Mission Report – May 28 – 29, 2011
Mission Report - May 28 - 29, 2011
Joplin Deployment Continued
Saturday morning we set off again to the town of Joplin from the KC area. This time we would be rallying with Volunteers of the 1/3 KC, 1/7 CO, 4/8 SF, 3/8 JP. We had finally established contact with the 3/8 unit out of Joplin. They had been working for sometime through out the week in there communities along with others.. Net starts at 08:00 making contact with the 4/8 as we made it into town. We RV'd at a Barn out side of town. Thanks to some hospitality of the owners of that private property we were able to set up our CP and deploy our logistics 08:18. Our contacts there had also been working since Friday. Once we dropped our packs for the night, we readied the equipment for deployment. Prep included hand tools, chain saws, protective gear, and a Bob Kat.
BK-Bob Kat team
CS-Chainsaw team
SC-Signal and Control team
S&L-Supply and Logistics team
We made contact with the New Creations Church off 19th Street at 10:15. There we cleared wavers and received our assignments.
The BK & CS teams deployed to with their first assignment off Pennsylvania Ave.
S&C along with S&L teams stayed with the church to continue to assist with in coming donations and relaying assignments.
S&C's first assignment was Loading some clothes to take to Advance America, a small business off 7th street. A local lady there also helped with the clothes and was our guide.
12:30 S&C assisted the BK and CS teams with an assignment off 21st street. We helped the gentleman there recover property there for his sister. Members of the Red Cross had Provided lunch on scene for the Locals. We also directed traffic for EMS and National Guard.
13:52 S&C Returned to the New Creations Church to distribute Medical supplies to the Community Hall in town. We were then further directed to distribute the rest of the supplies to an Airport hanger being used for distribution by members of AmeriCorps.
S&C Team returning to the Church, received an assignment that was stressed urgent. The lady that was our guide for the clothes distribution had learned of a loss. We followed and marked the location of the property off Dooley Dr. All Teams where then gathered to help recover property for her at 15:15. She was specifically interested in a Family Bible. In a group effort sorting through the wreckage, it was recovered along with some other valuables. This assignment ended our work day at 17:49 for Saturday the 29th. We then Rallied at the Wild Woods Baptist Church off 20th street. There we linked up with the Volunteers out of the 3/8 as well as the 4/8. The Church Provided dinner there for us. We then returned to our CP for the night.
Sunday the 29th, we RV'd Once again at the Wild Woods Baptist Church. By this time FEMA was on site assisting the Church. There we linked Up with all the Units. We were provided for again by the Church for breakfast. There we received our Assignment to help with a neighborhood that had weathered the storm off 26th street and Duquesne Road.
All Units and Equipment where deployed. There we proceeded from the center and moved out on the Road in both directions. House to House we talked to neighbors and discussed their needs. Once we got our assignments we applied equipment and men as necessary clearing debris, recovering property and distributing provisions. Through out the morning, more volunteer groups from churches as well as independent volunteers from out of state with Bob kats and other equipment showed up to help as well. We worked side by side and directed our efforts as needed through out the day. The Street was cleared by 12:30 and the neighbors there where now freed up to assist the rest of their communities. Net and mission ends 13:00.
Thanks goes out to all the Units and there new members that came out to lend a hand. All the Volunteer Groups the worked and distributed and assisted with assignments and All the Churches that took care of us and gave us assignments through out the deployment. The citizens of Joplin maybe down but they are not out. No flag lays on the ground. Old Glory still is flown by any means and does not fade. The communities attitude is one that you would expect from the Heart Land. Politics, Religion, and Bureaucrats where set aside and as Americans we helped each other out. The work we all do there may have seemed minuscule compared to the magnitude of damage there. But the piece of mind and the hearts of the people of those communities that where effected there makes all the difference.