SULPHUR, Okla. -- Members of the Oklahoma Army National Guard are assisting residents of Sulphur, Oklahoma recover from a devastating EF3 tornado that tore through the town on April 27.

“I'm helping the people in Oklahoma, because that's what I joined to do,” said Pfc. Michael Wade, a Tulsa, Oklahoma resident serving as a cavalry scout in Alpha Troop, 1st Squadron, 180th Cavalry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. “It's extremely fulfilling. It feels like I'm doing what I was meant to do with my life by helping people and trying to make it a little bit easier for them when they've gone through something so difficult.”

The Soldiers are working alongside other disaster relief specialists at the Murray County Expo Center in Sulphur where they are helping ensure residents have readily available access to critical supplies like food and water, along with other donations pouring in from all across the country.

Pam Chitwood, a Sulphur resident and volunteer at the Expo Center whose son serves in the Oklahoma National Guard, praised the Guardsmen for their help in tracking and moving the numerous pallets and containers of dry goods, water, clothes and other donations from across the nation that are moving in and out of the center.

“The Oklahoma National Guard has been awesome. They have helped us move pallets and pallets and pallets of water and food and diapers and paper towels,” Chitwood said, adding that thanks to the Guardsmen’s help, the devastated Sulphur community is already looking at how they can help other Oklahoma towns affected by tornados on April 27 and May 6.

“Marietta has put out a call that they need help because they were also hit by a tornado, and now Barnsdall,” Chitwood said. “We can send something to them if we need to, or we ask people to take their donations to others that may need it. It’s people helping people and I just cannot thank everyone enough. that have done that. Thank you, thank you.”



Sgt. Andrew Serna, a member of the Oklahoma Army National Guard’s Delta Company, 700th Brigade Support Battalion who lives in Dallas, Texas, said it is an honor to volunteer to help the community.

“It sets my soul on fire to serve the community,” Serna said. “Even though it's not my community. It just sets me on fire to be able to serve people in need. I've always said [since] I joined the Guard, whenever there was a need for me to be here, I'd be here.

“Put your boots on, lace them up and, and get to work because the community needs us. And that's what we're here to do. That's what we signed up for,” Serna added.