ARLINGTON, Va. — Australian researchers working in Antarctica found themselves in a bind recently. The ship scheduled to bring them home from their research station broke free of its mooring lines in a severe storm and ran aground, leaving the 35 researchers stuck with limited supplies.
Enter C-130 crew members with the New York Air National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing. They whisked the stranded researchers some 1,400 miles from their research center to McMurdo Station—the hub for U.S. scientific research in Antarctica—where they were then able to fly home aboard an Australian aircraft.
As the only U.S. military unit to fly the ski-equipped LC-130 Hercules aircraft, 109th crews were in Antarctica as part of Operation Deep Freeze, providing logistical support to the National Science Foundation. The unit has supported that mission since 1988.
They are not the only National Guard members performing a unique mission.
From civil support teams which help local first responders identify potentially harmful substances, to the State Partnership Program, which builds international relationships and strengthens global ties, the National Guard's diverse missions provides immense value, said Army Gen. Frank Grass, chief of the National Guard Bureau.
"The National Guard continually demonstrates its willingness and ability to accomplish all assigned missions," he said.
Perhaps one of the most highly visible Guard-run programs is the State Partnership Program, which pairs National Guard elements with nations worldwide. Beginning in 1993 with three partnerships, the program has grown considerably over the past 20-plus years.
"The National Guard's State Partnership Program continues to flourish and has evolved into enduring partnerships with 76 nations," said Grass.
As part of the SPP, Guard units and their partner nations share their experience and knowledge on a variety of skill sets from combat operations to domestic response and anything in between.
To date, 13 partner nations have become NATO members and Guard units have co-deployed 79 times to Iraq and Afghanistan with military units from their partner nation. The program has been praised by leaders around the globe as a low-cost, low-impact way to build long-term connections while gaining wide-ranging results.
"America's National Guard has been deterring aggression and building partnership capacity through the State Partnership Program," said Army Gen. Mark Milley, chief of staff of the Army. "This low-cost, high-yield program operates globally…synchronizing with all of our goals and all of our objectives, not only of the Department of Defense, but also the State Department and the [National] Guard Bureau. It directly supports our combatant commands in their theater and security planning."
The program offers another way to face ongoing challenges, said Grass.
"In today's complex strategic environment, we face a host of challenges ranging from emerging conventional threats and terrorism to threats in the cyber realm," Grass said. "During a crisis we don't need to be exchanging business cards. We need the kind of deep mutual understanding that only comes with the investment of time and trust."
Building relationships is key, said Grass, adding that applies locally and globally.
As the first military element to respond to disasters and large-scale emergencies, the Guard maintains intrinsic connections with local first responders. Its civil support teams often provide those first responders with added capabilities to identify and remediate chemical, biological and radiological substances.
"The nature of the (CST's) mission is to provide immediate response to local officials who are responding to an emergency," said Army Maj. Gen. Timothy Reisch, the adjutant general of the South Dakota National Guard. "The [CST] responds very early on to a local emergency or disaster and advises the local officials on exactly what they're dealing with, does the analysis on the presence or absence of chemical agents, and then provides expertise on what types of response or dangers are present."
The 57 CSTs throughout the country responded to nearly 3,500 incidents in fiscal year 2015. They have been called upon to provide monitoring during high-profile events such as the Super Bowl, respond in the wake of disasters like Hurricane Sandy, and were among the first to respond to the 2014 Elk River chemical spill in Charlestown, West Virginia.
Should that disaster response become large or complex, the Guard also stands ready to appoint a dual-status commander to command both activated National Guard troops who are under their governor's control in Title 32 status, as well as active component troops and reservists who are Title 10, under the control of the president.
Dual-status commanders have served in response to a number of emergencies and disasters, including wildfires where Air Guard units equipped with C-130 Hercules aircraft fitted with the Modular Airborne Firefighting System have responded. Flown primarily by the Air Guard—five Air Guard units and one unit from the Air Force Reserve fly the MAFFS mission— MAFFS allows aircrews to douse wildfires with thousands of gallons of water or fire retardant in seconds.
"It is far and away one of our most satisfying missions," said Air Force Col. Scott Sanders, with the Wyoming Air Guard's 153rd Airlift Wing, one of the units that fly the MAFFS mission. "One of the reasons we enjoy flying it is to see the immediate results of our efforts."
Other efforts by Guard members may not have such immediate results, but are no less impactful and far reaching. As part of the National Guard Counterdrug Program, Guard members work with federal, state and local law enforcement officials to detect, interdict and disrupt trans-national criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking and other national security threats to the homeland.
That support resulted in the removal of $8.4 billion worth of illicit drugs from the street in 2015, according to Guard figures. Guard analysts also supported more than 24,880 cases nationwide, contributing to the disruption and dismantling of more than 2,866 drug trafficking organizations.
Similarly, for the past 20 years, Guard members have worked with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officials supporting security efforts along the Southwest border. Army Guard Soldiers from more than 20 states participated in a variety of support roles in 2015, including the Pennsylvania Army Guard's Company B, 1st Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, which flew observation missions using the LUH-72 Lakota helicopter.
"This is my third deployment, but my first domestic operation," said Army Capt. Jonathan Regets, the unit commander, adding the Lakota is well-suited to the mission.
"It is an excellent observation platform with electro-optical sensors and forward-looking infrared cameras," he said.
While Regets' unit supported missions along the Southwest border, other Guard units kept an eye out for potential threats from the sky. The Joint Air Defense Operations Center incorporates jet fighters and air defense artillery units to defend the airspace around the nation's capital.
That includes the District of Columbia Air National Guard 113th Wing's Aerospace Control Alert Detachment, who in 2015 responded to its 5,000th alert since Sept. 11, 2001, making it one of the busiest ACA units in the country.
"The 5,000-event tally is a significant milestone and it is double the amount of all other Air National Guard ACA units combined," said Air Force Lt. Col. John Vargas, commander of the 113th Wing ACA. "We have had a great deal of success protecting America's skies, due to the intensity and dedication of our team."
The Soldiers of the Alaska Army National Guard's 49th Missile Defense Battalion carry out a similar mission, though their focus is on deterring and countering ballistic missiles. Falling under the Colorado Army National Guard's 100th Missile Defense Brigade, the units are the only such units in the Army.
But no matter the mission set, Guard members stand ready to take on the challenge, said Grass.
"The National Guard is ready to carry out its missions through the capable men and women who serve," he said. "They are part of a proud heritage dating back to 1636 – nearly 400 years of protecting our nation. I am proud to serve with each and every (Guard member). Their dedication and professionalism is truly remarkable."