Louisiana Guardsmen in New Orleans, ready to respond

Citizen-Soldiers, Airmen prepared to support community

By Spc. Tarell J. Bilbo, 241st Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

NEW ORLEANS – The Louisiana National Guard has pre-staged approximately 680 Troops and assets across the New Orleans metropolitan area in order to better protect the community and its citizens in preparation of Hurricane Isaac, Aug. 28, 2012.

Soldiers from the 769th Engineer Battalion, 225th Engineer Brigade, staged Humvees hitched with boats at Jackson Barracks for to respond to possible high-water evacuation or search and rescue missions.

“We’re in a position to respond to areas that will most likely be affected by major flooding,” said 1st Lt. Ryan Collins, officer in charge of the mission. “Once we do a damage assessment, we can then determine where we are needed.”

Not too far from Jackson Barracks, Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 141st Field Artillery Regiment, are assisting the New Orleans Police Department as they patrol the city in an effort to deter theft and vandalism.

“We definitely want to keep the businesses and the community safe,” said NOPD officer Kevin Rickmon Jr. “By working with the Louisiana National Guard we’re able to have better visibility to ensure that happens.”

“We’re here to support the civil authorities with security and engineering operations, as well as commodity distribution operations,” said Maj. Marc Prymek, support operations officer with the 199th Brigade Support Battalion, 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. “Our Soldiers are ready, trained and equipped for any possible task.”