Guardsmen Return From Deployment To Mississippi
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Company A returned home late Saturday after more than a month in Mississippi, serving on a humanitarian relief mission to the Gulf Coast.
Members of 1st Battalion, 293rd Infantry were called to duty early in September, leaving Indiana Sept. 2 for their first stop in Meridian, Miss.
Monday, the citizen soldiers attached to the Warsaw Armory, CR 350N, returned gear issued for Task Force Hoosier.
Following briefings at Camp Shelby, Guardsmen spread out over the Lauderdale, Newton, Scott, Jasper and Smith county region of south central Mississippi, areas hit hard when Hurricane Katrina made landfall Aug. 29.
Leaving a platoon in Taylorville, Miss., the rest of the company went to Bay Springs, where they began patrols and guarded six generator sites.
"These generators were being stolen as fast as the telephone company could replace them," said Staff Sgt. Bradley Spratt in a written account. "The thefts stopped when our soldiers began protecting them. The surrounding communities welcomed us with open arms and showed us the true meaning of Southern hospitality."
Spratt was no stranger to relief efforts, having been in Florida a few years ago.
"I've been through this once, when Hurricane Andrew hit south Florida. I thought I would be well prepared for what I was about to see. I also tried to inform the others in our company of just how devastating this could be.
"Little did we realize that no amount of information could have prepared us for what we found.
"The total destruction of the Gulf Coast, and the dire need of her citizens, put into perspective exactly why we were there. Suddenly, the relatively speaking minor problems we had at home didn't seem very important."
In Pass Christian, another coastal town, Company A's Pathfinders established a landing zone for military aircraft. Pathfinders are air traffic controllers working in a field environment.
The airfield was set up on the first fairway of the Pine Ridge Country Club. Four U.S. Army UH-60s landed there with a group of 34 dignitaries, including 14 U.S. Senators Sept. 16.
The landing zone had to be cleared of debris and fluorescent panes marked touch down points for each aircraft. The Blackhawks were brought down with a series of hand and arm signals.
"One pilot said, 'You must have pathfinders in your unit. It shows, nice LZ, guys'
"As we cleaned up, I thought to myself, 'What happens if we had been unable to provide the landing zone? When would the people who needed to see this damage have been able to get in here?'"
In Long Beach and Pass Christian, the company controlled nine entry points and three traffic control points to provide security to the area south of U.S. 10.
By regulating traffic into and out of the area, the opportunities for looting were eliminated and the property owners were given an element of security as they tried to get their lives back on track.
"The citizens welcomed us and made us feel as though we really belonged there. These people, who lost everything, made sure we had food, water and, in some cases, shelter. Countless times people would stop and ask, 'Where are you from?' and thank us for coming to their aid." [[In-content Ad]]
Company A returned home late Saturday after more than a month in Mississippi, serving on a humanitarian relief mission to the Gulf Coast.
Members of 1st Battalion, 293rd Infantry were called to duty early in September, leaving Indiana Sept. 2 for their first stop in Meridian, Miss.
Monday, the citizen soldiers attached to the Warsaw Armory, CR 350N, returned gear issued for Task Force Hoosier.
Following briefings at Camp Shelby, Guardsmen spread out over the Lauderdale, Newton, Scott, Jasper and Smith county region of south central Mississippi, areas hit hard when Hurricane Katrina made landfall Aug. 29.
Leaving a platoon in Taylorville, Miss., the rest of the company went to Bay Springs, where they began patrols and guarded six generator sites.
"These generators were being stolen as fast as the telephone company could replace them," said Staff Sgt. Bradley Spratt in a written account. "The thefts stopped when our soldiers began protecting them. The surrounding communities welcomed us with open arms and showed us the true meaning of Southern hospitality."
Spratt was no stranger to relief efforts, having been in Florida a few years ago.
"I've been through this once, when Hurricane Andrew hit south Florida. I thought I would be well prepared for what I was about to see. I also tried to inform the others in our company of just how devastating this could be.
"Little did we realize that no amount of information could have prepared us for what we found.
"The total destruction of the Gulf Coast, and the dire need of her citizens, put into perspective exactly why we were there. Suddenly, the relatively speaking minor problems we had at home didn't seem very important."
In Pass Christian, another coastal town, Company A's Pathfinders established a landing zone for military aircraft. Pathfinders are air traffic controllers working in a field environment.
The airfield was set up on the first fairway of the Pine Ridge Country Club. Four U.S. Army UH-60s landed there with a group of 34 dignitaries, including 14 U.S. Senators Sept. 16.
The landing zone had to be cleared of debris and fluorescent panes marked touch down points for each aircraft. The Blackhawks were brought down with a series of hand and arm signals.
"One pilot said, 'You must have pathfinders in your unit. It shows, nice LZ, guys'
"As we cleaned up, I thought to myself, 'What happens if we had been unable to provide the landing zone? When would the people who needed to see this damage have been able to get in here?'"
In Long Beach and Pass Christian, the company controlled nine entry points and three traffic control points to provide security to the area south of U.S. 10.
By regulating traffic into and out of the area, the opportunities for looting were eliminated and the property owners were given an element of security as they tried to get their lives back on track.
"The citizens welcomed us and made us feel as though we really belonged there. These people, who lost everything, made sure we had food, water and, in some cases, shelter. Countless times people would stop and ask, 'Where are you from?' and thank us for coming to their aid." [[In-content Ad]]