Photo By Lani Pascual | Spc. Paul Howard, a Soldier with the 870th Military Police Company, points out...... read more read more
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Amongst the ashes of his hometown, California Army National Guardsman from the 649th Engineering Company, Spc. Paul Howard escorts distinguished visitors through what is left of the town of Paradise, California on November 13. The devastating Camp Fire, now the most deadly and destructive in our state's history, had ravaged the 26,000-resident town after it began just five days before.
He said although he hadn't lived there in almost two decades, returning as a Soldier with the 49th Military Police Brigade to lend support to first responders was a bittersweet moment.
"It's hard to know you have friends still there that you can't help. You only hope everyone got out alright. It's overwhelming to think about and my heart goes out to everyone," Howard said.
His immediate response was to go into Soldier mode and offer those from his community some type of relief after such heartbreaking loss, he said. As part of the search and extraction team, Howard worked to provide closure to the families of missing residents, which at one point soared to more than 1,000 identified.
The Camp Fire burned more than 150,000 acres and 17,000 structures, forcing school and civic-building closures throughout Northern California due to hazardous air quality.
Following the unprecedented destruction, President Donald Trump flew to Chico, California, on November 17 to tour the devastation in Paradise. Alongside California Governor Edmund Brown and Governor-elect Gavin Newsom, Trump held a press conference with FEMA director Brock Long to emphasize federal and state cooperation in support of the victims affected by the wildfire.
California 1st District Congressman Doug LaMalfa was on-ground during Trump’s visit. He was born in Oroville, California, which was threatened by the Camp Fire.
“As the Camp Fire has devastated the communities of Paradise, Magalia, Concow, and surrounding areas, I’m grateful for the President’s quick response to declare a major disaster and for his willingness to visit affected areas with me in order to see the damage firsthand,” said LaMalfa. “The presence of FEMA and the National Guard is much-needed at this point, and will help those impacted by this tragedy to get back on their feet as quickly as possible.”
Guard Soldiers and Airmen supported emergency agencies by manning traffic control points, setting up shelters, providing engineer assets, decontamination for first responders and survey efforts from Army unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and Air Force remote piloted aircraft (RPA).
The biggest motivation during these missions for many citizen-soldiers and airmen is the community they are supporting. Beyond the routine of duty lies the interaction with residents and visible impact of their efforts.
Soldiers from the 185th MP Battalion assisted with shelter support after reported norovirus cases forced a separation of evacuees in an effort to quarantine the outbreak. Residents filled makeshift evacuation sites in parking lots and fields throughout the area, sheltering mainly in tents or cars. After almost two weeks since being evacuated, approximately 9,000 residents were allowed to return to their homes November 20.
For many Guardsmen, this disaster is not the first they have deployed to. Col. Robert Paoletti, Commander of the 49th Military Police Brigade and Homeland Response Force, says his Soldiers come ready to make a difference.
“This has been a truly disastrous fire,” said Paoletti. “For our brigade, this is the seventh fire incident in the last 19 months. When we respond, we have one focus in mind and that is to assist the local authorities with mitigating the effects of the disaster. We have performed missions ranging from law enforcement assistance to searching for remains to simply providing a hug to a victim of the disaster. Our mission is as it has been, to help our fellow citizens recover from these disastrous events.”
As hard as this tragedy has been on residents, it can also take its toll on first responders and Guardsmen. Military chaplains and behavior health officers also deploy in support of the Soldiers and Airmen on-ground. During their time at the Camp Fire, they’ve had to face the realities of wildfire aftermath.
For former Paradise resident Spc. Paul Howard, processing the devastation has been difficult. What makes him feel some sense of purpose as a Soldier and community member is the chance to do what he can to serve the town which he calls home.
"I just can't do enough." said Howard.
| Date Taken: | 11.21.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 11.23.2018 19:28 |
| Story ID: | 301028 |
| Location: | PARADISE, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 288 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, His Hometown Destroyed, Guardsman Finds Purpose in Camp Fire Activation, by Lani Pascual, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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