Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Cossel | Diane Whetsel plays with a parrot she and members of the 'Texas Equusearch, Search and...... read more read more
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Spc. Benjamin Cossel
196th MPAD
NEW ORLEANS -- The tsunami that hit the Indo-China region on Dec. 26 tested the world's ability to respond to a natural disaster of such magnitude. A residual benefit was that several relief organizations and teams obtained much-needed training under real-life circumstances.
That training for the all-volunteer, Houston-based "Texas EquuSearch, Search and Recovery" team prepared them well for relief work after Katrina blasted through the New Orleans region in late August.
"We were in Sri Lanka for 11 days," Senior Search director for EquuSearch Joe Huston said. "The rescue work we did there really prepared us for the work we're currently doing in New Orleans."
It's that type of experience that has enabled the volunteers of the Texas organization to be such a valuable part of the 1st of the 148th Infantry Regiment, Ohio Army National Guard's team.
While they started as a horse-based search and rescue team, Huston said their mission and demand grew. During the first few years of existence, the team typically received calls from parents looking for lost children or for Alzheimer patients who"d wondered off. The scope of their work grew to include working with police departments when foul play was suspected and a body could not be found.
"After we got started and the word got around about what we did, police departments and other agencies started calling us to assist them," Huston said. "Before we knew it, we were doing many more jobs than any of us expected."
With that growth, Huston said the number of calls went through the roof.
"We figured we would take about 8 -- 12 calls a year," said Huston. "Since we started, we've averaged about 100 calls a year."
Their work with the Ohio National Guard is much appreciated.
"Having these guys with us has been like having an additional two squads," said Capt Joe Adams, Commander, Company D, 1st of the 148th Inf. Reg.
The two teams working together, combining resources has allowed them to search more houses with more speed.
"The Texas guys have resources that we don't," said Adams. "Like airboats that can get into areas we can't and we have equipment they don't like the power boats we use that allows us to take more Soldiers on each mission."
Both Huston and Adams agreed that the integration between the teams was seamless.
"From the top down, our commander got these guys in here, got them down to us and we've been working together ever since," said Adams. "I was really impressed with how professional they are. They rolled in here ready to go; no train up time or nothing."
Echoing those sentiments, Huston was equally laudatory of the Ohio Guardsmen.
Said Huston, "These are some of the hardest working guys we've ever worked with. It's been a pleasure working with such a group of dedicated professionals."
Huston then said that while the team's mission is a success, he still has some regrets.
"We started packing our gear as soon as we saw Katrina go from a category 2 storm to a category 5," Huston said. "My only regret is that I wish we could have gotten here sooner. There's so much more that we could've done."
While one never hopes for a catastrophe, the members of Texas EquuSearch, Search and Recovery have already decided whom they want to work in the future should a disaster strike.
"I've been so impressed with these guys," Huston said referring to the Soldiers of the 1st of the 148th Inf. Reg., "So much so that, should we ever find ourselves in a situation like this again, I am going to personally request that we be assigned to the Soldiers of the Ohio National Guard."
hkat
| Date Taken: | 09.16.2005 |
| Date Posted: | 09.16.2005 16:57 |
| Story ID: | 3035 |
| Location: | NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 131 |
| Downloads: | 60 |
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