Pennsylvania National Guard ready to provide aid

Photo By Staff Sgt. Coltin Heller | Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett, listens to Lt. Col. Larry Dugan, commander of the 728th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, as he introduces the staff operating in the tactical operations center during Operation Sandy, located in area 13 on Fort Indiantown Gap, Oct. 30, 2012. The Soldier's operating the TOC, managed and coordinated the unit's which loaded and distributed the supplies coming in from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Center. Corbett, a former guardsman, took special interest in the effort. "That's what I did in 1972, when Hurricane Agnes came through," he said, speaking of the support effort. "It shows citizen-soldiers working to help the state, as well as the entire nation."(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Coltin Heller, 109th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)  

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PA, UNITED STATES

10.31.2012

Story by Sgt. Coltin Heller 

109th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – Soldiers across the state mustered to respond to Hurricane Sandy through many ways to help the citizens of Pennsylvania as security missions, power resupply, and transportation of food and water.

Part of the effort staged at Fort Indiantown Gap where Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers teamed with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency as part of Task Force Support, one of several task forces formed across the state to provide emergency aid.

“We just got home in August,” said Lt. Col. Larry Dugan, commander of the 728th Combat Support Sustainment Battalion, 213th Regional Support Group, speaking upon returning home from a recent deployment. “We’re happy to be back in support of this operation for the citizens of the Commonwealth, wherever our assistance is needed.”

The Joint Emergency Operations Center, located on FTIG, manages the flow of information and missions, providing guidance to 1515 Pennsylvania Army and Air National Guard service members as they prepared to provide assistance.

Soldiers from 3622nd Transportation Company, 131st Trans. Company, and 1067th Trans. Company, all part of 728th CSSB, responded to the call of duty. Other units, such as 628th Aviation Support Bn., 28th Aviation Brigade also provided soldiers.

“We were called up last year,” said Spc. Shawn Boyer, network systems maintenance specialist assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Supply Company, 628th ASB, referencing the storms that caused floods and power outages last year.

Boyer along with Sgt. Timothy Clark also with HSC, 628th ASB, hailing from Harrisburg, Pa., assembled a portable antenna system, providing Internet capability in the event of a power loss, ensuring communication between units remained.

“It’s not too good being out here,” Boyer motioned to the incessant less rain. “But, this is what we signed up for. This is what we do.”

PEMA provided food and water, brought in by trailers to FTIG where 728th CSSB soldiers loaded it, preparing for distribution.

“It takes a day or two to marshal the resources,” said Pa. Gov. Tom Corbett, during his visit to FTIG. “These resources are coming in from other locations and going out, whether its water or food.”

“What will happen, as the supplies come in, we’ll trans-load them to our vehicles …,” said Dugan, a native of Mechanicsburg. “

Amidst the rain, soldiers with 1067th Trans. Company, off-loaded 125,000 meals and 258,000 bottles of water from PEMA trailers using fork lifts, on to 915 Freightliners, which stood by ready to roll to area’s in need of supplies. During five tasked missions, soldiers delivered 62,208 bottles of water, and 6,336 MRE’s to counties in eastern Pennyslvania, areas hit hardest by the hurricane.

In addition to water and food, PEMA also provided kits geared toward toddlers and infants.

They consist of various items like formula, diapers and other things that may not be coming in due to the weather, said Dugan.

“We’ll mix the load on each one of our trucks, so if it goes to whatever county it’s going to, it’ll be what that county needs,” added Dugan.

A tactical operations center set up in area 13 on FTIG, managed the loading and dispatching of each vehicle, providing constant feedback to the JEOC.

We get the missions, routed and coordinated through the JEOC and as soon as we receive the information, we figure out the load, identify the personnel, truck systems and get them on the road, said Dugan.

While 1067th soldiers loaded food and water, soldiers assigned to 3622nd Trans. Company, “Double Deuce,” traveled to a Home Depot located on Derry Street in Harrisburg, procuring 80 chainsaws to aid in removal of trees blown down by the high winds.

“Having a tool like this is always a good idea,” said Sgt. Matt Hunsicker, power generator systems maintenance with 3622nd Trans. Company, and native of Annville, Pa. “This way if we can get to where we need to go, even if trees fell across the road.”

Corbett, a former guard member who aided support efforts during Hurricane Agnes in 1972, took special interest in the efforts of the soldiers.

“It shows citizen-soldiers working to help the entire state, as well as the nation,” said Corbett.

• Date Taken: 10.31.2012
• Date Posted: 11.03.2012 17:18
• Story ID: 97240
• Location: FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PA, US