Tech Sgt. Kevin Reinhardt, left, and Staff Sgt. AnthonySalquist, both of the 119th Logistics Readiness Squadron, prepare 1.5-ton sandbags for filling with sand from a cement truck, so they can be used in flood fighting operations March 19 at the North Dakota Air National Guard, Fargo, N.D. The large sandbags are being readied for UH-60 helicopter sling-load operations, should they be necessary in an emergency to battle rising floodwaters anywhere in eastern North Dakota. Photo by Senior Master Sgt. David Lipp

The first week of the 2010 flood fight has come with numerous familiar tools and tasks for the North Dakota National Guard. After spending nearly 100 days on flood duty in 2009, one might expect few new experiences less than a year later. To the contrary, the first five days of flood operations brought three new tools or methods in holding back the rising floodwaters.

BIG BAG USA FLOOD BARRIER
Just a few days into flood operations, Guardsmen had the opportunity to work with Big Bags USA Flood Barriers, which are large pleated bags that unfold and are filled with sand. The bags stand 3 feet high with one system stretching 15 feet — or the equivalent capacity of about 500 sandbags. They’re fitted with a wood U-shaped frame, which allows each bag to be connected to the next with just four drywall screws.

“The Big Bag consists of five individual bags, each a cubic yard. They’re connected together with our patented U-frame design and open up like an accordion,” said Tom Spalj, a Big Bag representative with DRIPS (Disaster Relief & Innovative Protection Systems). “They’re about 60 to 70 pounds — depending on the water weight of the wood — apiece, but they’re so quick, they open up to 15 feet in less than 10 seconds.”

The bags can then be filled with sand using a skid-steer loader, front-end loader or other similar equipment. On Thursday, North Dakota Guardsmen used a skid steer to fill a line of bags that, along with a clay dike, are protecting the Timberline neighborhood in Fargo.

While the technology is new to the United States — only one other city has used it previously — it’s been used in Asia and Europe for about 15 years, with the design originating in Germany.

GIANT SANDBAGS
On Friday, Guardsmen filled 50 giant sandbags and secured them with cables at the North Dakota Air National Guard base in Fargo. Similar to bags placed aerially on breaches during last year’s flood fight, this year brings a slightly bigger size — a little more than the 1-ton bags used last year — and a faster way to fill them. Last year, a skid-steer loader with bucket attachment scooped sand to fill the bags. This year, Guardsmen used a cement mixer truck. When filled with sand, the cement truck could quickly and cleanly load the bags when they were held under the chute by the tines on a forklift.

“These bags will actually hold about 3,000 pounds but we can’t fill them that full. We’re getting somewhere between 2,000, 2,500 pounds, somewhere in there,” said Master Sgt. Gary Koslofsky, of the 119th Logistics Readiness Squadron.

After the bags were filled, a UH-60 Black Hawk crew from the Minnesota National Guard , which is assisting North Dakota through an Emergency Management Assistance Contract, or EMAC, practiced sling-loading and hoisting the bags.

According to Sgt. 1st Class Todd Sudheimer, the team is ready to not only place the giant sandbags, but to use their rescue hoist to evacuate people, if needed.

“We haul people around, we haul equipment around, I guess anything we’re asked to do,” he said.

AQUAFENCE

Airman 1st Class Casey Pritchard, of the 119th Civil Engineer Squadron, assembles a section of an experimental aqua fence March 17, Fargo, N.D. The aqua fence is being installed by the North Dakota Air National Guard as a test flood barrier to see if it might be effective for use in future flood protection. Photo by Senior Master Sgt. David Lipp

Guardsmen worked with a more innovative tool — another one never before seen in Fargo — on Wednesday when they installed more than 200 feet of AquaFence. Like the Big Bag barriers, the AquaFence concept comes from overseas. Manufactured in Norway, it consists of plywood panels that unfold, are secured open with aluminum poles and are then connected to the conjoining panel with a section of PVC.

“It’s not a lot of back-breaking work like chucking sandbags,” said Chief Master Sgt. Scott Terry, of Argusville, N.D., the noncommissioned officer in charge of the AquaFence assembly project.

Marius Hansen, managing director for AquaFence, said the product is reusable and has been tested up to 100 times.

“I think they’re trying to figure out something for the next 10 to 12 years,” said Master Sgt. Terry L. Babler of the city of Fargo.

The AquaFence was rented by the city to see how it performed on the stretch of river just north of NP Avenue in Fargo.

Despite the opportunities a number of Guardsmen have had to get first-hand experience with flood control products new to the area, many are doing familiar work. About 660,000 hours were dedicated to flood duty last year by North Dakota Guardsmen, during which time they sandbagged, provided traffic control points, patrolled dikes and served on quick reaction force teams ready to help in an emergency. Those roles are successfully being filled once again during this flood.

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Story by Senior Master Sgt. David Lipp

Senior Master Sgt. Scott Wagner, of the 119th Civil Engineer Squadron, drills a hole in pavement to secure an experimental aqua fence in place March 17, Fargo, N.D. The aqua fence is being installed by the North Dakota Air National Guard as a test flood barrier to see if it might be effective for use in future flood protection. Photo by Senior Master Sgt. David Lipp

North Dakota Air National Guard members became the first to install a new tool in the flood fight today when they placed a section of AquaFence in Fargo. The city has never used the product before, so the effort served as a demonstration of the ease with which it can be installed. As the Red River creeps toward its crest of 37 to 39 feet this weekend, the durability of the fence will be tested, as well.

“We’re trying it out to see if it’s a tool the city can use in future flood fights,” said Nathan Boerboom, an engineer for the City of Fargo. “If it works out, the city may purchase some and use in future flood fights.”

If by chance it doesn’t work as anticipated, a clay dike stands ready behind it.

Airmen put in a little more than 200 linear feet of the barrier near NP Avenue on the North Dakota-Minnesota border today.

The AquaFence is a reusable barrier system that consists of plywood boards at right angles to each other with aluminum bars anchoring the panels.

“It’s like a book that you just open up 90 degrees,” said Marius Hansen, managing director for AquaFence.

A PVC shield connects each panel, which also is bolted to the ground.

“It’s a very simple process,” said Helge Krøgenes, AquaFence chairman, who traveled from company headquarters in Norway to show the Airmen how the system worked.

Each panel requires four people to carry it into position, but only one person is needed to set it up.

“This is a demo process, so the ground has not been prepared yet, so the set up will be a little bit longer here than what you can expect at normal times,” Hansen said. He correctly estimated the two-plus hours the 14 Airmen would need to complete the project.

“We’re here with a representative of the company and he’s giving us some instruction on how it goes up, and the guys are staying busy putting it all together,” said Chief Master Sgt. Scott Terry, noncommissioned officer in charge of the project.

According to Boerboom, some advantages that the AquaFence appears to offer over the HESCO barriers used frequently in last year’s flood fight are that less clean up is involved and it’s less intrusive on property.

“It’s a pretty easy product to work with versus sandbags,” said Master Sgt. Terry L. Babler.

Since the North Dakota National Guard began flood operations on March 15, sandbagging has been the major effort in the Fargo area.

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Sgt. Murray Strom, of the 815th Engineer Company (Wishek, N.D.), directs a North Dakota Army National Guard quick response force truck into place March 21 at the rural Kindred home of Dave and Susan Hartfiel. The military personnel and equipment belong to a quick response force team responding to an emergency call at the Hartfiel house. They were on alert at their staging area at the Hickson, N.D., community center when they got the emergency call to create a flood barrier against the rising flood water, which had begun to creep into the lower level of the Hartiel house. Photo by Senior Master Sgt. David Lipp

One of the North Dakota National Guard’s quick reaction force teams responded to a call near Kindred today, where floodwaters threatened a home. The team, comprised of Soldiers from Wishek’s 815th Engineer Company, is stationed at the Community Center in Hickson, N.D.

Within 15 minutes of getting the call, they were at the white farmhouse a mile east of Kindred along the Sheyenne River with two 20-ton dump trucks filled with more than 1,000 sandbags, as well as a skid-steer loader and high-wheeled vehicle. The team of 10 Soldiers, along with the homeowners and neighbors, quickly started building a sandbag dike around the home.

“I’m very, very appreciative for you guys coming out,” said Dave Hartfiel, the homeowner. “Last year when this happened, we stayed high and dry. This year, even before it hit flood level, we started jumping the banks over in the back, and never really expected it to get this bad.”

As the Guardsmen worked to haul sandbags around the home, the water continued to rise quickly.

“This whole field filled up since we got here, in not even an hour’s time,” said 1st Lt. Dan Otto, the liaison officer between the county and the QRF teams.

Water was flowing down the driveway and into a storage building, where about 6 inches already stood under a horse trailer and boat there.

“Since we’ve been here, the water has come up. We’re building a dike around his house, and had we not shown up with the sandbags and the people to do that, his house would’ve went under,” Otto said.

Despite the cold water rising and splashing around them, the Guardsmen were glad to be there.

“I live in Fargo, so it’s nice to help the community,” said Sgt. Robert A. Rau, who was on the QRF team along with his brother, Spc. Steve Rau, of Bismarck.

Hartfiel, who was soaked with the cold water of the Sheyenne, as well, was glad for their help.

“These guys have been great. They’ve done a wonderful job,” he said. “I want to really thank you guys for coming out, and we really appreciate your help.”

The Guard gets the notice to respond on QRF missions such as this when the city or an individual contacts the Cass County Tactical Operations Center.

The Operations Center “will notify me that there’s a need, and if it’s something we can support, then I will call the team directly and I will say, “OK, guys, get ready to go,’” Otto said. “We’ll dispatch the sheriff or the deputy to meet the team at the site and they will escort them in, and then, of course, we notify our EOC [emergency operations center] and the other agencies so that everybody knows what’s going on.”

That process has played out three times in the past 24 hours.

“We’ve had two responses out of the Hickson site and one out of our Harwood site,” Otto said. “The first response was about 6 o’clock yesterday afternoon, we responded about a mile east of here. And then last night at about midnight our Harwood team responded up north, and then again this morning at about 8 o’clock, and that’s when these guys responded” near Kindred.

While not needed in a response yet this week, a paramedic from F-M Ambulance accompanies each Guard QRF team. This allows for faster medical assistance in rural areas, when needed, and provides additional safety for the medical personnel who last year sometimes had to venture into flooded areas with an ambulance, Otto said. Now, the Guard’s high-wheeled vehicles make for safer transportation and evacuation.

The North Dakota National Guard continues to have six QRFs stationed in Cass County — four in Fargo, one in Hickson and one in Harwood. Heavy engineer equipment, along with a supply of 1.5-ton sandbags that can be aerially placed, stand ready at the North Dakota Air National Guard base for bigger emergency responses.

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Here is a series of photos showing North Dakota National Guard flood fighting efforts in Lisbon, North Dakota.

Master Sgt. Eric Johnson, of the 119th Wing, documents military activity as they inspect a temporary flood levee while looking for leaks and breaches along the Sheyenne River in Lisbon, N.D. Photo by Master Sgt. David Lipp

Pfc. Jason Gregoryk, of the 191st Military Police Company, walk on a temporary flood levee looking for leaks and breaches along the Sheyenne River in Lisbon, N.D. Photo by Master Sgt. David Lipp

Pfc. Jason Gregoryk, left, and Staff Sgt. Alvin Anhorn, both of the 191st Military Police Company, walk on a temporary flood levee looking for leaks and breaches along the Sheyenne River in Lisbon, N.D. Photo by Master Sgt. David Lipp

From right to left Kevin Baumgard, of the Army Corp. of Engineers St. Paul District Office, points out flood fighting issues and concerns to North Dakota adjutant general Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, North Dakota Governor John Hoeven and U.S. Congressman Earl Pomeroy, April 13, as they stand on top of a levee built along the Sheyenne River, Lisbon, N.D. Photo by Master Sgt. David Lipp

Staff Sgt. Alvin Anhorn, left, positions a hose used to remove water using a pump operated by Pfc. Jason Gregoryk, both of the 191st Military Police Company, near a temporary flood levee along the Sheyenne River in Lisbon, N.D. The water is pooling from a minor leak in the levee and is being pumped back into the river. Photo by Master Sgt. David Lipp

In this video released by the U.S. Coast Guard, federal, state and local agencies offer assistance to a couple and their three dogs trapped by Red River flood waters near Kindred, N.D., Saturday April 18, 2009.

High resolution video is available at the following link: Coast Guard Rescue near Kindred N.D.

Coast Guard aircrews and boatcrews have conducted several patrols of flood-affected areas along the Sheyenne, Red, and James rivers since Monday, April 16, 2009, including the rescue of two women near Lisbon, N.D. on Tuesday, April 14, 2009.

Current Coast Guard units assisting city, state and other federal resources are:

• A Disaster Assistance Response Team from Marine Safety Detatchment St. Paul, Minn.
• A DART from MSD Quad Cities in Rock Island, Ill.
• An MH-65C rescue helicopter and crew from Air Station New Orleans.
• An HH-65C rescue helicopter and crew from Air Station Traverse City, Mich.
• An HH-65C rescue helicopter from Traverse City, Mich.
• An HH-65C rescue helicopter from Air Station Detroit, Mich.
• An airboat from Station Sault Sainte Marie, Mich.
• An airboat from Station Saginaw, Mich.
• An airboat from Station Marblehead, Ohio.
• An airboat from Station Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
• A smallboat from the Coast Guard Cutter Scioto.
• A smallboat from the Coast Guard Cutter Sangamon.

The southeast corner of North Dakota remains active with National Guard members. Soldiers and Airmen are in many small towns along back roads of the North Dakota countryside; many have never even heard of these towns until now.

As the flood fight operations continue, members of the North Dakota Army and Air National Guard and Minnesota Army National Guard are working together for the same fight.

Affected by the Sheyenne River, Guardsmen of the 112th Aviation Battalion (Bismarck), 231st Brigade Support Battalion (Valley City) and 188th Engineer Battalion (Wahpeton) were at Clausen Springs Dam on April 16 supporting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Together, their mission was the same – to fill a portion of the dam and control the amount of water being released.

In two days, more than 100 one-ton sandbags were placed into the dam by sling loads attached to a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. Soldiers helped load the helicopter with the sandbags and stayed alert to keep the mission moving quickly and carefully.

While these sandbags were loaded and positioned, other members of the North Dakota Army National Guard cleared a path down to the water’s edge. Spc. Josh Deitz, from the 231st Brigade Support Battalion’s Company A, cleared a path through a field and down the bank, using a bulldozer to provide access for 5-ton trucks to bring in materials to fill in the remainder of the dam.

“Everything has been going really well, and we hope it continues like this,” said 1st Sgt. Chris Rath, with the 231st Brigade Support Battalion’s Company B.

In Kathryn, N.D., just east of the Clausen Springs Dam, six Airmen from the 119th Wing in Fargo patrolled dikes, monitored bridges and provided 24-hour security operations. This group is the first in Kathryn to have duty for 24 hours, as the previous shifts rotated every 12 hours. These Airmen remained highly motivated and were happy to help as a few residents were coming and going to gather remaining items in their homes after the evacuation.

Pumps still hummed in the small town of Fort Ransom, just south of Kathryn, as two members of the North Dakota Army National Guard worked diligently around the clock. Staff Sgt. William R. Griffin, of the 136th Combat Service Support Battalion in Devils Lake, and Spc. Jessica Sandberg, of the 132nd Quartermaster Company’s Detachment 2 in Rugby, are watching and maintaining pumps at two locations along the Sheyenne River.

“These areas will be filled by morning,” Sandberg said. “It takes two pumps 6 hours to empty them back out.”

Working from about 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., these Soldiers know the long hours are paying off. Both Sandberg and William were happy to sleep at night, knowing that members of the 191st Military Police Company (Fargo) were patrolling the dikes along Fort Ransom.

Approximately 28 miles southwest of Fort Ransom, the city of LaMoure has been affected by a different river — the James River. About 90 Guardsmen from the Minnesota Army National Guard are working throughout the town. These Soldiers are helping with dike patrolling, pump operating and maintaining, security operations and repairing and replacing poly along the dikes.

These Guardsmen are staying in the LaMoure High School, Civic Center and American Legion, and eating at the local diner between servings of meals ready to eat and tray rations, which are pre-packaged heated military meals.

As the fight continues, members of the National Guard know the long days, cold nights and long trips away their homes and families are paying off. Local residents have welcomed them in and showed great support to all of them, knowing that they are sacrificing a little something, too.

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Story by Sgt. Jill Fischer