By Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 31, 2007 - Under a sky still smoky from active wildfires, National Guard citizen-soldiers prepared for the flash floods and mudslides that will come long after the flames are extinguished. About 50 citizen-soldiers from the California Army National Guard's Battery A, 1st Battalion, 144th Field Artillery, set out to fill about 5,000 sandbags for residents in the Valley Center area north of San Diego. Other National Guard units performed the same service in other communities hit by the Southern California wildfires.
"The purpose is to help residents out here when the rainy season starts, so they're sure to have something to protect their houses so they don't get flooded," 1st Lt. Nelson Varas, of Battery A, said.
Wildfires like the ones that have hit Southern California this month are typically followed by flash floods and mudslides. That's because rain runs off faster when vegetation is gone and also because fire changes the chemistry of the soil.
In some places, the burning process creates a waxy coating on the soil, hindering the absorption of water and speeding its flow, fire officials explained. The phenomenon is known as "hydrophobicity." Water beads and runs over hydrophobic soil instead of soaking in, increasing the likelihood of flash floods and mudslides for months following wildfires.
Sandbags can protect homes and businesses from water and mud damage. The sandbags will be stored for distribution by area fire departments and the California Department of Forestry, Army 1st Sgt. John Wood, of Battery A, said.
Like many of the citizen-soldiers working through the weekend to fill sandbags, Varas has served in Iraq. He balances a civilian job with his family, overseas deployments and homeland missions. "We're all dedicated," he said. "We know what we signed up for."
He said he was particularly pleased to serve in his own backyard. "That's what we're here for," he said. "That's our mission. We're National Guard. We're part of the state, and since we've got a crisis going on and people need help, the National Guard's here for that."
For the battery's Army Spc. Angel Flores, the sandbag mission was only his second time reporting to his unit after a stint on active duty. During his year in Baghdad, Flores's thoughts frequently turned to the family, friends and community that his service separated him from. He was still thinking of them as he filled sandbags Oct. 27.
"I figure that the people who need it most are the people that I was thinking about while I was gone," Flores said.
National Guardmembers said the gratitude they get from the neighbors they're helping only makes the task easier. In Southern California, restaurants have refused to let soldiers and airmen pay for meals, retailers have declined payment for supplies, and residents have offered handshakes and pats on the back. "It's been outstanding support," Varas said.
"We're happy to be here to help," Sgt. Timothy Miller said. "You have to take care of home. Home comes first."
More than 2,500 citizen-soldiers and –airmen have been assisting civilian authorities tackling the Southern California wildfires. The National Guard has provided communications capabilities, supplied fire incident commanders with aerial images of the fires, dropped water from helicopters and retardant from aircraft, patrolled evacuated neighborhoods, handed out relief supplies, and performed numerous other tasks.
(Army Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill is assigned to the National Guard Bureau.)
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Bush Proclaims 'National Veterans Awareness Week'
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 31, 2007 - President Bush is urging Americans to recognize veterans' valor and sacrifice through ceremonies and prayers during "National Veterans Awareness Week" next month. From Veterans Day on Nov. 11 through Nov. 17, the president encourages Americans to remember the brave men and women who have served as members of the U.S. armed forces, according to a proclamation released by the White House today.
"Throughout our history, America has been protected by patriots who cherished liberty and made great sacrifices to advance the cause of freedom," Bush said. "On Veterans Day, we honor these extraordinary Americans for their service and sacrifice, and we pay tribute to the legacy of freedom and peace that they have given our great nation."
In times of war and of peace, servicemembers have shouldered great responsibility and lived up to the highest standards of duty and honor to defend their fellow citizens and the country they love, Bush said.
"Our veterans held fast against determined and ruthless enemies and helped save the world from tyranny and terror," he said. "They ensured that America remained what our founders meant her to be: a light to the nations, spreading the good news of human freedom to the darkest corners of the earth."
Like the heroes before them, Bush said, today a new generation of men and women are fighting for freedom around the globe. "Their determination, courage, and sacrifice are laying the foundation for a more secure and peaceful world," the president added.
Bush said Veterans Day is dedicated to the extraordinary Americans who protected our freedom in years past and to those who protect it today. They represent the very best of our nation, he said.
"Every soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, and Coast Guardsman has earned the lasting gratitude of the American people, and their service and sacrifice will be remembered forever," Bush said. "In the words of Abraham Lincoln, 'Let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle.'"
The president called upon federal, state and local officials to display the American flag and support and participate in patriotic activities in their communities. Bush also invited civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, businesses, unions, and the media to support this national observance with commemorative expressions and programs.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 31, 2007 - President Bush is urging Americans to recognize veterans' valor and sacrifice through ceremonies and prayers during "National Veterans Awareness Week" next month. From Veterans Day on Nov. 11 through Nov. 17, the president encourages Americans to remember the brave men and women who have served as members of the U.S. armed forces, according to a proclamation released by the White House today.
"Throughout our history, America has been protected by patriots who cherished liberty and made great sacrifices to advance the cause of freedom," Bush said. "On Veterans Day, we honor these extraordinary Americans for their service and sacrifice, and we pay tribute to the legacy of freedom and peace that they have given our great nation."
In times of war and of peace, servicemembers have shouldered great responsibility and lived up to the highest standards of duty and honor to defend their fellow citizens and the country they love, Bush said.
"Our veterans held fast against determined and ruthless enemies and helped save the world from tyranny and terror," he said. "They ensured that America remained what our founders meant her to be: a light to the nations, spreading the good news of human freedom to the darkest corners of the earth."
Like the heroes before them, Bush said, today a new generation of men and women are fighting for freedom around the globe. "Their determination, courage, and sacrifice are laying the foundation for a more secure and peaceful world," the president added.
Bush said Veterans Day is dedicated to the extraordinary Americans who protected our freedom in years past and to those who protect it today. They represent the very best of our nation, he said.
"Every soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, and Coast Guardsman has earned the lasting gratitude of the American people, and their service and sacrifice will be remembered forever," Bush said. "In the words of Abraham Lincoln, 'Let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle.'"
The president called upon federal, state and local officials to display the American flag and support and participate in patriotic activities in their communities. Bush also invited civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, businesses, unions, and the media to support this national observance with commemorative expressions and programs.
America Supports You: Adventure Trip Hits Mark With Veterans
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 31, 2007 - Five days after their adventure began, seven injured veterans packed up with the satisfaction of knowing they'd done what they set out to do: conquer sand, sea and the cloud of mosquitoes that seemed to follow them everywhere. Their adaptive-sports adventure in the Virgin Islands was organized by the nonprofit group Team River Runner. Team River Runner is a chapter of Disabled Sports USA, a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program that connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"I'm glad to get the opportunity, ... because this is stuff that just doesn't happen on a normal basis," said Scott Morgan, a former soldier whose legs were severely damaged in a mortar attack Feb. 18, 2004, in Taji, Iraq. "It's pretty awesome. It makes me want to go home and start pursuing some of this stuff just so I can get out on the open water."
Kevin Pannell, a former soldier who lost both legs above the knee when a hand grenade exploded during a foot patrol in the Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad, agrees. He said trips like the adaptive paddling trip Pannell and six other wounded warriors went on are a great benefit for servicemembers dealing with life after a catastrophic injury.
"There's a real isolation whenever you get home," Pannell said, explaining that he thinks he is the only person in his hometown of Hot Springs, Ark., whose amputation is the result of combat. "(The trip) is great. You compare notes and find out about new stuff."
The trip had some simpler benefits, as well. Aside from being a safe way to test some boundaries and talk to others who face the same situations, it was a chance to get away from the daily grind and relax. For most of the participants, it provided new experiences, as well.
"I've never snorkeled, but I've done a little bit of kayaking," Pannell said, adding that "hands down" snorkeling was his favorite part of the trip. "I saw like a five-foot barracuda."
The fish startled Pannell, who said he wasn't scared, just curious what the fish, famous for its own curiosity, would think of his prosthetic legs. "They're attracted to shiny things, and I have all the little screws and twinkles on my legs," he said. "I didn't know how into that he was going to be.
"I guess if he attacked my legs it'd be all right," Pannell said with a chuckle.
The troops' spouses may not have been as flippant about being so near a barracuda, but they all agreed the trip was better than anything the doctor could have ordered.
"The water is absolutely beautiful," Amber Jones said. "I have never in my life seen water this clear. Even in Hawaii, which I've always considered the best of the best, ... the water doesn't even compare."
Amber's husband, former Marine John Jones, lost both his legs below the knee on Jan. 3, 2005, when the vehicle he was riding in hit a double-stacked land mine in Qaim, Iraq.
Danielle Pannell, Kevin's wife, said the trip offered the spouses almost as much benefit as it did the veterans. "It's just neat getting to see that I'm not the only one that gets frustrated sometimes," she said. "For so long I was like, 'It's just me.' But I got to talk to (the wife of another veteran with post traumatic stress disorder), and we were sharing stories, and I was like, 'My husband does that!'"
As the trip all-too-quickly came to an end, Joe Mornini, Team River Runner's director and the trip's organizer, contemplated the recent events and looked forward to making the next trip even better.
"I can't believe that I'm sitting here in the Virgin Islands with all these people," Mornini said. "We've accomplished some great snorkeling. We've (paddled) to the British Virgin Islands, and we've got seven guys here that all of them are either amputees or mobility impaired.
"I just knew that if we did it right it would work, but I didn't know what right was," he added.
He may still not know exactly what "right" is, but he's relying on feedback from the group to get him closer for the next trip. "I'm really going to feel better about this trip after I hear from people after it's over," Mornini said.
While challenges cropped up -- sand and broken prosthetics topping the list -- and Mornini took notes on lessons learned, the trip seemed to come off exactly as he envisioned it. It allowed wounded warriors to push boundaries, learn some new skills and heal just a little more.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 31, 2007 - Five days after their adventure began, seven injured veterans packed up with the satisfaction of knowing they'd done what they set out to do: conquer sand, sea and the cloud of mosquitoes that seemed to follow them everywhere. Their adaptive-sports adventure in the Virgin Islands was organized by the nonprofit group Team River Runner. Team River Runner is a chapter of Disabled Sports USA, a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program that connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"I'm glad to get the opportunity, ... because this is stuff that just doesn't happen on a normal basis," said Scott Morgan, a former soldier whose legs were severely damaged in a mortar attack Feb. 18, 2004, in Taji, Iraq. "It's pretty awesome. It makes me want to go home and start pursuing some of this stuff just so I can get out on the open water."
Kevin Pannell, a former soldier who lost both legs above the knee when a hand grenade exploded during a foot patrol in the Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad, agrees. He said trips like the adaptive paddling trip Pannell and six other wounded warriors went on are a great benefit for servicemembers dealing with life after a catastrophic injury.
"There's a real isolation whenever you get home," Pannell said, explaining that he thinks he is the only person in his hometown of Hot Springs, Ark., whose amputation is the result of combat. "(The trip) is great. You compare notes and find out about new stuff."
The trip had some simpler benefits, as well. Aside from being a safe way to test some boundaries and talk to others who face the same situations, it was a chance to get away from the daily grind and relax. For most of the participants, it provided new experiences, as well.
"I've never snorkeled, but I've done a little bit of kayaking," Pannell said, adding that "hands down" snorkeling was his favorite part of the trip. "I saw like a five-foot barracuda."
The fish startled Pannell, who said he wasn't scared, just curious what the fish, famous for its own curiosity, would think of his prosthetic legs. "They're attracted to shiny things, and I have all the little screws and twinkles on my legs," he said. "I didn't know how into that he was going to be.
"I guess if he attacked my legs it'd be all right," Pannell said with a chuckle.
The troops' spouses may not have been as flippant about being so near a barracuda, but they all agreed the trip was better than anything the doctor could have ordered.
"The water is absolutely beautiful," Amber Jones said. "I have never in my life seen water this clear. Even in Hawaii, which I've always considered the best of the best, ... the water doesn't even compare."
Amber's husband, former Marine John Jones, lost both his legs below the knee on Jan. 3, 2005, when the vehicle he was riding in hit a double-stacked land mine in Qaim, Iraq.
Danielle Pannell, Kevin's wife, said the trip offered the spouses almost as much benefit as it did the veterans. "It's just neat getting to see that I'm not the only one that gets frustrated sometimes," she said. "For so long I was like, 'It's just me.' But I got to talk to (the wife of another veteran with post traumatic stress disorder), and we were sharing stories, and I was like, 'My husband does that!'"
As the trip all-too-quickly came to an end, Joe Mornini, Team River Runner's director and the trip's organizer, contemplated the recent events and looked forward to making the next trip even better.
"I can't believe that I'm sitting here in the Virgin Islands with all these people," Mornini said. "We've accomplished some great snorkeling. We've (paddled) to the British Virgin Islands, and we've got seven guys here that all of them are either amputees or mobility impaired.
"I just knew that if we did it right it would work, but I didn't know what right was," he added.
He may still not know exactly what "right" is, but he's relying on feedback from the group to get him closer for the next trip. "I'm really going to feel better about this trip after I hear from people after it's over," Mornini said.
While challenges cropped up -- sand and broken prosthetics topping the list -- and Mornini took notes on lessons learned, the trip seemed to come off exactly as he envisioned it. It allowed wounded warriors to push boundaries, learn some new skills and heal just a little more.
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