National Guardsmen Lend a Hand
Story by Sgt. Emily Donigan - Posted Dec, 2007
In a backroom of a Chehalis warehouse a group of National Guardsmen huddle around an old television set. They laugh amongst themselves as they watch an eerily mesmerizing electronic symphony play on the one channel that comes in on their jimmy-rigged set. Behind them, cots scattered with sleeping bags and gear line the walls of the small room. A single strand of half-functioning Christmas lights hang lazily near the door.
Outside the warehouse lies a region in ruins, devastated by flooding. Hundreds of people are without homes, food or hope. The National Guardsmen who temporarily live in that room are not just humbled, but honored to be there.
The eight-man team, made up of soldiers from the 951st Component Repair Company on Camp Murray and airmen from various units, arrived in Chehalis December 4 and began assistance efforts. Overcoming high water levels, the team conducted door-to-door checks on homes in Lewis and Pacific county. They evacuated stranded residents and offered assistance as needed, said 1st Lt. Carlos Cabello, the executive officer for 951st CRC and the officer in charge of the team.
“It was a very humbling experience,” said Sgt. Dagaar Owen, a member of the 951st CRC. “People lost all their livestock,” he said. “They lost everything.”
The team also transferred much-needed supplies from the warehouse in Chehalis to staging areas throughout the effected area. On December 8, Cabello and two of his team members, Tech. Sergeant Rhonda Carp, a computer communications operator with the 143rd Combat Communications Squadron, and Specialist Victoria Chavez, a small arms repair specialist with the 951st CRC, went house to house delivering supplies such as water, blankets, firewood and food to those in need.
“We complain about things like needing a new kitchen counter or floors. These people’s homes were destroyed,” said Cabello. “Just bringing them something like water, something so small, but it’s huge to them. You see their faces and you want to do more.”
Fortunately Cabello had a solid team behind him. “My soldiers have handled this exceptionally,” he said. The team of Guardsmen worked 12-hour days without complaint, he said. “They know their mission, know they are needed, so they drive on. They’re very diligent. I’m glad I came out with the people I did.”
The Guard team was equally impressed with the people they were there to help. A community ravaged by floodwater and wind came together to help out their neighbors. Owen said he was amazed by one particular woman he came across who lost her eight horses and much of what she owned. She responded by volunteering to help others in need.
Chehalis Mayor, Anthony E. Ketchum, said he was very pleased with the assistance the Washington National Guard provided for his community. “Their help was tremendous during our time of need,” he said. “They need to be appreciated.”
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