La. Guardsmen distribute food to elderly during stay-at-home order

By Staff Sgt. Garrett Dipuma, Louisiana National Guard Public Affairs Office

COLFAX, La. – Roughly 10 Louisiana National Guardsmen with the 1022nd Engineer Company, 225th Engineer Brigade, assisted the Grant Parish Council on Aging by handing out food to elderly residents of Colfax, Louisiana, April 22.

The 1022nd is headquartered in Ruston, so it was an early start to the day for the Soldiers.

“It’s nice to finally put a face to the people that we are helping. It gives us a sense of fulfillment,” said Sgt. Richard Garcia. “We had to leave Ruston at around four in the morning to get here on time, but it was worth the trip to be able to help people out.”

The LANG, as directed by Governor John Bel Edwards, has over 1,245 Soldiers and Airmen assisting with the COVID-19 response.

“The Soldiers helping us here have been super great about being careful to follow safety protocols to ensure that our elderly community members don’t get sick,” said Brittany Brumley, who works for the Grant Parish Council on Aging. “We asked the Guard for help because they are so great at helping the community when we need it.”

The Louisiana National Guard has mobilized Guardsmen throughout the state to support current operations, including medical support, engineering assessment support, shelter security, traffic control point and drive-through testing site support, assistance at food banks, and to provide liaison officer teams to Parish Emergency Operations Centers.