Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Shane Klestinski | Soldiers assigned to units within the 927th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion work...... read more read more
When the Florida Army National Guard responds to a hurricane, the 927th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (CSSB) normally has Soldiers reporting to the State Logistics Response Center (SLRC). When Hurricane Milton’s path triggered the FLARNG’s activation in October 2024, some of the 927th’s Soldiers assigned to the 856th Quartermaster Company were already at the SLRC because they were still responding to Hurricane Helene.
The SLRC is a warehouse in Orlando, Florida, that plays an important logistical role in helping Floridians in impacted areas after a natural disaster, and it has a preparatory role as well. The facility provides approximately 200,000 square feet of storage for water, food, tarps and several other emergency commodities for distribution after a hurricane blows through an area.
Whenever the FLARNG gets activated for a hurricane, which is typically at least once a season, staffing the SLRC is a significant part of its domestic mission in support of civil authorities. In preparation for Milton, the 927th’s Soldiers at the SLRC accounted for and tracked commodities headed to areas in projected impact zones, while simultaneously assisting the areas previously affected by Helene.
Spc. Yetel Fugon, an automated logistics specialist with the Arcadia-based 856th, is one of those Soldiers who have continuously been on state active duty since arriving at the SLRC on Sept. 24 as part of the Guard’s Helene response. She has served during every hurricane since her first, Hurricane Idalia, in 2023. This year, her role since reporting for Helene has been that of liaison for the Guard with the Florida Department of Emergency Management (FDEM) and other entities the Guard has collaborated with in providing relief efforts.
“This activation is kind of crazy,” Fugon said of her combined experience with Helene and Milton. “There are a lot more missions coming through than I’ve seen with Debby and Idalia. [Temporary flood control devices] are much needed and there were thousands of requests for tarps after people’s roofs were damaged during Helene.”
With Milton inbound, the 856th soon received reinforcements at the SLRC. Army 2nd Lt. Brandi Ruth, a quartermaster officer assigned to the Fort Lauderdale-based 356th Quartermaster Company, has served as the day shift officer in charge of the SLRC’s unified logistics operations center during her Milton activation. Ruth said that her unit received the call of duty on the morning of Oct. 5 while conducting their weekend drill.
“We had to work very fast to get our Soldiers back home so they could pack up [for extended duty] and be here in Orlando by 6:00 p.m. on Sunday and integrate with the 856th by Monday morning,” Ruth said. “The 356th’s Soldiers had about two or three days of downtime – at the most – after Helene, and not everybody got that downtime.”
The Soldiers that comprise the various units of the 927th CSSB have experience operating in the SLRC during emergency activations for the last seven to eight years, according to Ruth, who also noted that 2024’s hurricane season has been different due to the frequency of consecutive hurricanes that have led to FLARNG activations.
“Compared to the last few years, where we might have one or two hurricanes here and there, we haven’t had this series of hurricanes since Charley, Jeanne, Francis [and Ivan] in 2004,” Ruth said.
Every hurricane response in the Sunshine State is a team effort. Soldiers assigned to the 914th Quartermaster Company and the 138th Transportation Company (other units within the 927th CSSB) also served at the SLRC during the Guard’s Milton activation. While this team approach is necessary for mission accomplishment, it requires active effort to maintain clear lines of communication, not only among different teams within the same unit, but between separate organizations. Fugon noted that having representatives onsite, either in the facility’s ULOC or the warehouse, has helped partnering efforts in resolving logistical challenges. The FLARNG has also prepared for Milton in coordination with the FDEM and the Florida State Guard, as well as the trucking companies Estes, SLS Freight, JB Hunt and TQL.
“Communication and coordination with these other entities has gone very well,” Ruth said. “We’ve collaborated very well together.”
| Date Taken: | 10.09.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.11.2024 11:38 |
| Story ID: | 482994 |
| Location: | ORLANDO, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 85 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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