Operation Northern Strike Highlights Michigan Capabilities

A C-130 Hercules from the 182nd Airlift Wing, Illinois Air National Guard, takes off from the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, Aug. 13, 2013, as two Airmen from the 127th Wing, Michigan Air National Guard, talk in front of an A-10 Thunderbolt II. The aircraft were both flying at Alpena in support of Operation Northern Strike, a joint military exercise that involved military personnel from more than a dozen different states and was centered around Alpena and the Camp Grayling Maneuvering Training Center, both in northern Michigan. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by MSgt. Denice Rankin/Released)

by TSgt. Dan Heaton,  127th Wing Public Affairs

SELFRIDGE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Mich. -- In one of the most comprehensive displays of military might in the modern history of the Great Lakes region, Operation Northern Strike brought together Soldiers, Airmen and other military personnel for two weeks of intense operational training at locations across northern Michigan in August.

The second annual exercise showcased not only the integrated combat capability of the Michigan Air and Army National Guard, but also highlighted the state's primary training facilities at Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center and the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, both located in northern Lower Michigan. Units and personnel from Selfridge Air National Guard Base and the Battle Creek Air National Guard Base also participated in the operation, along with support from Army, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Air Force units from around the state and Great Lakes region. The exercise also featured an international flavor with a half-dozen combat controllers from Latvia - one of Michigan's two State Partnership for Peace partner nations - and from Canada participating in the exercise. In all, 29 different units from 16 states, plus the two international partners, participated in the exercise.

The exercise allowed the various units of the Michigan National Guard to train on joint operations between air, land and sea units - even including coordination with a U.S. Navy frigate off the Virginia coast, said Col. Michael T. Thomas, 127th Wing commander at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, which provided both A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft and KC-135 Stratotanker refuelers to the exercise.

"The Michigan National Guard continues to develop tools to jointly project air power anywhere in the world," Thomas said. "Our Air National Guard units, facilities and synergies lead the way in becoming the eyes and ears of the warfighter, presenting and processing information for the entire team in unprecedented ways."

During the exercise, 127th Wing personnel launched aircraft from both Selfridge and from Alpena. A variety of Michigan Army National Guard helicopters also utilized the same runways to participate in the exercise. Utilizing the same base infrastructure for the various aircraft from multiple units makes the exercise cost-efficient for the taxpayer, said Col. Bryan Teff, commander of the Alpena CRTC.

"Northern Strike 2013 will establish the framework for future joint multi-dimensional operations at Camp Grayling and the Alpena CRTC allowing for progression in complexity, integration and dept," Teff said. "This event will validate the necessity of joint forces training in sustaining a ready Michigan Army and Air National Guard that has regional focus and global agility."

Units participating in the exercise included infantry, cavalry, field artillery, aviation, special operations elements of the Michigan Army National Guard; Air National Guard and Air Force Joint Terminal Attack Controllers and F-16s Fighting Falcon, C-130 Hercules and B-52 StratroFortress aircraft in addition to the A-10s and KC-135s from Selfridge; Marines from the 2nd Division, and a new player to the exercise, the Coast Guard's ice breaker USCGC Mackinaw and rescue helicopters from Traverse City. In addition to Michigan, National Guard personnel from Illinois, New York, Indiana and Georgia participated in the exercise.

The exercise featured more than 700 air sorties, many of which included "live fire" evolutions at the Grayling Aerial Gunnery Range or personnel extractions during search and rescue operations.

The Michigan Air National Guard is comprised of the 127th Wing at Selfridge Air National Guard Base and the 110th Air Wing at Battle Creek Air National Guard Base. The MI-ANG also operates the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center and the Grayling Aerial Gunnery Range in northern Michigan.

Thousands train during nuclear-bomb scenarios for Vibrant Response

A UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from Company B, 2nd Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment, based out of Frankfort, Ky., fills up during water bucket firefighting training at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center in Butlerville, Ind., during Vibrant Response, Aug. 6, 2013. (Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brad Staggs, Atterbury-Muscatatuck Public Affairs)

By Capt. Daniel VanHorn,  2/138th Field Artillery

CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. (8/13/13) - How would state and federal agencies react if a nuclear bomb detonated in two major metropolitan areas? Similar scenarios played out across Indiana, where Soldiers from the Kentucky National Guard's 63rd Theater Aviation Brigade conducted their annual two-week training, as part of an exercise called Vibrant Response.

Exercise Vibrant Response is a major homeland emergency response exercise conducted by U.S. Northern Command.

The exercise was facilitated by approximately 5,700 service members and civilians from federal and state agencies throughout the country. They trained at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center near Edinburgh, Ind. and Muscatatuck Urban Training Center near Butlerville, Ind., as well as throughout Southern Indiana to respond to a catastrophic domestic incident.

Col. Michael Ferguson, Commander of the 63rd TAB, has been preparing his brigade for this mission for the past year. He understands the importance this training is for real-life disasters his Soldiers might have to face.

"Our goal is to respond with speed and accuracy and be at the right place and right time to save lives," he said. "Aviation assets are crucial when it comes to casualty evacuations and disaster area assessments and they can get in and out faster than any other available asset."

Over the last four years, the 63rd has participated in five large-scale scenarios similar to this one, as part of their validation requirements by their higher headquarters, U.S. Army North.

The brigade currently has one of the missions as a dedicated response force to provide command and control of aviation assets for Joint Task Force-Civil Support, the unit charged with heading up the Department of Defense response in the event of a major catastrophe.

Camp Atterbury, Ind., Aug.2, 2013. A variety of Kentucky National Guard units worked to support each other as part of Exercise Vibrant Response in (?-LVH)

According to Warrant Officer Brandon Kruchinski, a UH-60 Blackhawk pilot with B Company, 2-147th Assault Company, the exercise provided valuable opportunities to hone their skills in a variety of tasks.

"It's been good experience working hand in hand with various agencies,"  Kruchinski said. "We can use this training to become better at responding to a disaster. The real-world training is valuable because it allows us to cross-train with other agencies."

Pilots were not the only Soldiers benefiting from the scale of the exercise.

The 351st Aviation Support Company, out of Frankfort, Ky., consists of numerous mobile maintenance facilities that can be packed and shipped to any location. Each container weighs about 15,000 pounds and has every tool needed to conduct repairs on downed or deadlines aviation assets. The systems are designed to be transported on the highway within hours of notification.

According to 1st Sgt. Timothy Porter, the 351st is comprised of more than 70 Soldiers who usually learn about helicopter maintenance by reading equipment and maintenance manuals. With the exercise underway, they have been able to work on Indiana's dead-lined UH-60 helicopters.
"Conducting maintenance on the Indiana National Guard aviation assets allows our Soldiers to become validated on actual helicopters while gaining experience with transporting our mobile shop systems," said Porter.

Vibrant Response has provided a wide variety of training experiences to Soldiers of the Kentucky National Guard.

Often the exercise uses units from across the country and other assets in order to accomplish their training. This year, the 63rd deployed with its subordinate units from within the Commonwealth. The UH-60 Blackhawk unit, Bravo Co. 2-147, the OH-58 Kiowa unit, Charlie Co. 1-376th and support units, the 1204th Aviation Support Battalion and Bravo  Co.,  351st Aviation were all on the ground throughout Southern Indiana providing real-time mission support to all the players involved in the exercise. The aviation units even partnered up with the 138th Signal Company out of Lexington, Ky., to provide actual signal support to all the deployed units, which showcased a great partnership between the major support commands of the Kentucky Guard.
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"This exercise will enable Kentucky aviators to be prepared to respond with great efficiency to a variety of situations," said Ferguson. "Our Guardsmen are one of Kentucky's finest assets."

Virginia National Guard helicopter crew departs to support Southwest border mission

Soldiers from the Sandston-based Detachment 1, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 151st Aviation Regiment depart for the Texas border aboard a UH-72 Lakota helicopter July 29, 2013, from the Virginia National Guard’s Army Aviation Support Facility in Sandston, Va. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Terra C. Gatti, Virginia Guard Public Affairs)

SANDSTON, Va.  - Soldiers from Detachment 1, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 151st Aviation Regiment departed today for the Texas border aboard a UH-72 Lakota helicopter from the Virginia National Guard's Army Aviation Support Facility in Sandston, Va.

The four-person crew will provide aerial reconnaissance support to U.S. Customs and Border Protection in support of the national effort to counter illegal immigration along the U.S. Southwest Border. Approximately 15 Virginia Guard Soldiers will rotate through Texas between now and the end of October in support of the National Guard border mission.

Virginia pilots and maintainers last supported U.S. Customs and Border Protection with aerial reconnaissance support along the U.S. southwest border from Aug. 27 to Dec. 6, 2013. During their previous rotation along the border, Virginia Guard Soldiers directly supported the apprehension of more than 1,800 illegal immigrants, to include human traffickers and narcotics smugglers. They also assisted Customs and Border Protection agents in the seizure of more than 1,500 pounds of narcotics with an estimated street value of over $1.25 million.

During their time in Texas, the Virginia Guard Soldiers worked under the Texas National Guard and alongside air crews and aircraft from states including South Carolina, Florida, Maryland and Washington, D.C. Each rotation of Soldiers included pilots, crew chiefs, and maintainers to keep the aircraft flying and Virginia Guard Soldiers filled additional manpower gaps, even helping to fly other state's aircraft as needed.

While in Texas, Virginia Guard air crews flew 627 mission hours, which amounted to 68% of the total mission hours flown by all aircraft. Of the five aircraft on site, Virginia's Lakota flew 287 of the mission hours, or 31 percent of the total hours flown, which was 21 percent more than the second most flown aircraft.

Virginia Guard aviators also supported the Southwest Border mission in 2008. Soldiers from the Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment spent weeks assisting United States Customs and Border Protection with the effort to secure the U.S./ Mexico border in Arizona as Task Force Raven and Task Force Diamondback for Operation Jump Start.

Colorado National Guard to facilitate 'Vigilant Guard' exercise

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (7/19/13) - The Colorado National Guard will facilitate a large-scale, multi-state, multi-agency emergency response exercise in the Denver and Colorado Springs metropolitan areas July 22-26.

Named "Vigilant Guard," the exercise is focused on interagency coordination in preparation for domestic emergencies and catastrophic events.

The exercise scenario, which has been in planning since 2011, is based on a wildland fire with urban interface, and will include severe weather including tornadoes.
Just as they would in real life, these notional events will create a number of consequences that will require emergency intervention.

Participants will exercise their knowledge of and expertise in storm damage assessment; hazmat identification, abatement and decontamination; search and rescue; patient extraction; triage; medevac and other emergency-response measures.

Sponsored by U.S. Northern Command in conjunction with the National Guard Bureau, the exercise will provide the Colorado National Guard and supporting military units an opportunity to improve cooperation and operational relationships with their local, state, private sector, non-governmental organizations and federal partners.

National Guard units from Colorado, Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota, Utah and Wyoming will be participating.

Locations for the exercise will be:

July 22: Colorado National Guard Joint Operations Center, Fort Carson Airfield and U.S. Air Force Academy Fire Department

July 23 Media Day: Colorado National Guard Joint Operations Center, North Metro Fire Training Complex, Denver Health Medical Center, Community College of Aurora, Exempla St. Joseph Hospital and Bonfils Blood Center

More specific details about this day, including the most visually stimulating events and times, will be released separately.

July 24: Colorado National Guard Joint Operations Center, North Metro Fire Training Complex, West Metro Fire Training Center, North Suburban Medical Center, University of Denver, Denver International Airport, Community College of Aurora

July 25: Colorado National Guard Joint Operations Center, North Metro Fire Training Complex, Porter Adventist Hospital, Pepsi Center, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
July 26: Colorado National Guard Joint Operations Center

61,000 National Guard troops prep for Hurricane Sandy

By Steve Marshall and Air Force Tech. Sgt. John Orrell    National Guard Bureau

ARLINGTON, Va.  – National Guard members and residents along the East Coast prepared today for Hurricane Sandy, which gained strength as it churned toward the eastern seaboard.
The storm was barreling north from the Caribbean and was expected to make landfall early Tuesday near the Delaware coast, then hit two winter weather systems while moving inland, creating the potential for a monster storm, according to the Associated Press.

At least 61,000 National Guard members are on hand, Guard officials said today.

As of 1:30 p.m. EDT today, governors in Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia and the mayor of Washington D.C., have declared states of emergency.

In Delaware, Gov. Jack Martell advised residents, “Be prepared to leave and be prepared to stay.” Delaware state agencies are planning for the worst, Martell said Friday.

National Guard units in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and the District of Columbia are coordinating with authorities in the event Sandy makes landfall as predicted.

North Carolina alone has 10,000 Citizen-Soldiers standing by if needed.

"We are monitoring Hurricane Sandy closely and coordinating with our federal, state and local partners to ensure a coordinated and efficient response," said Gen. Frank J. Grass, chief of the National Guard Bureau. "Units across the National Guard are making the necessary preparations to respond to the needs of any states affected by Hurricane Sandy; rest assured the National Guard is poised and ready to provide proven responders and capabilities."

According to National Weather Service officials, the Category I storm could weaken into a tropical storm before it hits land in the Northeast/New England coast, but it could drop as much as 10 inches of rain along the coast on its northerly trajectory. If it collides with arctic air moving from the north and an early winter storm moving from the west, Sandy could potentially turn into what some weather officials are calling the “perfect storm.”

In Delaware, the 142nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron has nurses and med techs already on standby, while the Air Guard is moving all flyable equipment out of the storm’s path over the weekend. The Army Guard will be sheltering helicopters until the storm passes, at which point they can fly into action as needed, Delaware National Guard officials said.

"We are joined in a cooperative effort - to save lives, protect property, and support recovery efforts," Gen. Grass said.

The Department of Defense Prepares for Hurricane Sandy

At the direction of Secretary Panetta, the Department of Defense is taking aggressive steps to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and State authorities as Hurricane Sandy moves northward.

With the goal of helping to save lives and property during the storm, the Secretary has agreed with the Governors of Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Rhode Island to appoint Dual Status Commanders as the storm approaches.

Dual Status Commanders are authorized to command both Federal and State National Guard forces. This special authority enables them to effectively integrate the defense support operations and capabilities that Governors request. The Secretary is prepared to quickly agree to similar requests from other States.

At the federal level, the Department's disaster preparedness and response efforts support the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA, and rapidly meet the requests for assistance they provide.

United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) is placing aviation assets such as light and medium lift helicopters and rescue teams on 24 hour Prepare to Deploy Order status in response to Hurricane Sandy. USNORTHCOM is also providing military installations for FEMA to use to conduct response operations, and is providing specialized planners who will help expedite DoD's response to requests for assistance.

The National Guard Bureau is in close coordination with Adjutants General (TAGs) and their disaster response teams in every East Coast state. These State National Guard organizations are coordinating with their respective state emergency management agencies and FEMA regions.

Thousands of Army and Air Guard members ready and prepared for Isaac

Personnel in the National Guard Command Center in Arlington, Va., monitor the progress of Tropical Storm Isaac as it makes its way through the Gulf of Mexico, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. The NGCC, which serves as a hub that provides an overall tracking and coordination of National Guard elements, has gone to 24 hour operations in preparation for Isaac making landfall. Isaac's predicted path has it hitting the Gulf Coast region sometime Tuesday or Wednesday. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy)(Released)

Editor's Note: This is station HQ703N on the National Guard HF ALE nets. We have seen this station very active the last few days. Watch our twitter feed @MilcomMP for freqs.

WASHINGTON - More than 33,500 National Guard personnel and nearly 100 aircraft are available to the governors of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, as Tropical Storm Isaac threatens states along the Gulf of Mexico, Defense Department officials said.

Army Maj. Gen. Augustus L. Collins, Mississippi's adjutant general, called about 1,500 National Guard personnel to state active duty in support of emergency operations in anticipation of the storm's potential landfall on or near the Mississippi Gulf Coast later this week. Guard Soldiers and Airmen will begin arriving today in coastal counties, preparing to support security operations, search and rescue, debris removal and commodity distribution, officials said.

In Louisiana, Gov. Bobby Jindal has activated 4,126 National Guard personnel to assist with evacuation and logistics.

Defense Department facilities near Isaac's projected path are taking actions to alert, prepare and secure their equipment, facility and personnel for the storm. Homestead Air Reserve Base, MacDill Air Force Base, Tyndall Air Force Base, Duke Field and Hurlburt Field in Florida, as well as Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, La., have relocated their aircraft, or have evacuations in progress, officials said.

Rick Knabb, director of the National Hurricane Center, said people should not take the storm lightly.

"In this case we have a tropical storm that we're forecasting to become a hurricane," he said, "and it certainly concerns me that people don't take it seriously, because right now they see it as a tropical storm and may not believe that it's going to strengthen.

"We cannot guarantee 100 percent how much it's going to strengthen," he continued. "We're forecasting Category 1. It could end up being a little stronger than that, perhaps a 2, [or] it could end up being a little weaker than that, perhaps a tropical storm. That's strong enough, in any of those cases, to produce problems with regard to wind and wind damage."

A tropical storm packs winds up to 74 mph. A Category 1 hurricane has winds up to 95 mph and a Category 2 storm's winds are in the 96 to 110 mph range. U.S. Northern Command is coordinating the Defense Department's support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state and local response activities.

The National Guard Bureau’s National Guard Command Center has gone to 24 hour operations in anticipation of Isaac making landfall. Personnel in the NGCC have been tracking the storm’s progress as well as coordinating and working with Guard elements in the states that may be affected by the storm.

Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla., and Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., have been designated as incident support bases.

National Guard Prepares For Tropical Storm Isaac

By Amaani Lyle, American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, DC – National Guard Coordination Center officials are stepping up efforts to prepare for the possibility that Tropical Storm Isaac, now in the Caribbean, could strengthen and affect the U.S mainland.

“Though no states have yet sought assistance, we’re planning on a Gulf strike at Category 1 [hurricane] level in Mississippi, Alabama or the Florida panhandle,” said Air National Guard Col. Matt Wessel, the Coordination Center’s operations director. “We’ve identified Army Guard aviation rotary assets from numerous states, including Gulf region states outside of the storm’s path, as well as fixed wing C-23s and 38 helicopters within the local region ready to respond.”

Wessel said state and Guard officials will closely monitor the course of the storm to determine what assets may be needed and how to quickly to respond.

The National Weather Service reports the center of Isaac will move near or over southeastern Cuba Saturday and is expected to strengthen. While the exact track is uncertain, residents in South Florida and the Florida Keys are being told to monitor Isaac’s path.

“We’ve done the analysis on the trigger point and we’ve got it covered,” Wessel said. “We’re prepared and ready to initiate emergency support functions while providing direct support to ensure the NGB is able to carry out emergency functions.”

Lt. Col. Al Gorman, Army National Guard current operations director, said NGB officials are preparing for storms and closely coordinating with states and assisting states where necessary.

“If the storm looks to be greater than a Category 2, states may consider mutual aid and troops may be sent from one state to another to assist,” he said.

The deployment or redeployment of aircraft, however, is at the discretion of the local commanders’ responsible for those assets.

“That is a precautionary measure to protect the taxpayers’ assets,” Wessel said.

Texas Guard Supports Super Bowl XLV

In addition to helping out with the massive storm slamming the Midwest, the National Guard is also helping handle logistics for this weekend's Super Bowl in Dallas.

And from a related article:

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 2011 - From Air Force fighter jet flyovers to Army parachutists dropping in at halftime, the U.S. military and the National Football League have shared more than 40 years of Super Bowl history.

That tradition continues this week during the Super Bowl XLV festivities in North Texas. The Pittsburgh Steelers are playing for their second Super Bowl win in three years as they face the Green Bay Packers at Cowboys Stadium on Feb. 6.

NFL players in the area were scheduled to spend yesterday afternoon greeting troops returning from combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Tonight at 8, NFL players and hall-of-famers in Texas for the game will connect with deployed troops for the annual NFL Charities Super Bowl Celebrity Bowling Classic. The interactive broadcast will connect the celebrities with wounded servicemembers recovering at a military hospital in Afghanistan.

Ten wounded warriors recovering in San Diego and Washington, D.C., will travel to North Texas courtesy of NFL Experience. The troops will participate in the Rehabbing with the Troops program and work out with NFL players Feb. 4. The troops were selected for finishing in the top 10 of the season-long program, which used EA Active NFL training camps to help wounded troops with their rehabilitation.

Also on Feb. 4, several sevice members will participate in NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's news conference. About 150 children from Fort Hood, Texas, will participate in an NFL youth football clinic hosted by the I'm Not a Hero Foundation.

Fort Hood servicemembers will attend several other Super Bowl events as special guests of the NFL throughout the week, including the NFL Experience and the Tazon Latino Flag Football game today, VH1's Pepsi Fan Jam tomorrow, Univision Pepsi Fan Jam Feb. 4 and a special concert Feb. 5 hosted by Country Music Television.

The NFL will cap off the week with a Super Bowl party throughout the game at Joint Base Meyer-Henderson Hall, Va., for wounded warriors recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here.

Throughout the years, the Super Bowl has become one of the most highly rated televised events of the year. This year, Super Bowl XLV will be broadcast to more than 230 countries to a potential worldwide audience of more than 1 billion viewers, including servicemembers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Guard Response Grows After Massive Storm

By Air Force Tech. Sgt. John Orrell, National Guard Bureau

WASHINGTON - About 2,500 National Guard members now are conducting relief and rescue operations in nine of the 30 states affected by the blizzard conditions and severe winter storms covering an almost 2,000-mile stretch of the country.

Since Jan. 31, the governors of Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Wisconsin have declared states of emergency, with the National Guard activated in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin.

The Indiana National Guard has 667 Guard members operating from 44 armories throughout the central and northern parts of the state and along the Interstate 70 corridor, performing highway assistance missions, transporting civilians to safe areas and responding to emergency calls.

If they're needed, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels will call up an additional 189 soldiers and airmen for state active duty for the severe weather response, the Indiana Guard reported.

In Illinois, 500 National Guard members are activated, and Gov. Pat Quinn has mobilized additional resources from the Illinois National Guard to ensure safety as the state continues its response to severe winter weather. Quinn –- in consultation with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the Illinois State Police -– has ordered National Guard soldiers to provide direct transportation to Illinois State Police troopers, Guard officials reported. He also relieved the soldiers of their previous mission of manning the more than 20 rest areas from Interstate 70 near St. Louis and northward to Chicago.

The Illinois Guardsmen also relayed information on road conditions, vehicle accidents and stranded motorists to Illinois State Police officers conducting roving patrols.

Early estimates yesterday evening indicated more than 50 motorists were assisted, but Illinois National Guard and Illinois Emergency Management Agency officials said those estimates probably are low, because not all of the assistance is being documented, given the nature of the mission.

"Our main goal is to assist civil authorities helping motorists and those in need," said Army Maj. Brad Leighton, director of public affairs for the Illinois National Guard. "Our mission is to protect and serve our fellow Illinoisans."

The Illinois Guard troops will report to Illinois State Police district stations with Humvees and other all-terrain trucks, and will transport state troopers as they assist stranded motorists.

Many Guard members will be shifted from the southern part of the state to the most severely affected northern communities, officials said.

The Missouri National Guard has activated more than 600 soldiers and airmen spread over three task forces for emergency missions throughout the state. They're making door-to-door safety visits, providing critical infrastructure power generation, helping stranded motorists, conducting presence patrols and clearing emergency routes to support first responders.

The Missouri Guard also has sent liaison officers to emergency operations centers.

ABC affiliate KMBC-9 in Kansas City reported that Missouri National Guard members assisted in the delivery of a baby early this morning. Two Guard members used Humvees to transport an ambulance crew to a rural home where the ambulance could not travel, the television station reported, and then transported the pregnant woman to a hospital in time for the birth of the baby.

In Oklahoma, about 100 Guard members are working with the Department of Transportation and the Highway Patrol to assist stranded motorists, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency is using the Will Rogers Air National Guard Base in Oklahoma City for equipment staging.

About 75 Wisconsin National Guard members are deployed to armories across the state to assist local and state authorities with weather-related emergencies. The deployment was in response to Gov. Scott Walker's state of emergency declaration, which directs all state agencies to assist with response or recovery efforts and authorizes Air Force Brig. Gen. Don Dunbar, the adjutant general, to mobilize Wisconsin Guard soldiers and airmen.

"The National Guard's dual mission makes us uniquely suited for emergency response," Dunbar said. "We are trained and equipped to answer the call and meet the needs of Wisconsin citizens. Support to civilian authorities is a core mission of our soldiers and airmen. When the state needs us, we're there."

Guard members assigned to tactical vehicles reported to armories in Plymouth, Milwaukee, Oak Creek, Kenosha, Sussex, Elkhorn, Watertown, Janesville and Platteville on Jan. 31, where they'll remain through the state of emergency or until released.

Those armories will be available for use as back-up emergency shelters, and the soldiers will stand by to support local authorities with operations such as door-to-door safety visits, generator assistance or stranded-motorist support.

The Iowa National Guard has about 30 Guard members supporting the Iowa Department of Transportation and Iowa State Patrol on highway assistance missions.

The Texas National Guard has about 30 Guard members assisting stranded motorists in Wichita Falls and Lubbock.

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback joined Army Maj. Gen. Lee Tafanelli, adjutant general, at a news conference to update the state's response to the winter weather. Tafanelli said the response is a coordinated effort that includes the Kansas National Guard, Highway Patrol, Department of Transportation, Department of Health and Environment and Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The Kansas National Guard has 16 Guard members and four Humvees deployed to transport medical personnel to and from hospitals, he said. He added that additional Guard members are assisting the Highway Patrol in rescuing stranded motorists and clearing vehicles from the roadway. Several armories are open as shelters.

In Arkansas, the National Guard has about five Guard members transporting supplies from Little Rock to the Washington County emergency management facility in Fayetteville in case they're needed.

Pennsylvania has about 400 National Guard members on standby, but no mission requirements had been assigned as of last night.

National Guard Responds to Winter Storm

By Air Force Tech. Sgt. John Orrell
National Guard Bureau

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 2011 - In response to blizzard conditions and strong winter storms across a third of the country, six governors have declared states of emergency and about 1,100 National Guard members from 11 states have been activated or are on standby, National Guard Bureau officials said.

As of 6 p.m. EST yesterday, the governors of Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Wisconsin had declared states of emergency, and the Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Texas and Wisconsin National Guard had activated.

Meanwhile, Guard members in Indiana, Kansas, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania were on standby, officials said.

A day after Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency, the Missouri National Guard called up more than 600 soldiers and airmen to conduct emergency missions throughout the state. The Missouri Guard members will be spread over three task forces, Army Maj. Gen. Stephen L. Danner, adjutant general, said.

"Our force is seasoned by dozens of overseas deployments and 18 state emergency missions since 2005," Danner said. "Our citizen-soldiers and airmen are ready to protect their fellow Missourians in their time of need, whether they are conducting door-to-door safety visits or clearing critical paths for emergency vehicles so first responders can do their jobs."

Soldiers and airmen with Task Force East, based in St. Louis; Task Force Northwest, based in Kansas City; and Task Force Southwest, based in Springfield, are making door-to-door safety visits, providing critical infrastructure power generation, helping stranded motorists, conducting presence patrols and clearing emergency routes to support first responders. The Missouri Guard also has sent liaison officers to emergency operation centers.

Meanwhile, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has activated more than 500 Illinois National Guard members to help stranded motorists. They will be stationed at rest areas along Interstate 70 and other highways and will coordinate with the Illinois State Police to ensure the safety of travelers stranded along the roads.

"We must do everything we can to keep motorists safe during this massive winter storm," Quinn said. "Illinois Department of Transportation crews are working nonstop to clear roadways, and the Illinois State Police will also be closely monitoring our highways. These troops from the Illinois National Guard will help ensure public safety along the roadways, and I urge everyone to exercise caution when traveling."

Guard members stationed along the highways will provide water, snack bars and roadside safety tips to stranded motorists and will relay information regarding road conditions, vehicle accidents and stranded motorists to state police officers.

"I'm proud that the Illinois National Guard is able to play our part in responding to this winter storm," said Army Maj. Gen. William L. Enyart, Illinois adjutant general. "Our soldiers and airmen respond to the governor's call to help in state emergencies, just as we answer the president's call to serve overseas. It takes selfless citizens to serve in today's National Guard –- whether in Illinois or across the world."

In Arkansas, the National Guard has about five Guard members transporting supplies from Little Rock to the Washington County emergency management facility in Fayetteville in preparation for any needed assistance.

The Indiana National Guard had not yet been activated last night, but about 875 Guard members were on standby. About 30 members of the Iowa National Guard are helping stranded motorists.

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback declared a state of emergency, which activates the disaster response and recovery portions of the Kansas Response Plan, which authorizes state resources and funds to expedite emergency assistance statewide, including the National Guard.

In Oklahoma, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is using the Will Rogers Air National Guard Base in Oklahoma City for equipment staging, but no National Guard personnel are anticipated to be used to support this FEMA mission assignment, officials said.

The Texas National Guard has about 30 Guard members assisting stranded motorists in Wichita Falls and Lubbock.

With Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker declaring a state of emergency, Air Force Brig. Gen. Don Dunbar, the state's adjutant general, can activate elements of the Wisconsin National Guard to active duty to assist local authorities if needed. The declaration also directs all state agencies to assist in any response or recovery efforts.

New Jersey and Pennsylvania have Guard members on standby, but no mission requirements had arisen as of last night.

Missouri Guard Mobilizes for Storm Support

By Air Force Tech. Sgt. John Orrell, National Guard Bureau

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2011 - Four governors have declared states of emergency and one has mobilized his state's National Guard due to blizzard warnings and strong winter storms.

By 9 a.m. EST today, the governors of Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Illinois had declared states of emergency, with three to six inches of sleet and up to a foot and a half of snow anticipated for some areas.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon mobilized about 600 Missouri National Guard members to support local authorities with emergency route clearance, door-to-door safety visits, generator assistance and stranded-motorist support, Missouri Guard officials said. The Missouri Guard also has sent liaison officers to emergency operation centers in affected cities and counties.

Army Maj. Gen. Stephen Danner, Missouri's adjutant general, said that the Missouri Guard has dealt with similar situations before, and that he feels confident Guard members will get the job done again.

"The leadership and soldiers and airmen of the Missouri National Guard are seasoned professionals," Danner said. "We will apply lessons learned from years of experience to help the citizens of Missouri."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is using the Will Rogers Air National Guard Base in Oklahoma City, Okla., for equipment staging, but National Guard officials said they don't anticipate this FEMA mission assignment will require Guard support.

Guard Storm Preps

The Oklahoma National Guard is standing by to support winter storm operations after the state's governor declared a state of emergency for Oklahoma on Monday.