{"id":409199,"date":"2025-04-11T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-11T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=409199"},"modified":"2025-04-11T19:16:57","modified_gmt":"2025-04-11T19:16:57","slug":"michigan-national-guards-swift-response-to-ice-storm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=409199","title":{"rendered":"Michigan National Guard\u2019s Swift Response to Ice Storm"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Gary Hellman, assigned to the 1434th Engineer Company, clears large trees from roadways on Beaver Island, Michigan, April 9, 2025. The effort helps restore access for emergency vehicles and power companies following severe weather.<\/p>\n

The Michigan National Guard was activated in support of civil authorities to assist with debris removal and the delivery of essential services across Northern Michigan.
\n (Photo Credit: 2nd Lt. Paige Bodine)<\/span>\n <\/p>\n

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LANSING, Mich \u2014 More than 800 members of the Michigan National Guard have been helping to clean up and repair damage in northern Michigan after a devastating ice storm last month.<\/p>\n

The March 28 ice storm coated trees, power lines and roads in thick ice sheets. Neighborhoods were devastated in minutes. Trees snapped and crashed to the ground, blocking access. Power lines fell, leaving homes without electricity, while emergency crews could not reach those needing help.<\/p>\n

It quickly became clear this wasn\u2019t just another spring storm, called the \u201cice storm of the century,\u201d according to the Petoskey News-Review. The damage stretched across more than 10 counties.<\/p>\n

By April 2, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had activated the Michigan National Guard to support overwhelmed local agencies.<\/p>\n

Lt. Col. Alex Kashenider, commander of 1st Battalion, 119th Field Artillery Regiment, led the joint task force. He received the call about the activation while feeding his children at home.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought, alright, I\u2019m in charge of this,\u201d he said. \u201cFortunately, I have an outstanding staff behind me.\u201d<\/p>\n

What began as a smaller mission with 50 troops quickly expanded to more than 800 Soldiers and Airmen working across the state.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt first, the mission focused on housing utility crews,\u201d said Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Hopkins, senior enlisted leader for the Michigan Army National Guard. \u201cBut then we realized it was much bigger than we anticipated. We started with 50 Soldiers, and a few days later, we had 800.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kashenider strategically deployed his forces to tackle the evolving mission. In addition to the quick reaction and rapid reaction forces, military engineers were critical to the effort. Those units, organized into specialized debris removal teams, had the training and equipment to clear roads and debris. With roads blocked and infrastructure down, utility crews couldn\u2019t restore power until the engineers cleared the way.<\/p>\n

The mission started with a convoy to northern Michigan despite freezing rain, snow and hazardous roads. There were no vehicle accidents, which Kashenider attributed to the troops’ discipline and professionalism.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re doing hard work in awful weather, and they\u2019re doing it with care,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s unbelievable what we\u2019ve accomplished.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leadership knew the pace of the growing mission would only be sustainable if they prioritized their people. Hopkins and others worked to bring in USO support, secure hot meals and provide space for soldiers to rest between 15-hour shifts.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s easy to do the bare minimum,\u201d Hopkins said. \u201cBut real leadership is making sure your people are taken care of.\u201d<\/p>\n

It became clear that rapid mobilization and responsiveness would be key as the operation expanded. Capt. Jennifer Morrison, commander of the 1776th Military Police Company, led her team as part of the state\u2019s quick reaction force that mobilized within 12 hours. Her Soldiers were among the first to reach the hardest-hit areas.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were told at 6 p.m. we were going,\u201d she said. \u201cBy 6 a.m. the next morning, we were at the armory ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

Morrison\u2019s unit helped support wellness checks and shelter operations for people with nowhere to go. In Alpena County alone, her team helped distribute food and essentials to more than 1,800 people in under 12 hours.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was the largest emergency distribution in the county\u2019s history,\u201d Morrison said. \u201cThe need was overwhelming.\u201d<\/p>\n

Guard teams across the state worked long hours to help restore normalcy, including clearing roads, cutting trees, supporting shelters and delivering critical supplies.<\/p>\n

For many service members, the most powerful part of the mission was the response from the communities they served.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople were coming out of their homes just to say thank you,\u201d Kashenider said. \u201cWe have had non-stop appreciation from everyone, firefighters, police, and residents.\u201d<\/p>\n

Morrison said that was the moment it all sank in.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you see that level of devastation, and then you see the relief on people\u2019s faces when help arrives, it\u2019s humbling,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s when you realize just how important the Guard is.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Kashenider, that\u2019s what makes the National Guard different.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re part of these communities,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re not just here to respond\u2014we\u2019re here to serve our neighbors. That\u2019s the heart of the mission. We bring compassion to the fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Michigan National Guard has cleared more than 500 roads and delivered more than 3,000 meals, with the mission ongoing.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.nationalguard.mil<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheNationalGuard<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/x.com\/USNationalGuard<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Gary Hellman, assigned to the 1434th Engineer Company, clears large trees from roadways on Beaver Island, Michigan, April 9, 2025. The effort helps restore access for emergency vehicles and power companies following severe weather. The Michigan National Guard was activated in support of civil authorities to assist with debris removal and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":528,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-409199","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/409199","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=409199"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/409199\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":409200,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/409199\/revisions\/409200"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/528"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=409199"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=409199"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=409199"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}