BALTIMORE - The adjutant general of Maryland has authorized 250 citizen Soldiers and Airmen to be staged and ready to be called upon to support initial response efforts across the state in the event of an emergency caused by Hurricane Irene.
Army Maj. Gen. James Adkins, adjutant general of Maryland, said the following armories across the state will have Guard members and equipment prepositioned to react to requests from local jurisdictions: Salisbury, Easton, Havre de Grace, Adelphi, Annapolis, 5th Regiment Armory and Camp Fretterd Military Reservation.
"The Maryland National Guard provides essential, life saving services quickly and comprehensively when local and state response capabilities are overwhelmed," said Adkins. "We're standing by to support local first responders as needed."
If called upon, the Maryland National Guard has the necessary equipment to move troops and supplies in and around the state. The equipment available includes: Humvees, refueler trucks, wrecker trucks, UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, OH-58 Kiowa helicopters, CH-47 Chinook helicopters, generators and C-27J Spartan transport aircraft, as well as more 6,000 Soldiers, Airmen and Defense Force volunteers.
"The Maryland National Guard has a proven track record for success in providing military support to civilian authorities; reacting to flooding, snow storms and hurricanes," said Adkins.
"We are currently monitoring the storm through the Maryland Emergency Management Agency. Our Soldiers and Airmen are prepared to respond to requests for support due to adverse weather conditions expected from Hurricane Irene."