Kentucky Guard Delivers Meals, Water to Storm Victims

American Forces Press Service ^

[SandRat]

FRANKFORT, Ky., Feb. 5, 2009 – Kentucky National Guard troops are delivering record numbers of meals and bottled water as part of the relief effort supporting citizens affected by last week's ice storm.

Soldiers of the 307th Component Repair Company take cases of packaged meals from a C-23 Sherpa aircraft and load them on a 2.5-ton truck for transport to the distribution facility at Wendell H. Ford Regional Training Center in Greenville, Ky., Feb. 2, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Aaron Hiler  
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

"This is a huge undertaking on the part of the Kentucky Guard," Air Force Maj. Gen. Edward W. Tonini, the state’s adjutant general, said. "Our citizen-soldiers have delivered more than 450,000 meals so far to local communities, and we are on schedule to bring in 285,000 meals every day in the foreseeable future."

In addition to the meals, nearly a million bottles of water have been handed out in regions where residents have no access to clean water. A half-million bottles of water are coming in on a daily basis.

"We are working around the clock to get critical supplies to the citizens of Kentucky," Tonini said. "There is nothing more important than making sure everyone has food and water and a way to keep warm."

About 4,000 Kentucky National Guard troops remain on duty, removing debris and running communications sites in addition to delivering essential supplies. Most of the effort is in western Kentucky, where dozens of communities remain without power.

Restoration of electric power to water plants, communications facilities, shelters and homes remains a top priority. Troops are working with state and local crews in clearing road and gaining access to damaged power transmission lines. Guard members also are conducting wellness checks. Eighty-nine of Kentucky's 120 counties have been cleared or do not require assistance.

(From a Kentucky National Guard news release.)

Biographies:
Air Force Maj. Gen. Edward W. Tonini

Related Sites:
Kentucky Department for Military Affairs

Army Sgt. Josh White of Company A, 206th Engineers of the Kentucky Army National Guard, carries a cooler of water to a residence in Leitchfield, Ky. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Michelle Waters   Download screen-resolution    Download high-resolution

[blueyon]

And what day was the ice storm?

I guess better late then never.*sarcasm

[CindyDawg]

The NG has been there from the beginning.

[ryan71]

What storm? First I’ve heard of it.

I guess FEMA and Slobama did such a great job of responding the media didn’t have anything to report.

[Krodg]

Did FEMA ever show up?

[SandRat]

I’ve heard no reports of their being seen.

[Stonewall Jackson]

They started arriving late last week with generators, chainsaws, food, and bottled water for the National Guard to pass out, but I don't know what quantity of supplies have arrived. They are currently staging out of Fort Campbell and Fort Knox.

The National Guard is sure coming through for the people of Kentucky at this time, and the people are happy to show their appreciation. One of the Louisville stations was just showing the kitchen of the church in Grayson County where 78 National Guardsmen are staying while helping out in the county, and the counters are filled to capacity with home-cooked meals that people are bringing over, even though most of them are still coping with the storm's aftermath.

[Krodg]

Thanks for the report. I knew that they requested FEMA help, I just didn't know if they ever arrived.

I had no doubt about the Guard.

[Stonewall Jackson]

They started arriving last Friday, but the initial response was pretty slow. The first 25 National Guardsmen to arrive in Grayson County initially did not have any supplies to work with, so they had to come over to E-Town and Fort Knox to get stuff on their own.

The Lowe's store where I work, along with the Home Depot across the street, each donated a dozen chainsaws and a pallet of bottled water, while the local Wal-Mart and Sam's Club donated food and water for the recovery effort. A number of the area churches donated from their foodbanks, and one local doctor drove all the way to Nashville to pick up six generators that he then donated to a nursing home that had lost power and was having difficulty with its backup generator (a tree branch fell on it).

For every story I hear about people helping their neighbors and fellow Kentuckians, I am sure that there are dozens more that occur without fanfare.

[Krodg]

The most giving always comes from churches and individuals. Sometimes it’s difficult for people in neighboring states to watch and not be able to do anything on site, but we do pray.