LURAY, Va., - Soldiers from Company A, 3rd Battalion, 116th Brigade Combat Team and volunteer firefighters from Company 1, Luray Volunteer Fire Department were dispatched Feb. 6 to aid a family in Rileyville who were stranded in their home without power following a winter storm that hit Virginia on Feb. 5.
The combined Luray Fire Department and Virginia Army National Guard team arrived on the scene at Route 340 and Steep Hollow Road at approximately 11:30 p.m. After a quick assessment, they realized that the home of the family that needed assistance was in a remote location on top of a steep hill.
Snow plows and National Guard Humvees attempted to traverse the hill, but both were unsuccessful. However, that did not stop a team of two firefighters, Lt. Derek Gaunt and firefighter Phillip Good, and two Army National Guard Soldiers, Sgt. Derek Braswell and Spc. Sean Wheeler, from completing their mission. The four-person team made the mile-long hike up Steep Hollow Road in over 30 inches of snow to reach the residence.
When they arrived at the house, the team quickly prepared the two adults and two young children for movement back down the hill. The children were transported down the hill on the backs of the team members in U.S. Army rucksacks, large backpacks used to carry Soldiers' gear. During the descent down the hill, the team took turns carrying the children.
After safely arriving at the bottom of the hill the family was put in Humvees and moved to a local shelter.
The Virginia Department of Military Affairs had more than 500 personnel from the Virginia Army and Air National Guard and Virginia Defense Force on duty at key locations in the commonwealth to assist state and local emergency services organizations respond to the winter weather that hit Virginia Feb. 5.
This is the third time since the middle of December the DMA has put personnel on weather-related duty. The DMA had nearly 250 Soldiers, Airmen and members of the Virginia Defense Force on duty in Richmond and throughout Southern Virginia providing assistance with transportation, evacuation and rescue operations and general support to state and local emergency response organizations in response to a winter storm that hit the Commonwealth Jan. 29.
The DMA had nearly 700 Soldiers, Airmen and members of the Virginia Defense Force on state active duty to assist state and local authorities with the response to a major winter storm that began Dec. 18, 2009. Soldiers and Airmen were on duty along the I-81 corridor from Winchester to Danville, and also conducted support operations in Lynchburg, Stafford and Charlottesville. Soldiers continued to operate in the Southwest Virginia area through Dec. 24.