Army Reserve responds to Illinois tornado

Army Reserve responds to Illinois tornado

Army Reserve Soldiers from the 724th Transportation Company were among the first to assist with recovery efforts in the aftermath of a deadly F4 tornado that ripped through Washington, Ill., on Nov. 17. The 724th, located in Bartonville, Ill., used Immediate Response Authority to respond to a request from Washington Fire Chief John Meyers to help police with setting up blockades on roads leading in and out of the town.The Stafford Act and DOD Directive 3025.18 authorize military commanders to use their Soldiers at the request of local authorities to aid in the recovery from a domestic natural disaster for up to 72 hours without an official mobilization order. The primary purpose of this response must be to save lives, prevent human suffering, and mitigate serious property damage. "There were downed power lines and gas leaks and local authorities wanted to prevent traffic from going into those areas," said 1st Lt. La'Darrian Smith, commander of the 724th Transportation Company. Read the rest of the story on the site below.

Written by Maj Monica Radtke

Retrieved 3 Dec 2013.

http://www.army.mil/article/116262/Army_Reserve_responds_to_Illinois_tornado/