Photo By Pfc. Emily White | Sgt. Chris Leflore, 2120 Engineering Company, 120th Engineer Battalion, 90th Troop...... read more read more
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TULSA, Okla.-- The Oklahoma Army National Guard mobilized to northeastern Oklahoma as part of flood relief missions May 23, 2019. During the 33,000 man-hours of relief efforts, civilian rescue was among several missions.
A woman, her two horses and seven dogs were in desperate need of that help as the waterline around the woman's already drowning home grew closer.
Cpt. Thalia Douglas, Sgt. Elizabeth Overturf, and Sgt. Christopher LeFlore,, 120th Engineer Battalion, 90th Troop Command, worked with volunteer rescue organizations to help the woman and her animals safely out of their flooded property.
The events leading up to the rescue were coordinated by Douglas and her team and began with a call to action on Facebook that grew into a community-wide initiative.
“Last week I had asked for anybody who wanted to help with the rescue, transport or housing of livestock for flood victims,” said Douglas. “That roster grew over 36 hours to about 500 people and once we knew we had the resources to help we reached out to individuals in need.“
When the team found out about the dire circumstance, they responded by coordinating a volunteer civilian speedboat to mobilize to the woman's location for rescue.
“The mission came down very quickly,” said Overturf. “We knew we were going to be picking up some horses and needed to move fast.”
The execution of the mission was successfully carried out by individuals who had prior experience working with livestock and all safety precautions were taken. The woman and her animals are now in a safe location.
“It’s been everyone coming together to help that has made this mission possible,” said Douglas.
Upon evacuation, volunteers organized for the woman to receive 17 bags of horse feed as well as hay to help feed her animals. The woman has also received continued support from all those involved.
LeFlore was a key witness to the impact of the mission from soldier to civilian and beyond.
“For every situation in life there is always something to learn, as in this case just, showing someone compassion can change their life,” said LeFlore.
| Date Taken: | 05.23.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 06.10.2019 12:00 |
| Story ID: | 326172 |
| Location: | TULSA, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Web Views: | 151 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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