SANDSTON, Va. (March 5, 2015) -- More than 400 National Guard troops in six states were assisting authorities during snowstorms in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, according to the National Guard Bureau.
The Virginia National Guard had about 70 Soldiers staged and ready at facilities from Northern Virginia to the Shenandoah Valley and the southwest corner of the state for possible response operations due to heavy snow or potential flooding.
Almost 60 Soldiers, from the 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Staunton, Va., were staged in Winchester, Staunton, Leesburg, Fredericksburg and Harrisonburg, and about a dozen Soldiers, from the 1030th Transportation Battalion, staged in Gate City and linked up with local emergency response officials in Wise, Clintwood and Cedar Bluff. Forces were alerted late Wednesday afternoon.
"The Virginia Department of Emergency Management requested that we stage forces in key locations in the Northern Virginia and Shenandoah Valley areas to assist local first responders if the expected snow reduces their abilities to travel and provide assistance to citizens," said Col. James Zollar, Virginia National Guard director of joint operations. "We will also be prepared to assist local authorities in the Southwest Virginia area in case melting snow causes flooding."
Additional personnel will be on duty in Sandston, Richmond and Fort Pickett to provide mission command and logistical support for the operations, officials said.
Expected missions for the Guard include using Humvees and light medium tactical vehicle, or LMTVs, to provide transportation to reach areas where heavy snow or high water has blocked roads. The 4×4 LMTV has a 2.5-ton capacity and the 6×6 medium tactical vehicle, or MTV, has a 5-ton capacity. The Guard will also have Soldiers equipped with chain saws to assist with tree removal and debris reduction, officials said.
The Virginia National Guard receives its missions through the Virginia Department of Emergency Management to assist the Virginia State Police, the Virginia Department of Transportation and other state and local emergency response organizations and is not able to respond to direct support requests from the public, Zollar said.
"If you need assistance because of the winter storm or flooding, please call 911 or your local dispatcher and let them know you need help and do not contact the Virginia National Guard directly," he said. "They will determine what emergency services are best suited to assist you, and they will contact us if it appropriate for us to take action."
It has been a busy winter for members of the Virginia National Guard.
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency, Feb. 16, and authorized up to 300 Virginia National Guard personnel to be brought on state active duty for possible response operations, and more than 125 personnel were staged and ready at locations across the commonwealth by that evening.
McAuliffe also authorized aviators from the Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment to deliver food, mail and medical supplies, Feb. 16, to residents of Tangier Island. The 1.2-square-mile island, located in the Chesapeake Bay, had been unable to receive routine seaport deliveries due to icy conditions.
The Virginia National Guard transitioned to routine operations, March 1, after mobilizing more than 125 Soldiers to assist with snow recovery operations beginning Feb. 22 at locations across the commonwealth.
For seven days, Soldiers assisted local law enforcement and emergency response organizations in Southwest Virginia with delivering food, water, medicine and other supplies, evacuating citizens for safety and medical assistance and removing snow berms limiting road access with engineer equipment.
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