Visual Recap of Guard’s June 3 Flood Response

| |

Spc. Tim Sybrant and Spc. Steven Clyde, both with the North Dakota National Guard’s 817th Engineer Company (Sapper) out of Jamestown, N.D., reinforce the levee by Oak Park in Minot, N.D., June 3, 2011, by placing plastic around the dirt. Due to the swirling currents associated with the areas near bridges, the levees in such areas are more prone to erosion. The plastic covering helps protect from this. (Photo by Spc. Cassandra Simonton, 116th Public Affairs Detachment)

BISMARCK, N.D. — For the twelfth consecutive day, the North Dakota National Guard continued assisting communities fighting floods in central North Dakota. This latest round of flood response efforts began on May 23, as patrols began on 21 miles of levees in Minot. The mission throughout central North Dakota has now grown to more than 1,900 North Dakota Soldiers and Airmen serving in Ward, Burleigh and Morton counties. Earlier this year, the Guard served 32 days on state active duty combat flooding in the eastern part of the state.

In Ward County, including Minot and Burlington, approximately 600 Guardsmen continue patrolling levees, staffing security patrols through evacuated areas and providing quick reaction force teams to help repair any levees breeches. All levees are checked at least four times in a 24-hour period.

In Burleigh and Morton counties, National Guard members continue to provide traffic control points and haul material for dike construction. Guardsmen are planning for quick reaction teams to respond quickly levees breeches that are protecting Bismarck and Mandan from the Missouri River. These response teams will have supplies of sandbags, fill material and a Bobcat loader for quick repairs. Additionally, civil military assistance teams continue to help homeowners dealing with impending floodwaters.

In both geographic areas of flood response, aviation support remains available, for not only reconnaissance missions of flooded areas, but for 1-ton sandbag emplacement and search-and-rescue missions, should they be needed.

Here’s a visual recap of some of these missions performed by the North Dakota National Guard members on duty today.

Photo Sets

• Reinforcing Minot Levees: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ndguard/sets/72157626752930575/

• Bismarck Aerial: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ndguard/sets/72157626754045335/

• June 3 Bismarck Dike Building: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ndguard/sets/72157626878613630/

• June 3 Minot Flood Ops: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ndguard/sets/72157626878650492/

Videos

• Mandan Burrowpit Operations

o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH7CRLIqN6Q

o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1bF5r8Blro

o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xObGX5WBzeA

• Mandan Dike Construction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUAp7ybVfrs

——

Since the 2001 terrorist attacks on America, the North Dakota National Guard has mobilized more than 3,500 Soldiers and more than 1,800 Airmen in support of the Global War on Terrorism. Currently, about a dozen North Dakota Guardsmen are serving overseas while more than 4,000 remain in the state for emergency response and national defense. For every 10,000 citizens in North Dakota, 65 serve in the North Dakota National Guard, a rate that’s more than four times the national average.