Units nationwide assist Task Force Pelican

ARNEWS ^ | Sep 5, 2005 | unattributed

[SandRat]

BATON ROUGE, La. (Army News Service, Sept. 5, 2005) – Units from across the nation have descended on Louisiana and Mississippi in response to Hurricane Katrina as part of the unprecedented call-up of National Guard and other military forces for a natural disaster.

“It’s state helping state and neighbor helping neighbor,” said Florida Army National Guard Brig. Gen. Michael Fleming.

Fleming, who is in Louisiana because of his extensive experience from the four hurricanes which struck Florida last year, said the National Guard’s primary focus is to save lives, provide security, and evacuate residents.

Approximately 38,000 Guardsmen operating in the devastated areas are combing the flooded streets of New Orleans for victims, pulling survivors from the rooftops of buildings by helicopter, and handing out supplies.

An additional 4,000 National Guardsmen are expected to arrive by Tuesday called to assist with Task Force Pelican – Louisiana’s response to category-four Hurricane Katrina.

In Mississippi, Alabama Army National Guardsmen provide security at gas stations, and Florida Army National Guardsmen patrol the streets of Bay St. Louis as part of the massive humanitarian effort requested by state governors.

In Louisiana alone more than 49,000 people are living in shelters around the state and another 47,000 have been moved out of state to temporary housing. Preliminary numbers indicate Task Force Pelican has distributed more than 620,000 bottles of water and 320,000 meals since the storm hit.

Jeffrey Hetherington, a retired Florida Army National Guard colonel assisting the state’s logistics officer with setting up staging areas for supplies flowing into Louisiana, said it is critical to get ice, water, and MREs to storm victims.

‘It is a matter of life or death,” Hetherington said. “It is what we do and how well we do it that will determine if people live or die.”

With late summer temperatures soaring into the upper 90s the National Guard is working hard to alleviate the suffering of storm victims.

Hetherington said currently there are 20 points of distribution set up manned by National Guardsmen, Texas Forestry Service, and parish volunteers. More distribution sites will be set up soon, he said.

(Editor's note: Information provided by the National Guard Bureau.)

[SandRat]

National Guard soldiers from 1st Battalion, 204th Air Defense Artillery Battalion, Newton, Miss., distribute Meals Ready to Eat and ice in Pascagoula, Miss., on Sept. 3, during humanitarian relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina. Master Sgt. James Bowman

[SandRat]

GUARD to the rescue

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!