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News from the Oklahoma National Guard

NEWS | Oct. 9, 2024

Oklahoma National Guard helicopter, crew to support Hurricane Helene relief efforts

By Maj. Kayla Christopher

OKLAHOMA CITY – At the direction of the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management and with approval from Governor Kevin Stitt, the Oklahoma National Guard is supporting Hurricane Helene relief efforts in South Carolina.

The North Carolina Department of Emergency Management submitted, through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), a request to Oklahoma for one CH-47 Chinook helicopter with hoist equipment and aircrew to support Task Force South in Greenville, South Carolina.

EMAC is a national mutual aid system that allows states to send personnel, equipment and other commodities to help disaster relief efforts in other states.
An Oklahoma Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook is readied by Oklahoma National Guard members at the OKARNG Aviation Support Facility in Lexington, Oklahoma on Oct. 6 before deploying to South Carolina in support of Hurricane Helene relief efforts.

At the direction of the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management and with approval from Governor Kevin Stitt, the Oklahoma National Guard is supporting Hurricane Helene relief efforts in South Carolina. 

The North Carolina Department of Emergency Management submitted, through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), a request to Oklahoma for one CH-47 Chinook helicopter with hoist equipment and aircrew to support Task Force South in Greensville, South Carolina.  (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Ivan Diaz)
SLIDESHOW | 2 images | 241006-A-AV365-6406

In recent years, the Oklahoma National Guard has supported EMAC requests in California, Florida, Louisiana, Texas and New Mexico to include Hurricane Harvey relief in 2017.

The helicopter and its crew of Oklahoma Guardsmen arrived in Greenville, South Carolina on Sunday and will be activated through October 24.

The crew, comprised of highly skilled pilots, flight engineers, and support personnel, will work closely with federal, state, and local authorities to coordinate relief missions.

The CH-47’s heavy-lift capabilities make it ideal for missions like this. The Chinook can quickly move large load rapidly.

The Oklahoma National Guard’s CH-47s have been deployed extensively in domestic relief efforts, most recently to support tornado recovery efforts in Oklahoma, but also in Louisiana in 2023 through an EMAC request to support wildfire suppression operations.

Prior to receiving North Carolina’s EMAC request, the Oklahoma National Guard had been supporting Hurricane Helene recovery efforts remotely. The Oklahoma National Guard Office of Family Programs provided support to the Florida National Guard by contacting and offering resource referral assistance to more than 750 Florida National Guardsmen and their families affected by the storm.
Video by Sgt. Haden Tolbert
Thunderbird Challenge Program teaches cadets no obstacle too big to overcome
Oklahoma National Guard
Oct. 25, 2024 | 1:23
The Thunderbird Challenge Program is a 22-week tuition-free military program for Oklahoma students in need of school credit recovery. The program uses the structure and discipline of the military to support cadets while they attend high school classes, GED classes as well as learn job skills and life coping skills.

While at Camp Gruber Training Center, Thunderbird cadets took on the same obstacle course that Soldiers taking part in Air Assault School, best warrior competitions and pre-mobilization training face.

The cadets also faced off with one another in pugil stick bouts supervised by TCP cadre, and some cadets had the opportunity to rappel from CGTC’s 40-foot rappel tower. (Oklahoma National Guard video by Sgt. Haden Tolbert)

CG:
00:15:08
Traci Johnson
Commandant of Cadets, Thunderbird Challenge Program

00:34:27
Marissa Treat
Thunderbird Challenge Program Cadet
More