Pallets stacked high with cases of water, bags of ice, boxes of Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) and tarps await distribution in the Legion Field parking lot located in Birmingham, Ala. This is the Alabama National Guard’s distribution center for Task Force Jefferson, the mission to assist citizens of Jefferson County affected by the April 27 tornado. Guardsmen are also assisting local law enforcement with traffic control and neighborhood security.

Pratt City is one of the most devastated areas of Birmingham. The streets are clear, but many of the buildings in the area are destroyed. The National Guard has a point of distribution (POD) in Pratt City where people affected by the tornado can drive through and soldiers will load the available supplies into their vehicles.

“More than 26,000 pallets of supplies have been distributed throughout Jefferson County,” said Warrant Officer Rhonda Brown, 731st Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (CSSB) Tallassee, the officer-in-charge of Task Force Jefferson.

Guardsmen are also delivering supplies to Boutwell Auditorium, McCalla, Pleasant Grove, Hackelburg and the Trussville Fire Department. Local volunteer groups in these areas are distributing the supplies to those who need them.

“The community outreach has been phenomenal,” said Brown. “We have been transporting supplies, but the local volunteers have been passing them out in those areas.”

Air and Army National Guardsmen are assisting with security and traffic control points around the area. Air Force Lt. Col. Scott Grant of the 117th Air Refueling wing in Birmingham is working one of the Pratt City traffic control points. Grant said that they have been working with the Birmingham Police Department in support of these efforts.

“The Birmingham Police Department has been great,” said Grant. “They already have a lot going on in the city because they still have to carry out every day operations in addition to responding to the new needs caused by the tornado. They have shown a great amount of appreciation for the National Guard mission.”

Alabama Guardsmen check identification and addresses at the checkpoints. Their mission is to keep traffic to a minimum so that support efforts can be carried out without impediment. It also reduces the threat of theft in the area.

“People have been very appreciative,” said Staff Sgt. Michael Jackson, 158th Maintenance Company, Tallassee, Ala. “It feels good to be giving back to the communities that support us.”
The National Guard is also handing out information on how to contact FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) at the point of distribution.

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