Soldiers of the North Dakota National Guard's Dickinson based 816th Engineer Company -Horizontal- responded to a call June 14 to perform a sandbagging mission raising the levee in Brooks Addition, near Burlington, N.D. Due to the heavy amounts of rain the state received, the 816th was tasked to raise several low spots on levees throughout their area. Photo by Spc. Cassandra Simonton

The North Dakota National Guard’s Dickinson based 816th Horizontal Engineer Battalion has been acting as a 24-hour-a-day Quick Reactionary Force for rapid response to any levee leaks or breaches in the Minot and Burlington area.

Having a QRF available is an essential part of leading a successful flood fight. QRFs are accountable for responding in the event of a levee incident such as seepage or erosion. They have also been assisting the city and the Corps of Engineers in raising the levees as necessary to compensate for rising waters.

“The Quick Reaction Force exists to respond to any recognized problems with the levees,” said Master Sgt. Barry Trottier, a member of the 164th Engineer Battalion who works in the operations center. “Right now, the Souris River is at an increased flow rate, and it is lasting for an extended period.”

The 816th have been part of many missions since they began flood duty in Minot, to include a 36-hour operation behind the Dakota Rose Bed and Breakfast when they worked to raise and repair the levee.

“If they hadn’t raised that up, the water could have flooded into the city,” said Trottier.

They also assembled 1,500 feet of HESCO barriers in Burlington after the Corps of Engineers determined that the 6,000 sandbags they had laid the previous day would not be ample to compensate for the rising waters.

Most recently the 816th has been working with the city and the Corps to raise the levees throughout the area. The combined effort is to ensure that the levees are at an appropriate level to handle the increased flow rate.

Soldiers have mobilized on several missions to apply plastic to the levees to make them less susceptible to erosion from rain or swift currents.

“QRF is important, so if there are any issues, we’re ready,” said Spc. Brandon Stewart of the 816th Horizontal Engineer Battalion. “First thing every morning, we check our equipment so we’re ready to go.”

Stewart said that a lot of what he has been doing has involved preventative maintenance such as repairing and raising levees and sandbagging around trouble areas.

“We’re trying to make sure everything is up to standard,” said Stewart.

Stewart, who is from Fargo, finished with advanced individual training in April so this is his first flood fight. “At the time, it’s hard work, and it’s stressful being away from home,” said Stewart. “But there is a lot of job satisfaction and people are very thankful when we help rescue their homes.”

Thus far in the Ward County area, the QRF has responded to about five events that required immediate response, which addressed issues that require immediate assistance. In the last 96 hours they have assisted in 8 planned missions that assisted the city and Corps to raise levels and apply poly.

“The National Guard will be here until the city and Corps is comfortable with the flow rate in Minot,” said Trottier.

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Spc. Krista M. Dahl (right), a North Dakota National Guard Soldier from Devils Lake, patrols the dike in Pembina with local volunteers, Peggy S. Reimer and her daughter Alexis C. Morrison. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class David Dodds

Two stories in this post.

Residents here, one of North Dakota’s oldest settlements “” are accustomed to the springtime ritual when the Red River ignores its banks, making life difficult.

To help the residents of Pembina this spring, about 12 Soldiers from the North Dakota National Guard’s 134th Quartermaster Detachment, out of Cavalier, N.D., are patrolling the city’s dikes around the clock, looking for problem spots. The Guard has been in town since Saturday.

Pembina residents volunteer their time, too, walking the dike lines every two hours, 24 hours a day, said Nancy R. Thompson, city auditor and flood coordinator. They also operate the “command center” based at the city’s community center.

“The Guard has helped relieve pressure from the local citizens,” Thompson said. “We are glad to see them here because a lot of the volunteers have jobs during the day.”

As of Monday, the National Weather Service was projecting the Red River at Pembina would crest at about 52.5 feet on Friday. It’s expected to remain in major flood stage for a week or longer.

In 2006, the Red River at Pembina reached 51.45 feet. For the most part, the river has been easily contained by the city’s flood-control project that was constructed after the massive 1997 flood.

The top of Pembina’s permanent dike is built to 57.3 feet. However, residents must remain vigilant well before that stage. Once the river reaches 48 feet, the townspeople begin a volunteer dike patrol. That effort started Friday here.

The recent cold weather has slowed the snow from melting and the river’s rise.

“The residents of Pembina have been showing us what to look for when walking the dikes,” said Spc. Crystal R. Anderson, of Kennedy, Minn., a Soldier with the 134th.

“Once we have a handle on things here, two Soldiers every two hours will patrol the dike,” added, Sgt. Brian I. Radway, of Grand Forks.

The 134th was alerted for state active duty on March 27, joining the flood fight in Fargo.

There are about 400 National Guard Soldiers and Airmen staged out of Grand Forks, prepared to fight flooding and monitor dike lines throughout the northern Red River Valley. Smaller groups of Guard members, such as those in Pembina, also are located in Drayton and Cavalier.

Guard Soldiers, such as Spc. Krista M. Dahl, have become old pros at monitoring dikes since floodwaters began to overwhelm the entire state in late March.

“I volunteered to help out in Fargo and then we were activated,” said Dahl, a native of Devils Lake, N.D. “I spent about two weeks walking dikes there and then we were sent here to help.”

Also, two 134th Soldiers have been monitoring a generator that runs an important sewer lift station in Pembina.

“Things are looking good here. We run the generator about a half an hour a day,” said Spc. Kurt A. Morton, of Cavalier. “When it’s not running we make sure it’s in good running condition in case of an emergency.”

Morton said the residents of Pembina have been extremely supportive and have taken care of the troops in their city. He couldn’t thank them enough.

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Story by Sgt. 1st Class David Dodds

America’s southern border with Mexico is famous for its miles of barrier fences aimed at regulating access to the country.

The North Dakota National Guard has built a blockade of its own on the nation’s northern border, at the Canadian port-of-entry here. But, this time, instead of illegal aliens or the narcotics trade, Mother Nature is the target.

The swelling Red River is creeping within 300 feet of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Station. About 40 Soldiers from the 815th Engineer Company, based out of Edgeley, N.D., arrived on the scene Saturday and installed 3,600 feet of large modular baskets lined with a heavy-duty fabric that hold compacted sand.

These HESCO barriers now ring the Pembina border station, forming an island amid the river flooding. The Soldiers were prepared to install as much as 4,500 feet of the barriers, but arrived to find the job a little less extensive than anticipated. The barriers, manufactured by HESCO Inc., of Hammond, La., originally were designed for flood and hillside-erosion control, but they also proved effective in Iraq and Afghanistan as a shield against enemy fire.

HESCOs can be installed more quickly than a traditional sandbag levee.

1st Lt. Collin J. Kappenman, of Fargo, N.D., officer in charge of the mission, said “basically, we have brought the manpower and the knowledge to get this done.”

Three tractor-trailers were loaded with the HESCO barriers on pallets at the Grand Forks Armed Forced Reserve Center before they were sent north to the border. There, skid-steer loaders made quick work of unloading the cargo.

Soldiers set up the HESCOs as civilian contractors filled them with sand brought in from nearby Cavalier, N.D.

“Today, the Soldiers did exceptionally well, completing our mission and getting the HESCOs set up quickly,” said Capt. Trevor Y. Bakalar, commander of the 815th Engineer Company, as April 4 drew to a close.

The 815th is headquartered in Edgeley, and has detachments in Lisbon, Wishek and Jamestown, N.D.

The dike around the border station was built to protect up to 53 feet, said Jack F. Gerberding, a building manager with General Services Administration. The projected river crest near the border station could be between 52 and 54 feet. The HESCO barriers will add an additional four feet to the dike system, raising it to 57 feet, which “should give us enough freeboard,” he said.

The 815th will have teams poised to respond to any breach in the HESCO dikes that might develop.

“We will stay here until we have finished and then become a quick-reaction force,” said Sgt. 1st Class Sam T. Hansen, of Leeds, N.D, a member of the 815th. “From Grand Forks, we will also be able to respond to emergencies in Drayton, Cavalier and Pembina.”

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Story by Sgt. 1st Class David Dodds

Flood operations continue in North Dakota today, while missions in two other states have wrapped up and still another monitors the situation after heavy rains over the weekend.

More than 1,000 Guard members in North Dakota are still performing flood mitigation operations in the Red River Valley and the Missouri River areas, which are experiencing flooding due to the thawing of snow.

Current operations include including pumping operations in Lisbon, N.D., hauling gravel, and flood protection efforts in Drayton, N.D. They are being helped by UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters from Minnesota and Wisconsin.

In addition to active flood-fighting, the Guard is also protecting North Dakota citizens through dike patrols, temporary shelters and traffic control points.

Army Lt. Dan Murphy, the state public affairs officer for North Dakota, said troops will remain in place to monitor the river. A date has not been set for ending the mission.

North Dakota’s neighbor across the river, Minnesota, relieved most of its Guard members from flood duty in the Moorhead, Minn., area April 3.

A small contingent remains on duty to monitor the river and pump operations in Norman and Marshall counties, provide security in the form of roving patrols and traffic control points as well as transportation and aviation support.

At the height of operations, more than 500 Minnesota Army and Air National Guard members were called up by the governor.

Louisiana also ended its response to a potential flood in Pearl River, a town on the state’s border with Mississippi.

Guard and state officials monitored the weather and used the opportunity to train for the 2009 flood season by positioning high-water vehicles and helicopters in nearby Slidell and Hammond, La., to facilitate property protection and evacuation if necessary.

After the training, Guard officials said the troops are well prepared for any event that may come their way.

“Our Soldiers responded in a timely, professional manner in support of civil authorities and the local community,” said Army Col. John Angelloz, commander of the 225th Engineer Brigade (Rear). “Their actions are a direct reflection of outstanding emergency operations training, tremendous leadership and a great volunteer spirit.”

In Georgia, the state Joint Force Headquarters will continue to work with its civilian partners after heavy rains drenched the state over the weekend. Gov. Sonny Perdue declared a state of emergency in 10 counties today.

According to National Guard Bureau, the Federal Emergency Management Agency reported one fatality, two shelters were opened and numerous bridges and roads were closed throughout the state.

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Story by Sgt. Patrick McCollum