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 | Feb. 25, 2016

Virginia National Guard providing post-storm assistance

By Cotton Puryear Virginia National Guard

SANDSTON, Va. - More than 60 Virginia National Guard Soldiers serving on state active duty assisted with clean-up efforts Feb. 25 in areas of Virginia hardest hit by severe weather a day earlier. Soldiers with chain saws organized in debris reduction teams helped clear fallen trees in Essex, Westmoreland, Sussex and Patrick Counties, and Soldiers in Appomattox assisted with water distribution. Virginia Army National Guard air crews flew two rotary wing aviation missions to transport emergency managers on an aerial visual assessment and also captured images for damage estimates.

“I am really pleased with how quickly and safely our personnel were able to get in position and be ready for duty on such short notice,” said Brig. Gen. Paul Griffin, director of the Virginia National Guard joint staff. “For most state active duty missions we have several days notice to prepare, but in this case we had less than 12 hours. We were able to get the critical response capabilities in place to provide local emergency responders with the additional assistance they needed with clean up after the storm.”

In Essex County, Guard engineers cleared a large tree that opened a roadway to allow personnel to access building for damage assessment and also cleared a quarter mile stretch of road to allow access to a home. Soldiers also assisted local Animal Control in freeing department vehicles mired in the mud, and they also participated in search missions of unaccounted for residents.

Griffin said Guard personnel are expected to stay on duty at least through Friday as emergency managers determine what assistance is still needed. Additional personnel were being brought on duty Thursday night to increase the debris reduction capabilities and be on standby for other possible missions.

An additional 50 Soldiers, Airmen and members of the Virginia Defense Force were on duty in Sandston, Staunton, Richmond and Fort Pickett to provide mission command, administrative and logistical support to Soldiers in the field.

The Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team provided the mission command headquarters for operations in the field and several 116th IBCT units along with Soldiers from the Petersburg-based 276th Engineer Battalion and Gate City-based 1030th Transportation Battalion provided Soldiers trained in chain saw operations for the debris reduction teams. Aviation crews from the Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment and Chesterfield-based Detachment 1, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 151st Aviation Regiment flew the rotary wing aviation missions and Airmen from the 192nd Intelligence Squadron at Langley Air Force Base provided imagery analysis support.

Governor Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency Feb. 24 in response to severe thunderstorms along with high winds and several reported tornadoes that impacted communities across the Commonwealth of Virginia. The declaration enabled public safety agencies including the Virginia National Guard, Virginia State Police, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and the Virginia Department of Transportation begin planning for appropriate resources needed for storm response and recovery.

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 108th Medical Company Area Support, 213th Regional Support Group prepare dummies for a simulated casualty evacuation at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, July 17, 2025. The 108th Medical Company engaged in a weeklong field medical exercise to validate their readiness and elevate their medical and basic Soldier skills. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Capt. Christopher Booker)
Pennsylvania Guard Medics Simulate Chaos in Exercise
By Capt. Christopher Booker, | July 18, 2025
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. - Soldiers assigned to the Pennsylvania National Guard's 108th Medical Company Area Support, 213th Regional Support Group, are engaged in a comprehensive two-week field medical exercise here.The...

Nevada Air National Guard's 152nd Maintenance Group and 152nd Logistics Readiness Squadron personnel load Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) equipment onto MAFFS #8, aircraft #554 at the Nevada Air National Guard Base on July 12, 2025. U.S. Northern Command activated two Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) Aircraft, one from the 152nd Airlift Wing out of Reno, Nevada, and one from the 146th Airlift Wing out of Channel Islands Air National Guard Station in California. Two C-130 aircraft equipped with MAFFS and their associated personnel will support firefighting efforts in the Western United States. The 152nd Airlift Wing’s “High Rollers” and 146th Airlift Wing's “Hollywood Guard” report on July 14, 2025, and will be initially based out of Channel Islands Air National Guard Base in California and are anticipated to be in place through August 14, 2025.
Nevada Air Guard Wing Assists in Firefighting Efforts
By Senior Master Sgt. Paula Macomber, | July 18, 2025
RENO, Nev. – U.S. Northern Command has activated two Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System Aircraft, one from the Nevada Air National Guard’s 152nd Airlift Wing out of Reno, Nevada, and one from the 146th Airlift Wing out of...

Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, 30th Chief of the National Guard Bureau, and Senior Enlisted Advisor John Raines, SEA to the CNGB, join Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Air Force Maj. Gen. Thomas Suelzer, the adjutant general of Texas, for an aerial assessment of flood-affected areas in Central Texas and to visit Guardsmen on duty supporting civil authorities with response efforts, Kerrville, Texas, July 15, 2025. To date, National Guard search and rescue operations, led by the Texas National Guard, have resulted in the rescue of more than 525 Texans. Hundreds of Guardsmen remain on mission to continue working with interagency partners in search and rescue and recovery operations.
Nordhaus, Raines see Heroism, Partnerships in Central Texas
By Master Sgt. Zach Sheely, | July 18, 2025
KERRVILLE, Texas – Early on July 4, almost 30 inches of rain fell within hours across Central Texas’s Hill Country, surging the Guadalupe River and triggering catastrophic flash flooding.Within hours, Texas National Guard...