In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall last week and has since dissipated, National Guard units in the hardest-hit states in the American Southeast are still working with state emergency responders to get life back on track. for communities affected by the storm. .

About 6,700 Guardsmen from 16 states in the US have been activated to provide assistance, as part of the emergency management agreements, in the states hardest hit by the hurricane. Members of the Guard are involved in operations such as high water rescue, debris clearance, transport and distribution of disaster relief supplies, search and rescue and route clearing.

It is now unclear how long National Guard members must remain activated, said Army Maj. Gen. Win Burkett, director of operations at the National Guard Bureau.

“The answer will be a decision by the governors in each of these states as to when they can transition – life-saving, life-sustaining, to recovery and that longer-term recovery,” he said. “Overall, the National Guard has a diminishing role to play in that regard. But the forecast… by state or by territory in each of these states will differ dramatically depending on the conditions on the border. land and where the governor thinks he can make that transition.”

Army Col. Paul Hollenack, commander of the North Carolina National Guard’s 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team, said the guard in his state has no plans yet to cease operations.

“We are here until the mission is completed,” he said.

In North Carolina, Hollenack said, the National Guard has more than 1,100 active-duty soldiers and airmen and uses nearly 400 vehicles, including 26 aircraft.

“We have support from 10 different states,” he said. “(There is) a lot of appreciation for our other state partners who provided equipment and people to help us.”

Hollenack said the Guard in North Carolina is operating with “force packages,” and 200 of those have been activated and are now operating out of 20 locations in western North Carolina.

“Yesterday we passed the one million pound threshold in goods delivered, of which 600,000 pounds were by air – food, water and supplies to western North Carolina,” he said. “We have rescued more than 500 people and 150 pets through the search and rescue operations. Removing obstacles on the road is another major effort. (As it is) trying to gain access and then continuing to set up those ground supply routes.

More than 1,000 Guardsmen are now on duty in South Carolina, said Army Col. Jason Turner, director of military support for the South Carolina National Guard.

“South Carolina is supporting South Carolina and North Carolina with aviation support,” he said. “And from a South Carolina perspective, the number saved, the last number I got, was 32.”

The state is also partnering with eight other states through a Compact Emergency Management Assistance to provide support. Right now, Turner said, aid is pouring in from Florida, Mississippi, New York and Michigan to support the South Carolina National Guard.

“We’ll put them to work as soon as they get here,” he said.

He said the biggest effort so far has been clearing debris. This includes clearing roads of trees so that land transport can be reopened and agencies such as energy companies can get to work restoring power.

“We have aviation, we have engineers, we have logistics, we have drones, we have multiple types of equipment that are on the way,” he said. “We’re bringing the equipment we have to help the citizens.”

In Tennessee, said Army Lt. Col. Meredith Richardson, commander of the Tennessee National Guard’s Task Force 176, there are about 300 troops on the ground providing assistance across the state.

“From Friday, while aviation was airborne at the same time… we also had personnel on the ground in high water vehicles, working with our emergency management crews and assisting with areas we could go to with search and rescue and welfare checks in our high water vehicles she said. “We operate in six different provinces. We have … heavy technical support, as do the other states, in removing debris to open up that critical infrastructure.”

Richardson also said the Tennessee Guard is involved in distributing supplies and raw materials from twelve different distribution points

“We are also providing bulk water distribution in shelters and medical facilities because water has very quickly become a major need in the communities,” she said.

The Tennessee National Guard has nine aircraft in service across the state, along with 100 aviation personnel operating that equipment.

“We have two medevac planes currently providing immediate medical attention (for) anything that arises. They will be available immediately. And then a number of lifting equipment that perform water movements and supply movements. these counties’ needs are currently being met by them,” said Army Maj. Hulon Holmes, the commander of the Tennessee National Guard Medevac Detachment.

A concern that also lies with the National Guard in all affected areas – in addition to deploying and helping their communities recover – is caring for the Guardsmen themselves, many of whom have also been affected by the storms. That’s something Guard leaders are thinking about, Burkett said.

“With every event we respond to, in addition to responding to needs at the local level, we also check on the status of our military families, which is everyone. Those are the civilians who support our team, as well as the pilots and soldiers,” Burkett said.