MOORINGSPORT, La. — With one water plant down and the other not operating at full capacity, the small town of Mooringsport, La., needed assistance, and the Louisiana Army National Guard stepped up to help.
According to Lt. Col. Marc Kelly, commander of the 199th Brigade Support Battalion in Alexandria, La., the unit received the assignment from the Joint Operations Center on Camp Beauregard, under the direction of the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, on the evening of June 18, during its annual training. Though conducting pre-mobilization training in preparation for deployment, the 199th was able to have three 5,000-gallon water tankers en route to help quench the thirst of the Caddo Parish community before daylight the following morning.
Pat Turnley, an employee of the water department, said the water started running low about a week prior. The local government had to turn the water completely off on scheduled intervals to give one of the water plants a chance to fill back up in order to provide enough water for the following day.
"It is so wonderful that the National Guard came out to help," Turnley said. "We can't express our gratification."
Sandy Davis, director of the Bossier-Caddo Department of Homeland Security, received a call from Mooringsport officials when they realized the only water plant left was not able to sustain the needs of the residents. Davis indicated that at that point, he knew just what to do.
"I told them to be ready because once I called the Joint Operations Center, I knew it was going to be like squeezing a trigger," he said. "There has never been any disaster where we have requested the Guard's support and didn't get a fast turn-around."
The three National Guard tankers receive water from the city of Shreveport, La., and are transporting it to the water plant in Mooringsport, La.
Shreveport resident and officer-in-charge of the mission, 1st Lt. Brian C. White, was pleased with the opportunity to be able to assist his community. "This is the type mission I love doing," he said. "This is why I joined the Guard; to help out my state and now my community."
According to Davis, the water plant should be up and running on its own June 24th; however, the LANG Soldiers will remain on site, transporting at least 50,000 gallons daily until the plant is self-sustaining.
"They are so hard-working and without a complaint, they will work through nights and weekends ... whatever the mission is, they're willing to support," Davis said.