USACRC unites, provides disaster relief

By Lori Yerdon, U.S. Army Combat Readiness CenterNovember 2, 2018

USACRC unites
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USACRC unites
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USACRC unites
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USACRC unites
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MARIANNA, Fla. (Nov. 2, 2018) - Hurricane Michael pummeled the Florida panhandle recently, and for many of us living and working in the Fort Rucker area, the effects of the storm were minimal compared to our neighbors to the south.

In Marianna, Florida, a mere 60 miles from Fort Rucker, the powerful category 4 hurricane walloped the community with winds in excess of 140 mph.

Compelled to help the Marianna community, the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center's command group and operations section organized a supply drive and asked personnel to donate non-perishable items, which are much-needed commodities for a city rebuilding.

USACRC Command Sgt. Maj. Ernest D. Bowen felt it necessary to help the residents of Marianna, as they are great supporters of the military. The storm provided the USACRC an opportunity to return that support.

While many personnel had already donated time, money and other resources to Hurricane Michael relief efforts in other areas, the USACRC family stepped up and donated a truckload of supplies.

The organization didn't stop there, though. A call went out for volunteers to spend a day in Marianna working alongside Team Rubicon, an organization that unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response team.

Fifteen USACRC team members packed up and headed to Team Rubicon's command post, setup in Marianna's Chipola College parking lot.

On the drive down, I saw huge pine trees that were snapped in two lining the road. Entire forests and many homes sustained excessive wind damage. When we finally arrived in Marianna, the city, although still functioning, looked like a war zone. The news coverage of Hurricane Michael's destruction didn't compare to seeing firsthand the ferocity of Mother Nature.

Once on site, we signed waivers and Team Rubicon members ensured we had appropriate personal protective equipment. During a safety brief, Keith James, the incident commander, gave us an overview of what Team Rubicon has done during their 15 days there. He explained that when the eye of the hurricane passed over Marianna, three tornadoes tore through the area.

Motivated, briefed and ready to go, the USACRC team split into two groups. Driving through the city was surreal. Much of the downtown still bears remnants of Hurricane Michael as disaster relief personnel and city workers focus their efforts on restoring some sense of normality.

However, from what I saw, residents were contributing to the effort and helping each other. Numerous other volunteer relief organizations are in the area as well and there were more line trucks then I could count. Infamous blue tarps lined many houses and business, all waiting for new roofs.

A large pine fell on the front covered porch of the house our team went to and there, we met a Team Rubicon tree removal team.

The team was methodical as they suited up to remove the tree. Each member seemed well versed in the task at hand. Risk management came to mind as they double-checked each other to ensure they had on the proper PPE and set up safety perimeters for us.

For several hours, they chipped away at the tree while our USACRC team pulled out branches and logs. We stacked the debris as orderly as we could on the side of the road.

I had a chance to speak with the house occupant's son, Jack, who sincerely thanked us for our efforts. To me, it was the least we could do. I wish we could have stayed longer and done more.

It's rewarding to be part of an organization that cares so much its surrounding communities. Our team only experienced the aftermath of Hurricane Michael for a few hours while Marianna residents have lived a nightmare for several weeks.

At the end of the day, though, it was inspirational to see community members come together to help each other. While there's still a lot of restoration to be done, I'm confident Marianna will rebuild and be stronger than ever.

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