Army Gen. Frank Grass, chief of the National Guard Bureau, consults at the Pentagon on Oct. 29, 2012, with senior leaders guiding the National Guard’s response to Hurricane Sandy. (Photo: Army National Guard/Sgt. 1st Class Jim Greenhill)The National Guard has been deployed to seven states to assist in combating the effects of Hurricane Sandy.
As of 8 p.m. on Sunday, about 1,500 National Guard forces were on state active duty supporting the governors of New York, Massachusetts, Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut and Maryland.
These forces are helping local first responders and the Federal Emergency Management Agency with tasks such as assistance at evacuation shelters, route clearance, search and rescue and delivery of essential equipment and supplies, National Guard officials said.
More than 61,100 members are available to assist civilian authorities in potentially affected states in support of relief efforts, officials said. Available resources include almost 140 helicopters that can perform search and rescue, reconnaissance and personnel or cargo-carrying missions.
