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 | June 22, 2010

Guardsmen prepare for oil spill spotting missions on Florida beaches

By Master Sgt. Thomas Kielbasa, Florida National Guard

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. - National Guard Soldiers are hitting Florida’s beaches this week as part of the ongoing response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

More than 30 volunteers from Florida Army National Guard units are undergoing two days of training at St. Andrews State Park ust east of Panama City Beach on Florida’s Panhandle, and will shortly be stepping onto about 60 miles of beaches in an effort to spot any oil washing up onto the fragile shoreline.

If they spot any oil, the Soldiers will report the location and amount to the state of Florida Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee.

“What we are going to do is go up and down the beaches in the Gulf, Franklin and Bay County areas, making sure we relay any information as to the condition of the beaches and possibly trouble spots or affected areas from the oil spill,” said Capt. Gene Redding of the Florida Guard’s Chemical, Biological, Nuclear, Radiological and high-yield Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package (CERF-P), who is overseeing the training and deployment of the Florida Soldiers.

The mission is in support of Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

In addition to the Soldiers from the Florida National Guard’s 153rd Cavalry Regiment, 14 Soldiers from Florida’s CERF-P and the 146th Signal Battalion are at the state park providing command and control, and communications support for the mission.

After some initial training on safety, operation of all terrain vehicles, wildlife awareness and reporting procedures, the Soldiers could be on the beaches as early as June 23.

“These Soldiers are Florida Guardsmen,” Redding said. “We live in Florida and a great number of these Soldiers who are doing ground reconnaissance live and work in this area. It’s very personal to them and they’re glad to help out.”

One of those volunteers is Pvt. Patrick Colbert from the 153rd Cavalry Regiment, who just recently returned from basic training and is a resident of nearby Lynn Haven, Fla.

“I volunteered for this mission because it is right in my back yard,” Colbert explained during training at St. Andrews State Park on Monday afternoon. “I come here almost every weekend, and I don’t want to see it messed up.”

Colbert said he hopes his knowledge of the beaches and coastline will be useful in the days to come, as the Guardsmen take to the sand and shore in defense of Florida’s diverse ecosystems.

“I feel great about doing this mission,” he added.

More than 80 Florida National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are directly supporting Operation Deepwater Horizon, with missions including liaison support, aviation support, public affairs, communication support and reconnaissance of coastal areas, under the direction of the Florida Division of Emergency Management and U.S. Coast Guard

 

 

 

Related Articles
Soldiers stand in formation during a mobilization ceremony for the 634th Brigade Support Battalion Forward Logistics Element Jan. 20, 2025, at the Illinois Army National Guard's Readiness Center in Sullivan. The unit, with just over a dozen Soldiers, will support logistics for U.S. Army Europe and Africa.
Illinois Guard Unit to Support U.S. Army Europe and Africa
By Lt. Col. Bradford Leighton, | Jan. 21, 2025
SULLIVAN, Ill. - The Illinois Army National Guard’s 634th Brigade Support Battalion Forward Logistics Element was activated Jan. 20 for deployment to Africa and Europe.A forward logistics element is a diverse team comprising...

U.S. Army Sgt. Bryce Carter, an infantryman with C Company, 1st Battalion, 160th Infantry Regiment, California Army National Guard, sharpens the blade of a hoe to clear brush and other debris as part of remediation efforts along the Mulholland Trail near Tarzana, California, in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire, Jan. 18, 2025. Carter and other members of his unit were assisting CALFIRE in mop-up efforts, which included clearing brush and backfilling firebreaks and other areas to prevent mudslides and reduce the impact of firefighting efforts.
National Guard Members Continue LA Wildfire Response
By Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy, | Jan. 21, 2025
LOS ANGELES – U.S. Army Sgt. Ricardo Hernandez watched from a cross street as sporadic traffic passed on the Pacific Coast Highway near Pacific Palisades. The late afternoon sun glinted off his sunglasses as a man on a...

Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, chief, National Guard Bureau, Army Senior Enlisted Advisor John Raines, SEA to the CNGB, and Army Lt. Gen. Jonathan Stubbs, director, Army National Guard, visit National Guardsmen on duty to support the 60th Presidential Inauguration as part of Joint Task Force – District of Columbia (JTF-DC), Washington, D.C., Jan. 19, 2025. JTF-DC is a scalable and tailorable entity that supports presidential inaugurations every four years and is led by the commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard. JTF-DC supports civilian authorities, such as the U.S. Capitol Police, U.S. Secret Service and D.C. Metropolitan Police by providing support like crowd management, traffic control points, CBRN response, civil disturbance response and sustainment operations.
National Guard Bureau Leaders Meet With Guardsmen Supporting 60th Presidential Inauguration
By Master Sgt. Zach Sheely, | Jan. 20, 2025
WASHINGTON – About 7,800 National Guard troops are on duty here as part of a large interagency presence to ensure the peaceful transition of power during the 60th Presidential Inauguration Monday, continuing a legacy that...