Guardsmen assist in Faulkner, two other counties
The Arkansas National Guard now has about 170 soldiers and airmen assisting in Faulkner, Garland and Carroll Counties after tornadoes and high winds hammered the state Monday night.
The Guard initially deployed 85 soldiers and airmen to support civil authorities with search operations, route clearance, security and traffic control in Vilonia, with the mission growing this afternoon to include the delivery of approximately 200 tarps to the Faulkner County community.
In Garland County, the day began with the arrival of 20 soldiers to assist with similar missions in the vicinity of Hot Springs Village. The Guard’s role increased to a total of approximately 60 Soldiers and heavy equipment to assist with route clearance. The mission grew to include two backhoe loaders, a frontend loader, a bulldozer, a wrecker and four tractor trailers to haul the equipment.
The most recent mission tasked to the Guard came this afternoon as Carroll County braces for potential flooding. Twenty Soldiers were called to assist in the communities of Beaver and Holiday Island following an assessment with civil authorities this morning. High water levels in nearby Beaver Lake reportedly resulted in the need to open floodgates to ease the potential for severe flooding in the area. The lower lying areas of the two communities remain at high risk of flooding which sparked the need for evacuation as a precautionary measure. The Guard was called to assist with the door to door notification in the affected area.
The missions in Faulkner County involved personnel from the 189th Airlift Wing, the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team , the 77th Theater Aviation Brigade and the Robinson Maneuver Training Center Institute Support Unit.
