Colorado Army National Guard supports Hurricane Gustav relief efforts

Courtesy Photo | A levee damaged by Hurricane Gustav is being repaired by Army National Guard units from Colorado, Nebraska, Ohio, Iowa, New York and Pennsylvania, Sept. 4, 2008. The levee is located southeast of New Orleans, La.  

UNITED STATES

09.12.2008

Story by Tech. Sgt. Cheresa D. Clark 

Colorado National Guard

By Tech. Sgt. Cheresa D. Theiral
Colorado National Guard Public Affairs

BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo – For more than a week, two CH-47 Chinook helicopters and 16 Soldiers from the Colorado Army National Guard provided relief to southeastern Louisiana after Hurricane Gustav devastated the area.

The aircrews were originally tasked with moving food, water and other supplies to military and government agencies in and around Baton Rouge, La., and were later tasked to help repair a levee damaged by the storm.

Army National Guard crews from Colorado, Nebraska, Ohio, Iowa, New York and Pennsylvania, dropped nearly 14 tons of sand and rocks to repair the broken levee, which was responsible for flooding homes and farms southeast of New Orleans, La.

Two of Colorado's UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters and their crews were also alerted to support relief efforts, but their mission was cancelled a few hours before they were scheduled to take off Sept. 2, after planners determined their capabilities were not necessary after all.

Col. Joel Best, state Army aviation officer for the Colorado National Guard, credits the governmental planners and emergency management personnel in Louisiana for the cancellation.

"There was an excellent evacuation plan in place, and people heeded the warnings, so we didn't need to send the Blackhawks to perform search and rescue operations," he said. "Hopefully in the future, people will continue to evacuate rather than think the warnings are overplayed."

Crews from the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment supported Hurricane Gustav relief efforts Sept. 2-12, 2008.

• Date Taken: 09.12.2008
• Date Posted: 09.19.2008 11:26
• Story ID: 23866
• Location: US