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| [PHOTO: Staff Sgt. Ted Nichols/PA-National Guard/ Flickr] |
New York/Harrisburg: More than 400 Pennsylvania National Guard members recently
returned from New York and New Jersey after providing support for Hurricane
Sandy relief operations.
The soldiers and airmen were mobilized beginning Nov. 3, and
spent between five and 13 days out of state.
"Our soldiers and airmen did a terrific job responding
to the needs of our neighbors in New York and New Jersey," Maj. Gen.
Wesley Craig, Pennsylvania Adjutant General said. "The readiness,
adaptability and professionalism of our dynamic force is always showcased in
instances like these. Our soldiers and airmen are indeed always ready and
always there at a moment's notice to respond to operations at home and
abroad."
The troops supported a wide range of operations including:
fueling officially plated vehicles with unleaded and diesel fuel, assisting and
supporting civilian authorities, movement and distribution of relief supplies,
and providing communications capabilities to areas in need.
Nearly 375 soldiers and airmen were deployed to Floyd Bennett
Field in Brooklyn, N.Y. Units represented include: the 28th Military Police
Company, Johnstown; the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Washington; the 228th
Brigade Support Battalion, Easton; the 171st Air Refueling Wing, Coraopolis;
the 193rd Special Operations Wing, Middletown; the 201st RED HORSE Squadron,
Annville; and the 111th Fighter Wing, Horsham.
Nearly 50 additional guard members were deployed to
Lakehurst and West Orange, N.J., supporting fueling and communications
missions. Units represented include: the 271st Combat Communications Squadron,
Annville; and the 328th Brigade Support Battalion, Lebanon.
The guard members were providing support through the
Emergency Management Assistance Compact, or EMAC. The EMAC is an interstate
mutual aid agreement that provides a mechanism for sharing personnel, equipment
and resources among states during emergencies and disasters. EMAC has
traditionally been used by states for National Guard, emergency management and
other types of response assistance.
"The efforts of our Pennsylvania citizen-soldiers and
citizen-airmen were truly appreciated by the residents of New York and New
Jersey," said Craig. "From phone calls of thanks, thanks provided in
person on the streets, to thanks on our various social media sites; we know
they provided much needed help and an assuring presence where they were
sent."
In addition to support provided out of state, at the peak of
the storm response more than 2,000 Pennsylvania Guard members were placed on
duty in Pennsylvania in support of operations related to Hurricane Sandy.