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[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Kentucky National Guard Blackhawk helicopters fly Maj. Gen. Edward W. Tonini, the state adjutant general, and emergency management officials to survey flood damage sites in Smithland, Ky., April 28. (photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Oliver, Kentucky National Guard Public Affairs Office)"]
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Lt. Col. Kirk Hilbrecht, Director of Public Affairs, is the point of contact for this message. He can be reached at 502-385-8008.
FRANKFORT, Ky (April 29, 2011) – The Kentucky National Guard currently has approximately 128 Guardsmen equipped with tactical vehicles providing civic support to Western Kentucky in response to the flooding along the Ohio River. These Soldiers continue to conduct water barrier and sandbagging operations in Ballard and Livingston Counties as well as law enforcement support in Henderson, Fulton and McCracken Counties.
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Kentucky Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Edward W. Tonini supervises Pfc. Justin Ballard and Sgt. Aron Nesler while stacking sandbags for flood relief mission in Smithland, Ky., April 28. (photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Oliver, Kentucky National Guard Public Affairs Office)"]
Current Operations are as follows:
Ongoing Missions – All ground missions are being manned by elements of the 75th Troop Command. The 63rd Theater Aviation Brigade is providing aviation support. Ground Soldiers are deployed to Ballard, Livingston, Fulton, Henderson and McCracken Counties as follows:
a. Ballard County – Twenty-four Soldiers from 2113th Transportation Company continue performing sand bagging operations to protect home sites, conducting around the clock operations in three 8-hour shifts.
b. Henderson County – Fifteen Soldiers from 75th Troop Command are in Henderson, Kentucky to conduct presence patrols in support of local law enforcement. They will conduct operations 1800-0600 daily in support of the Henderson County Sheriff. These unarmed presence patrols are equipped with Sheriff Dept radios. Their mission is to deter looting by their presence and to report any activity to Henderson County Law Enforcement agencies, who will then respond.
c. Fulton County – Twelve Soldiers are conducting roving patrols with humvees in support of local law enforcement to assist in controlling access to flooded roadways leading to the levee system.
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Kentucky Guardsman Sgt. Aron Nesler, 2113th Transportation Company, briefs Maj. Gen. Edward W. Tonini, state adjutant general, on sandbag operations in Smithland, Ky., April 28. (photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Oliver, Kentucky National Guard Public Affairs Office)"]
d. McCracken County – Eight Soldiers are conducting roving patrols with humvees in support of the McCracken County Sheriff to deter looting and to report suspicious activity to local law enforcement agencies.
e. Fourteen Soldiers 103rd Chemical Battalion have deployed to Owensboro with cargo trucks in order to provide logistics support and transportation support.
f. Livingston County –
MISSION COMPLETE. The twenty-four Soldiers from 2113th TC have completed their mission of assisting in the construction of water barriers to protect the city of Smithland. They conducted around the clock operations in three 8-hour shifts.
g. Daviess County--
MISSION COMPLETE. The thirty Soldiers from the 206th Engineer Battalion and a sandbagging machine from the Wendell H. Ford Regional Training Center completed sand bagging operations to protect a KEWS facility.
Next 24 hours:
1. Operations in Ballard, Henderson, Fulton and McCracken Counties are expected to continue at or near current levels for the next several days.
2. US Army Corps of Engineers has requested aviation support to engineers assessing the status of USACE dams on 29 Apr 11. 63d Theatre Aviation Brigade has been tasked this mission.
3. The Commonwealth Emergency Operation Center is staffed at Level 3 0600-2400. The KYNG Joint Operations Center is staffed at Level 2, with augmented staffing and extended hours based on mission requirements. The EOC provides overnight phone coverage and response.
[caption id="attachment_6893" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="A Kentucky National Guard humvee from the 206th Engineer Battalion negotiates a water hazard while on flood relief duty in Henderson, Ky. (Photo by Spc. David Bolton, 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, Kentucky National Guard)"]
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