you have a large enough event, you will have to come out and respond elsewhere."
The training gave those involved an opportunity to hone their ability to respond to possible large-scale disasters.
"When we can work with those that we will work with in a disaster, it just makes us all more competent," said John Luther, emergency manager for Washington County, Ark. "We're more familiar with one another's techniques. The beauty of it is there will be lives saved for the effort."
In California, and other western states, Army National Guard aircrews practiced using helicopters as part of wildfire response.
Using buckets slung under the aircraft, aircrews worked with local fire officials to transport and drop water with precision on specified areas, just as they would if responding to an actual wildfire.
About 70 troops were on duty in North Dakota setting up additional traffic control points in Fargo to assist with sandbag levee construction along the Red River.
Guard troops in Missouri have also been responding to flooding as more than five inches of rain fell in parts of the state last week. Guard members have been working with local officials filling sandbags and creating levees to keep back floodwaters.
"Our primary mission is to fill a lot of sandbags," said Capt. Wesley Dickman, commander of the 2175th Military Police Company. "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."
And Guard members continue to stand ready to respond should they be needed.
"This is one of the reasons we put the uniform on," said 1st Sgt. Haskel Rooker, first sergeant with the Missouri Army National Guard's 1140th Forward Support Company."It's our way of giving back and protecting our community, and we are ready and prepared to help the community."