Soldiers with D Company, 1st Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment, 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team, and Emergency Services personnel receive a briefing Oct. 4 at the NCNG armory in Elizabethtown, N.C. This group is preparing to react in response to lo...

Soldiers with D Company, 1st Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment, 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team and Emergency Services personnel receive a briefing Oct. 4 at the NCNG armory in Elizabethtown, N.C. These soldiers are among over 70 guardsman activate...

RALEIGH, N.C. - Over 70 members of the North Carolina Army National Guard were activated, by the governor and staged across the state to assist state emergency services in preparing storm and flood relief efforts.

"There is possible area flooding here in Southeastern North Carolina," said Capt. Barrett B. Foster, commander of Company D, 1st Battalion 120th Infantry Regiment. "We are using the Elizabethtown armory as a staging area to support any relief operations."

Staged at the armory with Foster and his soldiers are 16 Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel from Durham, Harnett, Orange, Wake and Johnston Counties.

"Our number one goal is to save lives," Governor McCrory said. "I am very proud of our state's emergency response team. We've got the best team in the United States."

Though Hurricane Joaquin is not expected to make landfall on the U.S. East Coast, it will have a significant effect on the region in the form of heavy rainfall, agricultural damage, and elevated water levels with a possibility of serious flooding in some areas.

NCNG units activated include the 113th Sustainment Brigade, 145th Airlift Wing, and 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team. Guardsmen and their equipment such as; power generators, high-water clearance vehicles, communications gear, medical teams and military ambulances are staged in Greensboro, Tarboro, Williamston, Goldsboro and Elizabethtown.

"It's an honor to be a part of the North Carolina National Guard during times like this," said Staff Sgt. Perry Baucom, training noncommissioned officer of D Company, 1-120th.

"People feel better when they drive by and see us open and ready to help," said Baucom.

According to Mike Anderson, the operations captain of Durham County EMS, "this type of partnership is very beneficial. The National Guard has a lot of manpower and training, more so than we do, for this type of incident."

The guardsmen and EMS will remain in place and ready to go at a moment's notice until released by North Carolina Emergency Management.