RICHMOND, Va. –
The Virginia National Guard is gearing up Oct. 9, 2024, to support Florida as they prepare for the expected impacts of Hurricane Milton while it winds down Hurricane Helene support in Virginia. The VNG already sent a Black Hawk helicopter to Florida and is mustering approximately 225 Soldiers and Airmen to provide engineer, transportation and general support capabilities.
“I really appreciate the great team effort of the Virginia National Guard Joint Staff coordinating with Florida to determine their needs and the capabilities we could provide,” said Brig. Gen. Todd Hubbard, VNG director of the joint staff. “I am incredibly proud of how quickly our Soldiers and Airmen have come together to be ready to deploy and help out, and based on the track of the storm, I think Florida is going to need our help. I know if the situation was reversed, we could count on Florida or other states to come an help us out in Virginia.”
The VNG also has approximately 10 Soldiers continuing a water pipeline damage assessment mission in the Abingdon, Virginia, area. As many as 40 Soldiers were on duty in the area providing high mobility transport, debris reduction with chain saws and food and water distribution.
The VNG is supporting Florida with capabilities requested through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact.
A VNG Black Hawk helicopter crew and members of the Chesterfield County Fire and Emergency Medical Services Scuba Rescue Team deployed Oct. 8 from Sandston and have safely arrived in Florida to provide rescue hoist capabilities.
The Virginia Army National Guard is assembling a general purpose company of 100 Soldiers, as well as a transportation company with 105 Soldiers and 30 tactical trucks capable of high mobility transport.
The Virginia Air National Guard is assembling approximately 20 engineers who will deploy with heavy engineer equipment including frontend loaders and dump trucks.
Departure times to Florida for all three elements have not been finalized.
In the immediate wake of the Hurricane, VNG Soldiers conducted high water transport with tactical trucks, assisted with evacuations and helped clear trees. VNG aviation crews and Chesterfield County Fire and EMS personnel rescued six people by helicopter hoist.
After Governor Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency Sept. 25, the VNG mobilized two Black Hawk helicopters to stage in Roanoke for possible missions. The VNG Black Hawk crews and Chesterfield first responders form the Virginia Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team, providing rotary wing hoist capabilities and aerial rescue evacuation. After years of training together, this was the first time the HART had been employed in a real-world response situation.
The HART conducted hoist operations rescuing six citizens Sept. 27 and 28 in the Abingdon area. They also conducted route and area search and rescue flights and transported a ground rescue team.
A third VNG Black Hawk capable of conducting commodity movement, transportation or damage assessments was on standby Sept. 28 and Sept. 29 in Roanoke.
The VNG also mobilized 20 Soldiers with tactical trucks capable of high mobility transport Sept. 26, and the troops were trained and ready to conduct movement, debris reduction and supply transport missions.
“It's been a real privilege,” said 2nd Lt. William Rakes, the officer in charge of the first team of Soldiers from the Gate City-based 1032nd Transportation Company. “When you sign up for the Guard, not only are you an asset to the nation, you're an asset to the state. Whatever we can do here to help the community, whether it's getting supplies to them, or just being there to support them however we can in such a catastrophic event. We live to help our community, and we want to be here to support Virginians when we get the call.”
Soldiers assisted the Virginia State Police with a high water evacuation of two citizens and their two dogs from their home near Damascus Sept. 27 and also assisted first responders with evacuation of 11 citizens over a washed out bridge near Damascus Sept. 28.
Soldiers assisted with distribution of food and water in Independence for approximately three hours Sept. 29, and they also delivered supplies to citizens with restricted access to resources in Fries.
From Sept. 27 to Oct. 6, the Soldiers cleared about 110 trees in Scott County, Russell County and Washington County and delivered two 5-ton tactical truck loads of food and water to two separate point of distribution sites in the Damascus area. They also distributed 134 cases of water and 20 meals, helped provide security for a container with $15,000 of food and supplies, loaded a transport container of medical equipment, handed out 100 cases of water to 45 homes in Damascus and unloaded eight semi-trucks filled with supplies.
Soldiers assisted the Virginia State Police with a high water evacuation of two citizens and their two dogs from their home near Damascus Sept. 27 and also assisted first responders with evacuation of 11 citizens over a washed out bridge near Damascus Sept. 28.
Soldiers assisted with distribution of food and water in Independence for approximately three hours Sept. 29, and they also delivered supplies to citizens with restricted access to resources in Fries.
The VNG mobilized a second group of 20 Soldiers with tactical trucks Oct. 1 to rotate with the Soldiers who had been on duty since Sept. 26.
“I really appreciate the chance to come out after seeing everything on the news and be able to help,” said 2nd Lt. Derrick Jackson, officer in charge of the second team of Soldiers from the Cedar Bluff-based 1033rd Engineer Support Company. “That's what we signed up for. This is my first time on state active duty orders, so It was really awesome to get the Soldiers out here and be part of it, help out the general public, and see them out there doing what they signed up for.”
The Soldiers conducting the water pipeline damage assessment mission from Oct. 6 to 9 have covered more than 20 miles on foot and identified seven damaged or exposed sections where the water pipeline was washed out, exposed and in need of repair. Using GPS and tablets, the Soldiers are marking the damaged areas for follow up assessment and future repair. The expect to conclude the mission October. 10.
“It makes me feel great to be able to help out my community,” said Sgt. Cory Colvin with the 1032nd. “That's what I signed up for, really. I've been grateful for the teams I've been working with. They've been working hard on any mission, any tasks that have been given to us. We've hit it head on, and honestly, I couldn't be more grateful for them. This is my hometown.”
Colvin said the citizens here like to see the Guard come out.
“They come up and they thank us,” Colvin said. “They're very appreciative just because the help is there for them.”
In addition to the troops staged in Abingdon, Soldiers, Airmen and members of the Virginia Defense Force are providing logistics, administrative, operations center, weather forecasting and public information support to the mission.
During domestic operations, the VNG receives missions from VDEM and responds as part of a multi-agency team with other state and local agencies to provide support capabilities requests by Virginia communities. VDEM determines where capabilities are allocated, and the VNG does not respond to direct requests for assistance.
Localities looking for VNG support should make their requests to VDEM, and they determine which organization can best provide the requested assistance as they coordinate the regional and statewide response.
Additional reporting by Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Clements