National Guard support State Police to help stranded motorists

Editor’s note: This story provided by Capt. Chris Heathscott, public affairs officer for the Arkansas National Guard.

Approximately 50 Arkansas National Guardsmen are working support missions on Arkansas’ interstates in response to this recent blast of winter weather.

Last night (Feb. 8) the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management tasked the Guard to provide winter weather support teams in six Arkansas communities in preparation for the incoming storm. The teams remained on standby until they received the call to hit the highways at approximately 10:30 a.m.

Just prior to receiving that call this morning, an additional mission was handed down to the Guard to support the Arkansas State Police with transportation assistance in the Northwest corner of the state.

Fayetteville’s 142nd Fires Brigade took on the mission to support the ASP’s Troop L in Springdale. Fourteen Soldiers with 10 four-wheel drive military humvees are tasked with providing the transportation support for the ASP on I-540 due to the heavy snowfall in the area.

In other parts of the state, Fort Smith’s 188th Fighter Wing is currently tasked with providing assistance to motorists stranded on I-540S (mile marker 12 to mile marker 1) and on I-40 from Fort Smith to Russellville.

Russellville’s 206th Field Artillery of the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team will pick up the I-40 mission from Russellville to Conway, while the 39th’s Conway based 39th Brigade Special Troops Battalion will work the mission from there to Little Rock.

The 39th’s Malvern based 1st Battalion, 153rd Infantry is tasked to work the health and welfare mission on I-30 from Malvern to Little Rock. The Arkansas Air National Guard’s 189th Airlift Wing, based at the Little Rock Air Force Base will work the mission on the interstates in and around Little Rock to include: I-430, I-630, I-40 (mile marker 147-175) an US 67/167 (mile marker 10 to mile marker 1).

The mission durations are unknown at this time.