WEBVTT

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- [Narrator] Oklahoma National
Guardsmen answered the call

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to help their local communities
dealing with flooding

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and significant storm damage
from the past few weeks.

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In Tulsa, the Oklahoma National Guard

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has about 300 Guardsmen
assisting law enforcement

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and other first responders.

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Soldiers from the 1st
Battalion 160th Field Artillery

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filled sandbags and delivered
them to multiple locations

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along the Arkansas River,

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which has reached a near
record-breaking flood stage,

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according to the National Weather Service.

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Multiple rivers and streams
have been out of their banks

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for nearly a week.

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Members of Task Force One
Swift Water Rescue team,

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have performed multiple
helicopter evacuations

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along the Arkansas River
in northeastern Oklahoma.

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- When we first got the call

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that we were going to do
flood rescues with civilians,

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we had some challenges
with the logistics of that,

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whether they're gonna go in
seats, where we were gonna

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pick 'em up from and where
we were gonna drop them off.

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A lotta things changed when
we got into the landing zone.

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We found there weren't just
adults that we're used to,

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but there were children

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and elderly that had medical equipment,

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as well as extra baggage.

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- The Oklahoma National
Guard had to rescue its own

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from their training base Camp Gruber,

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which is dealing with
flooding issues as well.

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Guardsmen have also
delivered drinking water

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and generators to many Oklahoma towns,

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including Nowata, Coffeyville and Carter.

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In El Reno, 12 Guardsmen from
the 63rd Civil Support team,

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provided search and rescue
assistance to the community,

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after it was struck by a large tornado,

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rated as an EF3, on Friday night.

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- The job of a soldier
and a National Guardsman

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is to put ourselves between
the danger and the civilian

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and that's where we get
to shine I guess the most.

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And that was most rewarding
about being able to do that.

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- The Oklahoma National Guard

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continues to serve the community,

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during the on-going weather emergencies.

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More rain and thunderstorms
are forecasted for this week.

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Reporting for the Oklahoma National Guard,

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I'm Army Staff Sergeant Christopher Bruce.