Story by: Sgt. Marcus Gable, 107th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Camp Blanding Joint Training Center (Sept. 8, 2017) – Florida Governor Rick Scott has activated approximately 4,000 Florida National Guard (FLNG) Soldiers and Florida Air National Guard personnel in preparation for the impending landfall of Hurricane Irma.
Hurricane Irma, a category 5 Hurricane with winds of up to 185 miles per hour, is currently churning through the Atlantic Ocean while leaving behind paths of destruction in St. Martin, Puerto Rico and other islands.
While Gov. Scott is providing the necessary precautions, the FLNG Soldiers and Airmen at Camp Blanding’s Joint Emergency Operations Center (JEOC) are conducting response operations to determine the level of support and logistical requirements needed for this hurricane, which has a path as wide as the state.
“Our priorities for support include linking in with local and county officials and identifying what their immediate requirements and needs are,” said Col. John Pelleriti, Director, Directorate of Military Support, Joint Emergency Operations Center.
According to Col. Pelleriti, once the missions are approved by the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Tallahassee, the Soldiers at the JEOC will begin directing first responders’ support missions on the ground.
“Our priorities are life-saving, search and rescue, and working with law enforcement to establish security,” said Pelleriti.
Once these initial missions are complete, the Soldiers and Airmen at the JEOC will focus on establishing support for humanitarian efforts.
Coordination between the JEOC and the troops on the ground is paramount to providing the highest level of support possible. The JEOC will continue to provide strategic support as approximately 7,000 FLNG members report for duty to their respected units throughout the state by Friday night.
As troops and equipment steadily stream into staging areas in Florida, the JEOC and FLNG Soldiers and Airmen stand ready to provide citizens with responsive support.
“We mobilized early to ensure the JEOC was functioning at full capacity,” said Col. Pelleriti. “If you are late for requests to come, you are going to be late for needs of the people.”