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RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia National Guard is helping Florida respond to Hurricane Milton while it winds down its support for victims of Hurricane Helene in Virginia.
The VNG 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 know if the situation was reversed, we could count on Florida or other states to come and help us out in Virginia.”
The VNG also has approximately 10 Soldiers assessing damage to a water pipeline in the Abingdon, Virginia, area. As many as 40 Soldiers were on duty in the area, providing high-mobility transport, clearing debris with chainsaws and distributing food and water.
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 arrived in Florida to provide rescue hoist capabilities.
The Virginia Army National Guard was assembling a general-purpose company of 100 Soldiers and a transportation company with 105 Soldiers and 30 tactical trucks capable of high-mobility transport.
Some 20 Virginia Air National Guard engineers were deploying with front-end loaders and dump trucks.
In the immediate wake of Hurricane Helene, VNG Soldiers conducted high-water transport with tactical trucks, assisted with evacuations and helped clear downed trees. VNG aviation crews and Chesterfield County Fire and EMS personnel rescued six people by helicopter hoist.
After Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency Sept. 25, the VNG staged two Black Hawk helicopters in Roanoke. The Black Hawk crews and Chesterfield first responders form the Virginia Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team provided rotary wing hoist capabilities for aerial rescues. After years of training together, this was the team’s first real-world response.
The HART rescued six people Sept. 27-28 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 was on standby Sept. 28-29 in Roanoke.
The VNG also mobilized 20 Soldiers with tactical trucks capable of high mobility transport Sept. 26 to clear debris and transport people and supplies.
“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 helped the Virginia State Police evacuate two people and two dogs from their home near Damascus Sept. 27 and helped first responders evacuate 11 people over a washed-out bridge near Damascus Sept. 28.
Soldiers distributed food and water in Independence Sept. 29 and supplies to people in Fries.
From Sept. 27 to Oct. 6, the Soldiers cleared about 110 trees in Scott, Russell and Washington counties and delivered two 5-ton tactical truckloads of food and water to two 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.
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.”
Sgt. Cory Colvin with the 1032nd echoed that sentiment.
“It makes me feel great to be able to help out my community,” he said, adding that residents were grateful for the assistance.
“They come up and they thank us,” Colvin said. “They’re very appreciative just because the help is there for them.” ---Additional reporting by Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Clements
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