Courtesy Photo | Hundreds of buses disgorge thousands of Hurricane Katrina evacuees at Fort Chaffee...... read more read more
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CAMP JOSEPH T. ROBINSON, Ark. — Hurricane Katrina came and went 20 years ago, and left an indelible mark, not only on the Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf Coast, but also those in the Arkansas National Guard who were mobilized to help their neighbors to the south.
In August 2005, as New Orleans and the Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf Coast reeled from the Category 3 storm, Arkansas Guardsmen mobilized within hours. They joined one of the largest domestic support operations in the state’s history—delivering security, humanitarian relief, and hope to thousands of stranded residents.
Col. Joel Lynch, then a battalion commander, recalls the chaos of those first days at Naval Air Station Belle Chasse. “We got weapons, we got a rucksack, and we went to Belle Chasse. It was kind of chaos for a while, as you can imagine,” Lynch said.
Within 48 hours, his unit was securing the New Orleans Convention Center, where thousands had gathered in desperate conditions. “When we pulled up, we weren’t sure if we’d be facing gangs or hostility. Instead, people were just happy to see us. We realized quickly—they saw the Guard as the people who were there to help.”
The Arkansas National Guard opened 59 armories in 58 counties to register incoming evacuees who were fleeing Louisiana and Mississippi. Roughly 300 members of the 39th Infantry Brigade provided support at the Super-dome and New Orleans Convention Center.
For the Guardsmen on the ground, that help meant not only securing areas but also clearing vehicles, distributing food and water, and preparing residents for evacuation. More than 750 patients and hospital staff from the Veterans Affairs Medical Center were rescued in New Orleans by Guardsmen from Arkansas.
Lynch described lining people up for buses without being able to tell them where they were going. “Some went to Houston, some to Kentucky, some to Fort Chaffee. They didn’t know until they arrived, but they trusted we were there to take care of them.”
Behind the scenes here in Arkansas, then-Col. Don Conkhrite led the state’s military domestic operations support. “We discovered early on that convoys couldn’t reach our Soldiers—the roads were blocked. The only way to sustain them was by air,” Conkhrite said.
Within days, Arkansas Air National Guard C-130s were flying around-the-clock supply missions. “We had to figure out what it takes to run a small city—food, water, medical care—and put it on planes and trucks. We were building the support structure as we went.”
The Arkansas Air National Guard’s 189th Airlift Wing delivered 59 tons of cargo by air to the New Orleans area. And they evacuated by air more than 620 evacuees. Additionally, the wing flew nearly 60 patients to safety.
For Airmen like retired Col. Paul Jara, the disaster revealed gaps in preparedness that changed emergency management forever. “We didn’t know what Soldiers would encounter—contaminated floodwater, power outages, no safe shelter,” Jara said. “We were literally going to Home Depot to buy Tyvek suits because we hadn’t anticipated what they’d be wading through. But those lessons shaped how we package and pre-plan for disasters today.”
At Fort Chaffee, Guardsmen like retired Lt. Col. Ross Breshears supported nearly 10,000 evacuees flown in from Louisiana, 9,000 of which were processed over a three-day period. “These were some of the most vulnerable people in society, and they got off those buses hot, tired, and frustrated,” Breshears recalled. “We were there with state agencies, charities, and volunteers just trying to solve problems—whether it was shelter, food, or even basic hygiene.”
For then-Senior Airman Johnathan Hunter, the deployment was career-defining. “I was 21, naïve, and didn’t know what I was getting into,” said Hunter, now a chief master sergeant. “One of the hardest things was seeing a deceased person for the first time. But what stuck with me more was how people looked at us—as someone there to help. That experience kept me in the Guard. It showed me the impact we can have on the humanitarian side.”
More than 5, 000 blankets, 1,200 cots, and 26,000 MRE’s (Meals, Ready to Eat) were supplied.
The mission also highlighted the power of joint and interagency cooperation. More than 500 Guardsmen assisted the effort at Fort Chaffee. More than 30 non-military official agencies participated, such as police, fire, first responders, etc. Nearly 20 social service entities were at Fort Chaffee to assist, such as the Red Cross, Salvation Army, United Way, etc. More than 1,000 volunteers assisted, as well. Roughly 20 tractor-trailer loads of donated goods were provided loaded with food, water, clothing, toys, diapers, and other necessities.
Two decades later, Guard leaders emphasized how Katrina shaped today’s disaster response posture. “It was the first time many of us put on the uniform to serve the state mission,” Jara said. “That left a moral mark—it showed us what it really means to be citizen-Soldiers.”
The Arkansas National Guard plugged in to help in Louisiana and Mississippi wherever state and local civil authorities needed them to help.
“We had Soldiers, Airmen, active duty, law enforcement, FEMA—all pulling in the same direction. ” Jara said. “It wasn’t perfect, but it showed the importance of training and coordination, which we’ve carried forward ever since.”
| Date Taken: | 08.29.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.29.2025 11:44 |
| Story ID: | 546889 |
| Location: | NORTH LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 130 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Arkansas National Guard marks 20 years since Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, by SGT Israel Sanchez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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