On Dec. 8, Maj. Gen. Benjamin L. Hunton, U.S. Army Reserve Center, did just that in the aftermath of a small plane crash into a local neighborhood here.
"We (partnered with) the National Transportation Safety Board, Montgomery County Fire and Police Departments, as well as the Red Cross to use space in our facility and parking lot," explained Capt. Joseph Ruhnke, engineer staff officer with the Army Reserve's 99th Regional Support Command.
These federal and local entities that responded to the crash spent several days at the Hunton Army Reserve Center, using the facility as office space, a staging point for emergency vehicles and a place where the community could turn for solace.
"The Red Cross provided meals," said Lt. Col. Dane Getz, chief of operations for the U.S. Army Reserve Legal Command headquartered in the Hunton Army Reserve Center. "On the first night, they used the building to provide shelter for some of the local children who happened to be in the adjacent homes to the fires, whose parents could not get into the area."
A silent partner in the Army Reserve's ability to help the American people is the network of Army Reserve facilities that is woven throughout the nation's local communities and can serve a myriad of functions before, during and after a catastrophic event. These facilities and personnel are located in more than 1,200 neighborhoods throughout the nation, allowing for a quick response by the Soldiers and Army Civilians who live, work and train in these communities.
"I was upstairs in the secretary's office discussing some issues with her, and all of a sudden we heard this loud boom outside; we looked out the window and saw this huge cloud of black smoke," explained Staff Sgt. James Matthew Battle, a supply sergeant with the U.S. Army Reserve Legal Command. "I noticed that the houses across the street were on fire. I immediately jumped in my vehicle and drove over to see what was going on."
What Battle and his fellow Soldiers found was that an Embraer EMB-500/Phenom 100 twin-engine jet had crashed into a nearby residence, resulting in six killed and heavy damage to several adjacent homes.
"All the Soldiers came out and blocked off the street on both ends, and started directing traffic and keeping people moving," he continued. "Emergency vehicles started coming in and our Soldiers directed them exactly where to go because they were not sure exactly where the fire was."
Whether overseas or at home, the Army Reserve continues to offer aid those it serves.
"It feels great to be able to support the local community, seeing everyone pull together to assist in any way possible, especially in a tragedy such as this one," Ruhnke said.
http://www.army.mil/article/140567/Army_Reserve_Soldiers_offers_aid_to_community_during_crisis/
By Shawn Morris, 99th Regional Support Command
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