Raleigh, N.C. – Soldiers, equipment and resources from Fort Liberty, North Carolina, moved into parts of Western North Carolina beginning Oct. 3, 2024, to augment the North Carolina National Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the leading response agencies, with Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.
U.S. Northern Command is synchronizing active-duty Title 10 Defense Support for Civil Authorities efforts in support of the lead agencies. Active-duty Soldiers mobilized for this effort will fall under the direction of the Dual Status Commander, Brig. Gen. Wes Morrison, a member of the North Carolina National Guard who is jointly managed by the commander of USNORTHCOM and the National Guard Bureau and may, by law, serve in two statuses – federal and state – simultaneously.
This support includes up to 1,000 general purpose troops, which will be sourced out of the 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. General support requirements include command and control personnel, infrastructure support, sustainment efforts, supplies and services, fuels and other functions. Activities will also include establishing and maintaining infrastructure to sustain activities across the range of military-focused operations to enable Department of Defense and civilian response.
Light Medium (highwater rescue and recovery vehicles or high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles) or similar vehicles for transporting people and/or cargo into affected areas will also be provided.
Other DoD activities include:
• Providing a variety of helicopters that are prepositioned or are in place to perform search and rescue, heavy lift and other operations.
• Performing support missions to resupply commodities, or needed items, in affected counties in Western North Carolina.
• Through the Army Corps of Engineers, assessing water and wastewater treatment plants in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, as well as conducting electricity, flood fight and dam assessments in affected states.
• The Civil Air Patrol has flown 62 missions in support of relief efforts.
North Carolina has now activated over 1,500 National Guardsmen currently dedicated to storm response. The North Carolina National Guard along with over 10 different states’ guardsmen have been spearheading the response effort across the impacted western region of North Carolina, providing critical lifesaving and life-sustaining support to the communities impacted by Hurricane Helene.
The National Guard has activated more than 6,500 Guardsmen along with different vehicle packages to assist the effort. As of today, the Guard has delivered over 3 million pounds of water, food, and life-sustaining supplies to the area. The Guard has conducted more than 200 flights and countless hours of over the road missions, resulting in over 1400 rescues. Forestry support teams have assisted in removing more than 900 obstacles across the western roadways.
The DoD is providing people, helicopters, ground vehicles, and equipment in full support of the leading entities – the North Carolina National Guard and FEMA. The assistance will include delivering support and commodities [needed items] to impacted and isolated communities, assisting with supply point logistics at commodity staging locations, and removing debris from affected routes.
USNORTHCOM headquarters is located in Colorado Springs, and in partnership with FEMA, are anticipating future needs, thinking through scenarios, and lining up capabilities and resources to be able to quickly deliver them to the Dual Status Commander in North Carolina.
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NOTE TO EDITORS: For further information, please contact North Carolina National Guard Public Affairs at (984) 664-6242 or email us at ng.nc.ncarng.mbx.pao@army.mil. For queries about media embeds, contact the North Carolina National Guard Public Affairs office at (984) 664-6843 or ng.nc.ncarng.mbx.pao@army.mil.
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Photos and Videos: Tropical Storm Helene Response | Flickr
DVIDS - NC National Guard Responds to Tropical Storm Helene (dvidshub.net)