Oklahoma National Guard Aids Communities After Ice Storm

February 3, 2010
By CPT Geoff Legler, Courtesy of Oklahoma National Guard Office of Public Affairs
Oklahoma City, OK, United States

Following Oklahoma’s second severe winter storm of the season, the Oklahoma National Guard has been out in force transporting generators, food and water to areas of the state that have lost power.

The most recent storm struck on Thursday, Jan. 28, leaving most of the state covered in 0.25 to 2 inches of ice and 1 to 6 inches of snow. As of Tuesday morning, more than 79,000 homes and businesses were still without power.

Lieutenant Colonel Dedrick Hoskins, Joint Operations Center Officer In-Charge, said relief operations have been going smoothly and his staff has managed the distribution of missions in a fast and efficient manner.

“Initially, it took us a while to figure out what communities needed assistance first, but within a few hours we were in the groove and were moving generators to Mangum and Marlow,” said Hoskins.

Staff Sergeant Regina Godwin, also with the Oklahoma National Guard’s Joint Operations Center (JOC), said that the Oklahoma National Guard had completed 49 missions since Jan. 28. Most the missions were in support of local civil authorities in communities south and west of Oklahoma City. At the high point of operations, there were more than 150 Oklahoma National Guard members on duty in support of the relief missions.

The Oklahoma National Guard’s emergency relief missions are initiated by the State Office of Emergency Management. Once the request is received by the JOC, a unit is identified and the mission is assigned. The mission commander will then coordinate the pick-up, transport and drop-off of the supplies with the supplying agency and the receiving community.

“We have been working closely with the State Office of Emergency Management for nearly a week, and we are fortunate to have a great working relationship with them,” said Godwin.
A key component to the cohesive relationship that the Oklahoma National Guard has with the State Office of Emergency Management is the placement of a National Guard liaison in the state’s emergency operations center. The liaison works face-to-face with the state’s emergency management coordinators and then passes vital information back to Oklahoma National Guard leaders. 

As of Tuesday morning, the JOC was still receiving missions, including a request for bottled water and MREs for the town of Anadarko.

The convoy commander for the Anadarko resupply, Sergeant Daniel Chamberlain, of Lone Grove, OK, said that he was proud to be helping his fellow Oklahomans and members of his own Family through the supply missions.

“The importance of this mission really hit home when the first town I assisted was Hobart, where my dad lives,” said Chamberlain. “This is the second time I have been able to assist my Family during a natural disaster; the first was in February of 2009 when I answered the call for help in my hometown of Lone Grove after a devastating tornado struck the center of town.”

The Oklahoma National Guard expects the number of missions requested by the State Office of Emergency Management to continue to subside as power is restored to communities across southwestern Oklahoma. Guard leaders stress that they will continue to provide support to the citizens of Oklahoma for as long as it is needed.