National Guard helps with flood

WINFIELD, Mo. – Missouri’s senators visited National Guard soliders and Airmen fighting flooding in northeast Missouri late last week.

Sens. Christopher ‘Kit’ Bond and Claire McCaskill toured the flooded region by air before touching down to thank the hundreds of Missouri Guard members and civilian volunteers who were reinforcing levees and placing sandbags around Winfield.  Near-record flood levels have brought more than 800 Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen to eastern Missouri where they continue to help locals hold back the rising water.

“I can’t say enough about the National Guard,” Bond said. “We call on these men and women a lot and they are always ready. Whether it is deployment overseas or helping the citizens of Missouri, we know they will be there.”

McCaskill thanked the Guardsmen for their efforts and praised the way they have coordinated their efforts with civilian authorities.

“This has been a seamless effort from the National Guard to the Army Corps of Engineers and community officials,” McCaskill said. “There are so many heroes in this room.”

For the soliders and Airmen, the senators’ visits were a shot in the arm. Airman 1st Class Ching Tao, of Jenkins, said he was excited to share his flood-response experiences with Bond.   

 “I have been working access control missions to let people know when an area is too dangerous to enter, and he thanked me for my contribution,” Tao said.  “Meeting the senator was amazing.”

Staff Sgt. Jared Anderson, of Centralia, said the visits showed him that Missouri’s legislators care about the people of Missouri.

“It’s important that our public officials see the efforts of the citizens and of my Airmen,” Anderson said. “It lets us know that they are in touch with the needs of these people.

Bond and McCaskill both said Congress is working on over two billion dollars in flood relief for Missouri and other states effected by the rising water.

“Thank goodness for the efforts of the National Guard who built these sandbag barriers,” McCaskill said. “We’re blessed to live in a state like Missouri where people sign up to help their neighbors.”