SFC Jeffers - Charlie Medby SSGGholston on September 15, 2005 at 10:01 AMInterview with SFC Allen Jeffers who is attached with a medical unit from Oregon. By SSG Mike GholstonNew Orleans - The involvement of the Oregon National Guard with Joint Task Force Pontchartrain began shortly after Hurricane Katrina swept through the Gulf Coast and slammed into New Orleans and other neighboring cities and states. Among the many units and thousands of soldiers deployed to this devastated area is Charlie Company with the 141st Support Batallion. On any given day this medical unit is ready to assist by deploying medics to evaluate and treat soldiers in the greater New Orleans area. Involved with the coordination of this effort is SFC Allen Jeffers from his base camp at the New Orleans Naval Support Activity that is located next to the Mississippi River. Since arriving with his unit Jeffers has had daily missions that have involved providing sick call for soldiers and pushing class A supplies to forward deployed medical units. What makes this challenging is the fact that many of the areas that Charlie Company deploys are impassable due to high water or extreme debris on the existing roads. "While in route to any destination our units are required to do a route recon which involves looking at different avenues of approach," says Jeffers. This route recon is vital to the success of each mission because water levels are not stable and can ebb or flow in this below sea level environment. This, along with pumping efforts at the Lake Pontchartrain levee and other key points, means that routes can and do change very rapidly. SFC Jeffers says that the medics are required to record water levels, obstacles and possible landing zones as they traferse this difficult terrain to offer aid to deployed Oregon National Guard soldiers. They are also tasked with evaluating civilians while in route to determine if they need rescue or medical attention. "We've seen a lot of things while in route that you normally don't encounter on the roadway. Things like flooding, power lines down, boats in the middle of the road and trees criss-crossing the terrain." Despite these adverse and hazardous conditions Charlie Company has been a vital link by supporting the soldiers and civilians in New Orleans with needed medical supplies and aid. Jeffers said that it was great to be in New Orleans and part of this relief effort where Charlie Company medics are overcoming challenges each day. | SSGGholstonTop Stories
By Andy Sullivan
NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - Fast-rising water brought by the outer edge of Hurricane Rita spilled over a freshly patched levee in New Orleans on Friday and flooded a deserted neighborhood of the already devastated city.
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