Soldiers Return from Hurricane Ike Response

Courtesy Photo | "This is one of the typical houses we sorted through," said 1st Lt. David Jablonsky, operations officer with the 81st Civil Support Team. "The team covered blocks uponblocks and miles upon miles of houses like this." The North Dakota Soldiers wore steel shanks on their boots for protection and encountered everything from the sought-after materials to snakes and alligators.  

UNITED STATES

10.15.2008

Courtesy Story

North Dakota National Guard Public Affairs

By the North Dakota National Guard

BISMARCK, N.D. — Five Soldiers with the North Dakota National Guard's 81st Civil Support Team returned Monday after spending nearly three weeks assisting with hazardous material response in Texas during the aftermath of Hurricane Ike.

The National Guard Bureau in Washington, D.C., requested the support, Sept. 23, 2008, giving the team four hours or less to mobilize with South Dakota's 82nd CST.

"North Dakota's National Guard members are trained and ready to respond to whatever their state or nation asks of them," said Gov. John Hoeven. "The Soldiers of the 81st Civil Support Team demonstrated that preparedness with unparalleled expertise and professionalism while serving their fellow Americans in Texas, and proudly represented their home state of North Dakota."

The Dakota teams augmented Texas' 6th CST and worked in conjunction with four federal and state
agencies: the Environmental Protection Agency, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Texas General Land Office and the U.S. Coast Guard. This integrated command coordinated efforts to assess, contain and clean up spills and hazardous materials caused by the hurricane. Steady progress has been made in identifying, assessing and overseeing the cleanup of posthurricane pollution sites throughout southeast Texas. The types and amount of pollution vary from oil and diesel fuel from boats to industrial chemicals. According to a National Strike Force press release from the U.S. Coast Guard, hazardous material personnel have responded to more than 2,000 reports of pollution and displaced hazardous materials.

"We worked with the Orphan Drum Program, locating propane containers and thousand-pound gas
cylinders and then alerting local HAZMAT and environmental teams so they could mitigate any hazard," said 1st Lt. David Jablonsky, operations officer in charge of the activated team. "Our Soldiers used an airboat and helicopter but also walked many miles as we canvassed the streets through several counties looking for containers that were displaced by the hurricane."

North Dakota's CST response team in Texas consisted of Jablonsky; 1st Lt. Kory Nordick, medical
operations officer; Sgt. 1st Class Robert Scharnowske, survey reconnaissance sergeant; and Staff
Sgt. Bob Ferderer and Sgt. Bill Miller, both survey team members. The five are just a portion of North Dakota's full-time 22-member team of Soldiers and Airmen, all of whom live in the Bismarck area to facilitate rapid response to civilian authorities during any incidents.

"Our North Dakota Soldiers and Airmen stand ready to respond to almost any kind of natural
disaster, whether it's one that we may face here in North Dakota or one our fellow Americans may
be dealing with. While all disasters differ, there are numerous similarities in our responses," said
Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, North Dakota National Guard adjutant general. "We're proud that
our CST Soldiers represented our state so well in Texas identifying potentially hazardous materials
and situations. Their efforts over the past few weeks have gone a long way in protecting Texans'
health and safety as well as reducing the environmental impact caused by Hurricane Ike."

In September, 180 North Dakota Soldiers and Airmen were poised to deploy in response to Hurricane Gustav, but were not needed. Only one Soldier mobilized in response. Lt. Col. Dave Skalicky who traveled to Camp Beauregard in Alexandria, La., and to Baton Rouge, La., for 10 days to study how lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina had been incorporated and to gather best practices that could be used nationwide to improve the National Guard's response to hurricane
disasters.

Since the terrorist attacks on America, the North Dakota National Guard has mobilized more than
2,700 Soldiers and nearly 1,600 Airmen in support of the Global War on Terrorism. Currently,
more than 200 Soldiers and Airmen from the North Dakota National Guard remain on duty in Iraq,
Afghanistan and other locations throughout Southwest Asia. More than 3,000 National Guardsmen
remain in North Dakota and are available to provide support for state and national emergencies
and homeland defense.

• Date Taken: 10.15.2008
• Date Posted: 10.15.2008 14:02
• Story ID: 25023
• Location: US