Maj. Greg Pieper, nurse practitioner for the medical readiness training exercise from the Army Reserve 256th Casualty Support Hospital, screens a young patient as her mother comforts her during a visit, June 14. Columbian, Canadian and American military medical and dental professionals treated more than 2,200 Haitian patients at Hospital Saint Pierre de Grande Desdunes, near La Hatte, Haiti, by the end of day two of a 10-day MEDRETE as part of New Horizons 2011.

Colombian, Canadian and American military medical and dental professionals treated more than 2,200 Haitian patients during a New Horizons medical and dental training exercise June 14 at Hospital Saint Pierre de Grande Desdunes, near La Hatte, Haiti.

Task Force Bon Voizen, New Horizons Haiti 2011, a U.S. Southern Command sponsored, U.S. Army South conducted, combined humanitarian exercise under the command of the Louisiana National Guard, provides an opportunity for real-world training while providing humanitarian assistance at the request of the government of Haiti.

As part of Task Force Bon Voizen, this group of 48 professionals melded together to create a team dynamic to not only meet their mission of conducting humanitarian relief missions and medical training exercises June 11-25, but to exceed expectations in care and services provided. June 13, day one of the 10-day medical readiness training exercise, set the tone for doing just that.

“We were able to treat 1,049 patients,” said 2nd Lt. Matthew Wright, the officer in charge of this exercise from the 369th Minimal Care Detachment in Sharonville, Ohio. “That number exceeded all Day 1 totals for 2011 Haiti MEDRETEs.”

As the fourth of four MEDRETES for this region, the momentum continued as day-two totals ended at 1,158 Haitian patients receiving medical and/or dental care. Proactive measures taken by the Government of Haiti’s Ministry of Health was a significant contributing factor for the volume of patients seen.

“The government of Haiti has been very accommodating with space and other requests,” said Sgt. 1st Class Mary Huffman, noncommissioned officer in charge of the exercise from the Ohio Army Reserve 369th MCD. “We were able to expand beyond the original rooms allocated and provide more areas for treatment and a dedicated obstetrician/women’s clinic with a sonogram.”

The ability to employ more of the medical and dental professionals than planned added to the efficient streaming of patients. The vetting process also helped improve the flow of incoming patients from staging, to preventative-measures classes, to triage and ultimately to appropriate medical services.

The commitment to care from the nine Colombians, five Canadians and 34 Americans seemed to energize their efforts as team members rolled up their sleeves and bore the 99 degree Fahrenheit heat and 60 percent humidity. The team members’ 10-hour day on site continued once they returned to task force headquarters as they prepared for the next day’s patients.

For some the compassion runs deeper than a commitment to service.

“Being here for this MEDRETE is the first time I have been back in Haiti since my family left,” said Canadian Capt. Whitney Dagrain, a dentist who has seen more than 50 patients in the two days since this exercise began. “My parents left when I was 16, and coming back, for part of me, is like coming home. I am glad I am able to be here and help.”

In addition to medical training exercises, Task Force Bon Voizen has deployed military engineers to build a technical school, two medical clinics and a latrine facility. These projects are also nearing completion as New Horizons 2011, which also includes projects and MEDRETEs in the Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Suriname, draws to a close.

Task Force Bon Voizen is a Commander, U.S. Southern Command sponsored, U.S. Army South conducted, joint foreign military interaction/humanitarian exercise under the command of the Louisiana National Guard. Task Force Bon Voizen is deploying U.S. military engineers and medical professionals to Haiti for training and to provide humanitarian services. Task Force Bon Voizen will build a school, two medical clinics and a latrine facility, as well as staff three medical clinics and one dental clinic between April 28 and June 25 in the Artibonite Department.

DVIDS

Homes in the Bismarck - Mandan area are surrounded by water as the Missouri River continues to rise. On June 3, about 2000 North Dakota National Guard Airmen and Soldiers are working to prevent harm to people and property across the state. Photo by Spc. Jess Raasch, 116th Public Affairs Detachment

By Army Sgt. Darron Salzer
National Guard Bureau

In the aftermath of severe storms that have brought devastating tornadoes to areas of Missouri and Massachusetts and major flooding across the Midwest and other parts of the U.S., the number of Citizen-Soldiers who are answering the call for help has risen to about 5,000.

Guard members are performing domestic operations for flood relief support in the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Vermont and Wyoming.

Operations in these states include transportation and aviation support, levee patrols and security, assisting local and federal civilian emergency management agencies, evacuation support, search and rescue operations and sandbag operations.

In areas of Montana, Vermont and Wyoming, heavy rains mixed with the melting of larger-than-usual snow packs, has created a recipe for rising waters to occur and the evacuation of citizens in Washington County, Vermont.

North and South Dakota have about 3,000 Guard members who are still battling flood waters after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opened oversaturated up-river dams earlier this week along the Missouri River.

Louisiana and Mississippi Guard members remain vigilant in their battle against the waters of the Mississippi River after severe storms swelled the river earlier this year. Operations continue in both states, where about 1,200 Guard members are currently operating.

Tornados have been another part of these heavy storms recently, and parts of Massachusetts and Missouri have both seen unbelievable damage.

About 450 Citizen-Soldiers and -Airmen were on duty the morning after tornadoes tore across the Massachusetts area on June 1, and currently about 675 are on state active duty.

Officials have confirmed three deaths from the storms and said a fourth death, an elderly man who died of apparent cardiac arrest, may not have been tornado-related, said a Reuters report

Dozens were also injured and damage hit 19 Massachusetts communities and tens of thousands of residents were without power after the severe weather, according to civilian media reports.

The Missouri National Guard has about 275 Missouri Guard members performing various domestic operations in the Joplin area after a major twister leveled large portions of that city May 22, which resulted in the deaths of about 140 Citizens and devastated the local hospital.

Operations in both Missouri and Massachusetts include search and rescue, debris removal and cleanup, health and wellness checks, assisting local and federal emergency responders and damage assessment, said Guard officials.

Fighting floods:

Illinois Guard assists with South Dakota flooding

Illinois National Guard report

SPRINGFIELD, IL (6/3/11) – The Illinois National Guard sent one CH-47 Chinook helicopter with five crew members from Company B, 2nd Battalion 238th Aviation based in Peoria to help the South Dakota National Guard battle flood waters today.

“Our Soldiers and Airmen are always prepared and willing to help our neighbors,” said Army Maj. Gen. William L. Enyart, adjutant general of the Illinois National Guard. “Rising floodwater is something that we completely understand here in Illinois.”

Approximately 1,000 South Dakota National Guard Soldiers and Airmen have been helping to hold back the flood waters in the upper plains state for nearly a week.

The Illinois National Guard Aircraft and crew will sling load one-ton sandbags to secure the levy along the Missouri River near Sioux City, Iowa.

Soldiers from Company B, 2nd Battalion 238th Aviation were among the 550 Illinois National Guard Soldiers and Airmen who helped to battle the floods in southern Illinois in April and May of this year.

National Guard helps South Dakota city prep for flooding

By Army Spc. Manda Walters
South Dakota National Guard

PIERRE, S.D. (6/3/11) – Pierre city workers from the fire, water, and electrical departments gathered at Steamboat Memorial Park’s Well House 1 on Thursday morning to test a generator that will be activated should flood waters surpass a levee that South Dakota National Guard Soldiers are reinforcing just 35 feet away.

Rex Newling, a City of Pierre electrician, other city workers, and SDNG service members have spent many hours preparing the city, their friends and neighbors for the impending rising flood waters.

“I wish the high water would get here, then the anticipation would be over with,” said Newling, “but if normal power goes out, this generator will keep the well going.”

The well is one of several which provide water to the city’s potable water reservoirs.

Army Sgt. Michael H. Ordal, a heavy equipment operator with Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 147th Field Artillery said he is doing his best to keep the city and residents from experiencing a power outage.

Ordal and fellow service members are reinforcing the existing levee at Steamboat Park with the help of a crane, 4,000-pound sand bags, and guidance from the Army Corps of Engineers.

“The Army Corps of Engineers places fill and cut line markers to aid in the construction of levees,” said Ordal.  These markers are used to designate how much dirt is needed to hold back the projected water levels, he said.

The levee, measuring more than 12 feet across, approximately 5 feet in height and stretching the length of the park, is expected to keep water away from area structures. A fill line marker near the levee and well house shows that its current height will be more than adequate if projected water levels are accurate, Ordal said.

The Army Corps of Engineers plans to release water from the Oahe Reservoir beginning at 8 a.m. today. If the levee is successful, there will be no need for the generator to pump water from Well House 1 to one of the city’s water reservoirs because the power will remain on.

North Dakota Guard helps neighborhoods with levee systems

North Dakota Guard report

BISMARCK, N.D. (6/3/11) – North Dakota National Guard members that are part of Civil Military Assistance Teams are hard at work building levee systems throughout the Bismarck-Mandan and Morton and Burleigh county areas.

Army 1st Lt. Matthew Voeller, with Battery A of the 1st Battalion,  188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, is the officer-in-charge of a CMAT constructing a levee system north of Memorial Bridge on the Mandan side of the Missouri River.

The objective of the CMAT here is to keep back overland flooding by building a levee system that spans the entire neighborhood to the north. The south part of the levee links in with HESCO barriers placed by contractors that will buttress the bridge.

“The majority of residents already had some type of existing structure,” Voeller said. “However many were inadequate and needed strengthening.”

Those dikes that were not up to standard were re-enforced by Guard members with the guidance of the U.S. Army Engineer Corps and the civil engineers from Morton County.

Voeller said that while some people did a very good job of building their structures to protect their homes, his team needs to ensure that they meet the height and width requirements necessary to hold back the anticipated floodwaters, as well as keep the integrity of the system throughout the length of the area.

This will protect the residents’ homes and keep the water from coming overland and flowing further south. Voeller said this particular mission is close to completion and that the locals have been extremely supportive and expressed their gratitude for the help of the National Guard.

Mike Aubol, Morton County civil engineer, is working along with the National Guard and going through the whole development doing what he hopes will be a final inspection. Aubol will be giving recommendations to the crew as to what needs to be improved upon and taking measurements to ensure the levee is constructed to the correct level.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Bill Kilmer is a platoon sergeant in the North Dakota National Guard but says that he’s had many different jobs while working flood duty so far.

“I’ve done traffic control points, filled sandbags and now building this levee system,” Kilmer said.

Kilmer has served on flood duty previously in Valley City in 2009. He says quite a few of his crew has a decent amount of experience on flood duty.

“They’ve been doing a good job, and staying motivated,” Kilmer said.

CMATs have also had a lot of support from the residents that they are helping protect.

“The people have been great, very appreciative and bringing us water and snacks,” Kilmer said. “They’re very grateful to have the security from the structures that we’ve been putting up.”

North Dakota Air Guard patrols evacuated areas

North Dakota Guard report

MINOT, N.D. (6/3/11) – Members of the North Dakota Air National Guard’s 219th Security Forces Squadron began a new mission Thursday as they continued with flood operations here.

About 50 Guard members began providing presence patrols in the city’s nine evacuated zones.

The Guard members’ presence will help deter possible theft or vandalism while the homeowners are away. The Guard members also are tracking residents who did not evacuate after the mayor issued the order to do so.

“A lot of people are excited we’re here,” said Air Force Staff Sgt. Brandan Ressler, a member of the 219th SFS. “There’s a sigh of relief that the Guard is here to help with things.”

Ressler is serving his third consecutive year on flood duty. Today, he was watching for suspicious personnel in Minot’s evacuated areas and recording license plate numbers and locations to report to the authorities.

“It’s a definite hometown mission,” said the Minot native. “It feels really good to help out my home. Our main purpose here is to prevent looting. We’re trying to protect the people who have followed orders and left.”

As they checked in with folks, they visited with Mike Neva, a homeowner in one of the evacuated areas who had returned home for some last-minute waterproofing. He said with the work the North Dakota National Guard has done, he feels 95 percent confident that his home will be saved. He won’t, however, build a house with an 8-foot-deep basement again, he says.

“I’m glad you guys are doing this,” Neva said. “I feel secure with them being here. They’re here for our protection and people sometimes don’t give them the credit they’re due.”

Simply being visible in the community goes a long way toward preventing looting, said Air Force Master Sgt. Nathan Anderson, with the 219th SFS.

“I think it’s good that we’re out here deterring events,” he said. “The public likes to see us out here and know that we’re around. For the situation they’re in, the public seems pretty upbeat. They’re just doing what they have to do.”

All together, about 600 North Dakota National Guardsmen are serving on flood duty in the Minot area, with nearly 1,400 more serving in Bismarck and Mandan, N.D.

Residents, Soldiers, Airmen come together to provide Missouri River flood relief

By Air Force Capt. Michael Frye
114th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

PIERRE, S.D. (6/3/11) – Deloren Krieger isn’t taking any chances. By 7 a.m. Tuesday, he was already picking up more sandbags. As the waters began to encroach on the local golf course near his home, this Pierre resident continued to build the berm that surrounds his residence.

Krieger said although there is some distance that separates his home from the river, he feels that with the golf course so close, his home may be in danger.

“I don’t have that big of a house,” said Krieger. “But even a 1,000-square-foot house with a 5-foot berm surrounding it takes a lot of sandbags.”

Sandbagging efforts continue as many volunteers have answered the call for protecting homes like Krieger’s, even though their own homes aren’t in harm’s way.

Local residents like Donna Brown-Glow and her husband share their time between Wood and Fort Pierre. Although Brown-Glow’s homes aren’t in danger, she feels it’s important to help those in need.

“South Dakota is a great state,” said Brown-Glow. “We are all neighbors throughout South Dakota, and I want to help my neighbors out.”

She also said she is grateful for the Airmen and Soldiers who are in the communities helping with the sandbagging efforts in this historic flooding event.

“I’m an Army brat and have a great respect for the military,” Brown-Glow added. “I am very pleased to see them here. They are who we depend on.”

Lindsey Rogers, a Fort Pierre resident, shared Brown-Glow’s same sentiment. She said the Fort Pierre Pool, where she has been the manager the past two years, has already been closed indefinitely. Since her summer plans changed, she has taken that turn of events to help support the Soldiers and Airmen who have been called to support the flood fighting efforts along the Missouri River.

Rogers has been spending her time at the Expo Center sandbagging with volunteers and South Dakota National Guard members.

“We are spending a lot of our time laughing and telling funny stories to keep our minds off sand,” said Rogers with a smile.

Rogers has also brought her management skills to the fight. As food donations come in from the community, she’s making sure that food reaches the Guard members and volunteers who have come out to work.  She said her personal goal is to aid the Soldiers and Airmen as much as possible, as without their support, helping the community would be more difficult.

“It’s unbelievable,” adds Rogers. “You hear of these Guardsmen going overseas and supporting our country, but when small communities like Pierre and Fort Pierre are in trouble, being able to see these guys come in and give up their summers to help us like this, you can’t be thankful enough that they are here.”

Pierre resident Mark Barnett has felt the need to step up to the sandbagging challenge, as well. His home isn’t in the flood zone, but he has picked up loads of sandbags throughout the past five days.

When asked where the sandbags were going while picking up his third load on Wednesday, he simply answered, “Friends.”

Barnett echoed the common theme amongst Pierre and Fort Pierre residents, “We’re glad to see the National Guard here. We need their help.”

Spc. Lauren Lachney, a native of Opelousas, La., prepares to place a Royal Building System vinyl concrete mold during Task Force Bon Voizen April 29.

For the second time in under a year, Louisiana National Guard troops are heading up a joint humanitarian training exercise involving National Guard units from several states, active duty Army, the Army Reserve, Air Force, Marines Corps and partner-nation participants from Belize, Canada, and Colombia.

One goal of the exercise, dubbed Task Force Bon Voizen or “Good Neighbor” is to construct a three-room school in the impoverished region of Upper Poteau, located in Artibonite Department, roughly 75 miles north of the Haitian capital of Port-Au-Prince. A medical clinic and a latrine are also being built at the site.

TF Bon Voizen is a Commander, U.S. Southern Command sponsored, U.S. Army South conducted, joint foreign military interaction/humanitarian exercise under the command of the Louisiana National Guard.

The engineers employ a construction technique developed in the 1990s known as Royal Building System, which is rated to withstand the force of a category-three hurricane, and is known to be resistant to earthquakes. RBS buildings can also be built quickly, making them ideally suited to the mission timeline.

“It’s basically a solid, reinforced concrete building” explained Sgt. 1st Class Roland Sweetland, of Bossier City, La., the quality control inspector at the site. “First we drop steel rebar vertically into the foundation, then we set up the vinyl molds and fill them with concrete. It goes pretty quick, and once it’s finished, we’ll have a very strong structure.”

“I am happy to be able work on something that will help educate kids here,” said Spc. Lauren Lachney, a native of Opelousas, La. and member of the 1020th Engineer Company. The 1020th is a Louisiana National Guard element out of Marksville, La. currently spearheading the various construction projects of Bon Voizen. “Education is the way to improve a country,” Lachney added.

Many of the Louisiana National Guard Soldiers currently serving in Haiti are here for the second time, having taken part in last year’s Task Force Kout Men, or “Helping Hands,” an exercise which also constructed a school. One such Soldier is Pfc. Jason Carroll, of Colombia, La.

“I wanted to come to Haiti last year because I had just finished basic training where I met a guy from here. We became friends, and I can remember how upset he was the day that the earthquake hit. So when I got the opportunity to come down and help out, I volunteered,” said Carroll.

Task Force Bon Voizen is deploying U.S. military engineers and medical professionals to Haiti for training and to provide humanitarian services. Task Force Bon Voizen will build a school, two medical clinics and one water well/latrine facility, as well as staff three medical clinics and one dental clinic between April 28 and June 25 in the Artibonite Department.

U.S. Army

Follow Task Force Bon Voizen at these sites:
Facebook – Task Force Bon Voizen
Flickr – TF Bon Voizen

Haitian children in Gonaives wait for medical clinic. U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Jessica M. Lopez

Task Force Kout Men moved into northern Haiti in mid June. Over 500 members of the United States military, the National Guard, Reserves and the regulars, will be working in and around the city of Gonaives. The base camp is in the village of Mandrin.

The task force is headed by the Louisiana National Guard who chose the Creole name, which means “Helping Hands”. The exercise is titled “New Horizons – Haiti 2010″ and the men and women rotating through during the June through September time frame will be working on four schools and providing a number of medical outreach services.

At any one time 500-550 Americans will be on the ground but units will be rotating in and out during the mission. It is headed by the Louisiana National Guard and many participants are from Guard and Reserve units in other states, such as Indiana, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New York, North and South Dakota, Texas and U.S. Virgin Islands. Troops from the Central American nation of Belize are also attached to the mission.

In a Bloggers’ Roundtable, we had the opportunity to speak with Army Col. Michael Borrel, the task force commander of the New Horizons-Haiti 2010 exercise, a member of the task force’s engineering team, Maj. Charles “Chuck” Hudson, Louisiana National Guard, as well as a member of the medical staff, U.S. Air Force Col. Thomas Steinbrunner.

Work on local schools is progressing. In addition to structural work, the American engineers are adding wells for drinking water and improved latrines. The SeaBees, Navy Construction Batt. 25, are doing much of this work, assisted by other units and the troops from Belize.

Asked about the earthquake and hurricane resistance of the new construction, Col. Borrel had this to say:

Yes, the system that was selected through the Army South engineers that we’re utilizing is the Royal Building Systems that’s — that has since been renamed the NuForm System. And it’s essentially a concrete-reinforced slab that’s 3,500-PSI concrete with reinforced rebar that is very — with a six-inch slope that’s very strong concrete slab. The walls use a smaller aggregate but at the same 3,500 PSI and the same six-inch slump (sic; slope). So it’s a reinforced concrete building.

And the roof structure facilitates a steel frame J-bolt system that’s bolted steel with the corrugated metal roof. You know, it’s much more better — much better technology, a much stronger system than any of the systems in — being utilized in Haiti. When we came on the ground, essentially, in Mandrin they were using United Nations tents, and they had a pole barn that they were using as a classroom.

So this will be a significant improvement and will enhance the learning capabilities of the children and the instructors as well.

At the facilities at the K. Georges and at the Diaquoi (sp), they were existing structures that were projects from the past that were constructed under the guise of USAID, and they are a similar concrete reinforced structure that have withstood the hurricanes and winds of the past. The grade at which we are placing these buildings is consistent with where the grade is of the existing structures and is intended to be above any type of flood area.

Staff Sgt Rebekah Chiarini, a medical provider with the 399th Combat Support Hospital, plays with children from the Vision For A Better Haiti Orphanage at the at the U.S. Army South New Horizons- Haiti 2010 Gonaives medical assistance site July 7. New Horizons, in partnership with the government of Haiti, is conducting various medical, dental engineering missions for the locals in Gonaives. New Horizons also provides valuable experience to learn in a real-world environment for our U.S. Forces. U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Jessica M. Lopez

This region of Haiti escaped the direct effects of the January 12, 2010, earthquake. Gonaives was partially destroyed by Hurricane Hannah in 2008 and suffers from regular flooding. I asked Co. Borrel about the choice of location for the exercise. He told us that up to 100,000 Haitians from the quake zone were believed, by the Haitian government, to have moved to the Gonaives area. The work on the schools provides for more capacity, to allow some of those refugee children to attend school.

Ten medical exercises are part of the overall mission plan. To date, the officers report that well over 20,000 Haitians have been seen at a variety of locations. Col. Steinbrunner described this outreach as primary care only. Serious problems would be referred to the local Haitian hospitals.

Along with medical exams, Haitians are being seen by dentists and other medical professionals. At the request of the Haitian government, there are no immunizations being provided. Steinbrunner described the conditions seen to date as a mix of many things, skin conditions, parasitic illnesses and sexually transmitted diseases being predominant.

The large numbers of American troops that surged into Haiti after the earthquake are gone. Yet, a small, hardworking group of Americans troops continue to make a difference as a part of Task Force Helping Hands.

You can follow these Americans through social media:

Facebook: New Horizons – Task Force Kout Men

Flickr: Task_Force_Kout_Men_New_ Horizons_Haiti_2010′s photostream

Twitter: @tfkoutmen

Soldiers of the Louisiana National Guard’s 527th Engineer Battalion, 225th Engineer Brigade, work to reinforce oil protection barriers and land bridges along Elmer’s Island, La., near Grand Isle and Port Fourchon, La., July 9, 2010. Photo by Sgt. Michael Owens

Soldiers of the Louisiana National Guard’s 527th Engineer Battalion, 225th Engineer Brigade, are reinforcing oil protection structures along the coasts of Grand Isle and Port Fourchon, La., July 9.

In May, soldiers with the 769th Engineer Battalion, 225th Eng. Bde., built a 2,000 foot rock wall several feet high to serve as a barrier against oil encroaching on the marshlands. The Guardsmen from the 527th Eng. Bn. are now adding an additional 500 feet to the wall to increase the protection. The height of the wall will also be raised by roughly three feet to keep the tide from washing over it.

“The 769th finished the rock wall back in May, but after weeks of being beaten by waves and tides, we need to make it stronger so it can continue to be a useful asset,” said Staff Sgt. Ryan W. Norred, noncommissioned officer in charge of the project.

On the other end of the island, soldiers are reinforcing a land bridge so they can easily drive their vehicles to their work sites. They must battle inclement weather and rough seas during their 12-hour work shift.

“We’re going to build the bridge up about three feet and add a ramp on the east side so vehicles can easily maneuver,” said Norred.

These oil protection structures are significant because they increase Louisiana’s chances to fight the oil coming in from the Gulf of Mexico into the delicate marshlands.

“The structures built by the National Guard are really helping us fight the oil by keeping it near the beaches and out of the marshes,” said Windell Curole, director of the South Lafourche Parish levee district. Curole explained that it is easier to fight the oil on the beaches, than in the marshes.

“We really appreciate what the Guard is doing out here, because their efforts are really helping our community combat the oil spill,” he concluded.

DVIDS
Story by Sgt. Michael Owens