MOORE, Okla. - In the wake of one of the most devastating tornados in history, Soldiers and Airmen of the Oklahoma National Guard are using skills they have learned as community members and warfighters abroad.
One of those Soldiers is Spc. James Kimball, an infantryman who returned from Afghanistan in 2012. He was one of the more than 150 Oklahoma National Guard members who were called into action when an EF-5 tornado tore a path of destruction across Moore, Okla., the evening of May 20.
"Both hats we wear as a warfighter and as a Citizen-Soldier bear a lot of responsibility and dedication," said Kimball, of Yukon, Okla. "With the warfighter hat, you have a sense of protecting America as a whole from foreign fighters. When helping out during natural disasters, it means a lot because you are helping to rescue people and keep their homes and property safe. Both are very important to me and I love doing both jobs."
While deployed to Afghanistan, Kimball was assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 179th Infantry. What stands out the most in his mind during his deployment to Afghanistan is what it meant to be a warfighter.
Out of all the missions Kimball was a part of, he says his first firefight defines his time in the combat zone. Tasked with assessing the aftermath of a battle, the unit was dropped by helicopter into an area of rugged terrain and almost immediately began receiving enemy fire.
"When we arrived there were still about 15 guys hiding in the rocks and they started shooting at us," Kimball said. He had been in the combat zone for less than a week.
The Soldiers landed in the mid afternoon and fought in sporadic firefights throughout the night while attack helicopters provided fire support. The action was so close to his fellow Soldiers, Kimball and his team could not fire its mortars and had to engage the enemy in direct fighting.
Now, as a Citizen-Soldier, Kimball performs his role as a traditional National Guardsman where he attends his monthly drill and annual training. When not in his Army Combat Uniform he wears a gray and black work uniform at Advanced Pressure Inc., an oilfield equipment company.
"When I put on my work uniform I know it is to help me survive and pay my bills. When I put on my ACUs it is to serve my community, to serve America and my state," Kimball said. "I know that every time I put on the work uniform that I could be swapping out uniforms the same day."
Both Kimball's civilian employer and his National Guard platoon sergeant have nothing but praise for the young Soldier's professionalism. Sgt. 1st Class Terry Brandenburg said if he could he would clone Kimball because he is such a hard charging and squared-away Soldier.
"He is a great kid, the type of young American we want," said Brandenburg. "I've known him for two years and he has dedicated himself to serving his country and the community."
The Guard's response has a special importance to Kimball because he grew up in the neighborhood that the May 20 tornado, which killed 24 people and caused more than $2 billion in damages, devastated.
The massive tornado passed within blocks of Kimball's mother's home where he lived as a teen and as the storm was tearing through Moore it crossed the path taken by the May 3, 1999, tornado that left such a lasting impression on the Soldier it lead to his enlisting in the Oklahoma National Guard.
Kimball was 7 years old when his mother took him and his five siblings to their church in southwest Oklahoma City only 30 minutes before one of the largest and most destructive tornados in history devastated their neighborhood in Bridge Creek, Okla., May 3, 1999.
"I had just finished school and was about to play on the Super Nintendo," Kimball said about the May 3, 1999, tornado. "We turned on the news, saw the storm was coming and that was when we decided to leave as soon as we saw the storm."
The 1999 storm leveled parts of Kimball's neighborhood, leaving only their house standing after the tornado lifted, according to his mother, Anita Engel.
"The destruction of the neighborhood was terrible," Engle said. "Our house was fine but the neighborhood was demolished. We lost a few shingles and the kids' play fort, but every other house was severely damaged and the entire back half of the neighborhood was completely wiped off their foundations."
In the days and months after the May 3, 1999, tornado the Oklahoma National Guard assisted local agencies in recovery efforts along the storm's path. In Bridge Creek, Soldiers from Company B, 1st Battalion, 179th Infantry, the unit Kimball would later serve with in Afghanistan, helped secure the neighborhoods and scour through the ruined homes. Kimball said he saw the Soldiers helping fellow Oklahomans and fell in love with the idea of being able to serve his community as a Guardsman.
The years passed and Kimball's love of service grew. He said that by the time he was 17 years old he knew he wanted to join the military as an infantry Soldier to serve his country. When getting ready to enlist, Kimball said he weighed his options and the memory of Company B helping his town recover from destruction solidified the Oklahoma National Guard over all other options.
"The Guard helping our neighborhood always ran through my head." Kimball said. "When it came time for me to join the military, that memory helped me make my decision knowing I could help my community."
On May 20, Kimball's devotion to service and love of his community came together when the tornado struck Moore. He was watching the live news coverage and seeing the path of destruction track closer and closer to his mother's home.
Kimball said that while the tornado was tearing through the neighborhood his mother took shelter in a closet wearing a helmet belonging to his brother who is also a member of National Guard.
"I had two boys calling me right after the storm, James and his brother," Engel said. "James was on the phone just as it passed wanting to know if I was okay and to let me know it was clear."
The morning after the tornado, Kimball received a call from his unit to report to his armory in Stillwater, Okla., to move vehicles into the damaged area so National Guard Soldiers in the disaster zone could move more quickly while supporting the local authorities.
Once in Moore, Kimball and other Soldiers from Headquarters Company joined the other Oklahoma National Guard Soldiers and Airmen who were tasked with providing security in the area by operating a series of traffic control points set up to allow access to only emergency personnel and residents who had received permission to return. They would continue on the checkpoints until being relieved of those duties on Friday.
"It's heartbreaking to see your community like this," Kimball said while working a neighborhood checkpoint. "I had a fishing spot out here that I loved to fish and me and my buddies used to go up and down these streets having a good time. You don't want to see your hometown make the world news in this way."
Being a Citizen-Soldier has taken Kimball from fighting insurgents in Afghanistan to protecting his community in less than 14 months, but he takes it all in stride. His mother is a different story.
"I am very proud of my son," Engel said glowingly about her son. "Proud of his service in Afghanistan and his willingness to serve his country and his community."