KERRVILLE, Texas — Early on July 4, 2025, almost 30 inches of rain fell within hours across central Texas's Hill Country, surging the Guadalupe River and triggering catastrophic flash flooding.
Within hours, Texas National Guardsmen sprang into action, launching search-and-rescue operations alongside civil authorities.
Today, hundreds of guardsmen remain on mission to work with civil authorities in rescue and recovery operations. To date, Texas Army and Air National Guard crews have rescued at least 525 people via water and rooftop evacuations, employing UH-60 Black Hawk and UH-72 Lakota helicopters, and C-130 Hercules aircraft for aerial reconnaissance.
On July 15, 2025, Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, chief of the National Guard Bureau, and Army Command Sgt. Maj. John Raines, senior enlisted advisor to the chief of the NGB, joined Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Air Force Maj. Gen. Thomas Suelzer, the Texas adjutant general, for an aerial assessment of flood-affected areas and to visit guardsmen supporting the response mission.
"SEA Raines and I are so proud of the incredible work our guardsmen are doing to help these Texas communities," Nordhaus said. "Our hearts go out to all those who have lost loved ones and seen their communities upended.
"This response effort has been a tremendous example of the guard's exquisite homeland response capabilities and the power of our partnerships," he continued.
Abbott praised the guard's efforts, saying, "the National Guard's role in rescuing Texans has been nothing short of remarkable."
Through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, guardsmen from Arkansas, Arizona and North Dakota have bolstered Texas' response. Arkansas deployed four Black Hawks and 22 guardsmen for medevac, rooftop rescues and cargo missions. Arizona and North Dakota National Guardsmen supported aerial reconnaissance along the debris-strewn Guadalupe River basin with MQ-9 Reaper drones. The North Dakota team recently completed their mission and returned home.
The compact offers assistance during governor-declared states of emergency or disaster through a responsive, straightforward system that allows states to send personnel, equipment and commodities to assist with response and recovery efforts in other states.
On July 13, 2025, a 16-member Czech Republic search-and-rescue team with four K-9s arrived from Germany via Kansas Air National Guard aircraft to aid riverbank searches. Their support stems from the 32-year, 115-nation Defense Department National Guard State Partnership Program.
"We are deeply grateful to our Czech partners for sending their elite search-and-rescue team," Nordhaus said. "This exemplifies the strength and mutually beneficial nature of the state partnership program."
Texas Army National Guard aviators with Bravo Company, 2-149th General Support Aviation Battalion, fly over flood-affected areas along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, Texas, in a CH-47 Chinook helicopter, July 16, 2025. The flight supported ongoing flood response operations across Central Texas. U.S. Army National Guard video by Sgt. 1st Class Christy L. Sherman.
Nordhaus, Raines and Abbott also recognized Army and Air National Guardsmen for their contributions. Army Capt. Connor Garrison, a company commander in the Texas Army National Guard, participated in evacuations of children from Camp Mystic in Texas to safety in nearby Ingram, where they were received by first responders.
"The crews in the Texas guard have a general sentiment of 'we never want there to be a reason to respond, but if there is, we want to be there,'" Garrison said. "The amount of pride I have for our team and the work that was put in for this response is hard to put into words."
"There were so many families and individuals tragically affected by this event," he said, "but the community and team actions that followed have been nothing short of amazing."
Texas officials report that there are still more than 100 people missing following the devastating flash flood. As the search-and-recovery mission continues, so does the National Guard — standing shoulder to shoulder and united in purpose with civil authorities.
"This interagency effort to save lives in this tragic disaster has been heroic," Raines said. "This is where the guard shines brightest, when we step up to help communities in need."
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