MonticelloLive

Supporting a total of 12 state active duty issions with approximately 50 Soldiers and Airmen, the Arkansas Guard ontinues to answer the phone on calls for support to Northwest Arkansas in esponse to tornadoes that ran through the state on Tuesday night.  

This afternoon the Guard moved 24 personnel to the city of Clinton to assist he local authorities with the prevention of looting in the community.  The rkansas Air National Guard’s 189th Security Forces from the Little Rock Air orce Base was tasked to provide half of the personnel to support the ecurity mission, while the Arkansas Army National Guard provided the other alf.  The Soldiers came from Harrison’s Headquarters and Headquarters upport Battery of the 142nd Fires Brigade’s 1st Battalion.  The mission is nticipated to last approximately one week.

The Guard also answered two more calls to provide generator support in esponse to the storms.  The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management pproved the requests and sent the Guard in motion to Stone County.  The 87th roop Command’s 224th Maintenance Company from Mountain Home provided two
personnel and a 15-K generator to the Irving Clinic while its detachment unit n Marshall provided two personnel and a 30-k generator to the Mountain View ity Hall.  The 224th also provided two personnel and a 30-K generator for ower support to the Stone County landfill in response to a second call by he county.

The 77th Aviation Brigade piloted three of its Blackhawk helicopters this fternoon for an aerial damage assessment of the area.  Arkansas Governor ike Beebe, Senator Mark Pryor, Senator Blanche Lincoln, State Representative ation George, Arkansas Department of Emergency Management Director David axwell and a number of FEMA personnel and staff members joined the adjutant eneral of Arkansas, Maj. Gen. William D. Wofford, on the flight.

The twelfth mission for the Arkansas National Guard came in at approximately :30 p.m., tasking the Guard to provide 30 more personnel to support security perations in Van Buren County.  The mission will offer additional personnel o the county, where 24 Soldiers and Airmen are already serving in the linton city limits.  The Guard’s Emergency Operations Center said this action will provide security assets to the surrounding area.  The 224th Maintenance Company from Marshall is tasked to provide 18 of the personnel for the new mission along with 5 vehicles.  The 142nd Fires Brigade’s 1st Battalion, based in Harrison will provide the remaining 12 Soldiers along with three vehicles.

Over 10,000 Soldiers and Airmen strong, the Arkansas Guard strives to maintain a minimum of 50 percent of that force in the state at all times. Today, just under 6,000 of those troops are available for response in support of civil authorities as needed for a variety of missions here in the state.