Photo By Spc. Ayanna Tillman | U.S. Army Pfc. Ronell Rolfe, a signal support systems specialist, with the...... read more read more
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Hurricane Helene struck Georgia late Sept. 26, 2024, and left a path of destruction through numerous communities. Over the past week and a half, the Georgia National Guard has been activated to provide response and recovery support across the state to areas impacted by the storm.
Over 1,900 Georgia National Guardsmen and Georgia State Defense Force personnel were mobilized to assist with search and rescue, route clearance, and distribution of supplies. The Georgia National Guard assisted local agencies across 35 counties with distributing over 32,000 pounds of water, hygiene products, food and delivering 24,000 gallons worth of fuel to keep communities running.
“Our primary mission is to support local communities in times of need,” said U.S. Army Capt. Charles Smith, an operations officer assigned to the Macon-based 148th Brigade Support Battalion. “These are enduring relationships. These are people that we see on a day-to-day basis.”
The Georgia National Guard partnered with local, state and federal first responders to bring aid to those in the affected areas. Soldiers equipped with chainsaws and excavators went into local areas and cleared trees from 1000 miles of roadways. Their work gave power companies access to the thousands of power lines that were downed by the storm.
Once many of the roads were cleared, Guardsmen worked with volunteers to operate multiple point of distribution (POD) sites at schools, churches and shopping centers where families could pick up emergency supplies.
U.S. Army Private Jerry Chasteen, a combat engineer assigned to the Augusta-based 878th Engineer Battalion, said that the work, while fast-paced, was rewarding.
“I’ve always loved to be the person to help others,” said Chasteen. “It’s a great opportunity through the National Guard to be a part of something larger and help the community in a greater way.”
While the Georgia National Guard has wrapped up its initial storm response and recovery missions, they will have around 250 service members continue assisting with debris management.
Since its inception, the Georgia National Guard has provided response and recovery support to Georgia citizens during various natural disaster events, including Tropical Storm Alberto in 1994, the winter storm of 2014, Hurricane Matthew in 2016, and most recently Tropical Storm Debby in August 2024.
The motto of the U.S. National Guard is “Always Ready, Always There!”
| Date Taken: | 10.11.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.13.2024 21:28 |
| Story ID: | 483054 |
| Location: | MARIETTA, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 256 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Georgia Guardsmen Respond to Hurricane Helene, by SPC Kemarvo Smith and SPC Ayanna Tillman, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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