16 NEW MEXICO <strong>Minuteman</strong> / <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2012</strong>
Guard Soldiers assist first responders to rescue family Compiled from contributions by Chief Warrant Offi cer 2 Anna Hall, Joint Forces Headquarters property book offi cer; Maj. Nathan Lara, 615th Transportation Battalion administrative offi cer; and Lt. Robert McDonald, N.M. State Police public information offi cer <strong>New</strong> <strong>Mexico</strong> National Guard, <strong>New</strong> <strong>Mexico</strong> State Police, <strong>New</strong> <strong>Mexico</strong> Department of Transportation, Curry County Sheriff’s Offi ce, and rescue teams conducted a successful consolidated effort on Dec. 20, 2011, to save the lives of a family stranded in an 8-to-10-foot snow drift along U.S. 56 near <strong>Spring</strong>er during a powerful snowstorm that blanketed the area. David and Yvonne Higgins and their 5-year-old daughter Hannah were stranded in their vehicle for more than 36 hours. They had a supply of clothing, food and water which helped to sustain them. Soldiers from the 615th Transportation Battalion and the 720th Transportation Company were called upon to respond, along with state police, search and rescue teams in 4-wheel-drive vehicles and NMDOT trucks with plows used to plow through the heavy snow and 8-to-10-foot drifts as Guardsmen and search and rescue teams probed the snow looking for the vehicle. A search and rescue team member struck the hood of the vehicle with a probe and had to dig through four feet of ice and snow to get to the family of three, who were clinging to each other, though lethargic, when found. The mission began with three separate missions leaving the armory and Warrant Offi cer 1 Andrew Martinez, FMS 4A supervisor in <strong>Spring</strong>er, serving as the offi cer in charge of the fi rst mission to leave. They encountered demanding winter driving conditions through which Martinez’ team navigated 42 miles before hitting near whiteout conditions and winds in excess of 60 miles per hour. Martinez slowed his mission to near crawl speeds until it was no longer feasible to move forward. He implemented a rest plan for Soldiers on the mission. The Soldiers had adequate provisions and equipment to overnight if necessary and enough extra fuel on the movement to ensure that vehicles could idle throughout the night. Martinez also developed a plan to send Soldiers affected by the long hours back to the armory for rest in conjunction with the recovery of a light medium tactical vehicle which had both windows broken out because of the extreme cold weather. “I was contemplating switching crews, but I was worried about losing the initiative since the movement also involved coordination with DOT scrapers and loaders,” said Maj. Nathan Lara, administrative offi cer for the 615th. “If I removed Martinez’ crew and replaced them with the Las Vegas crew, it might have been necessary to re-dig to get to the same point. Martinez’ rest plan, his identifi cation of service members too tired to continue, and his plan to push them to the rear told me he was monitoring this—still making sound and informed decisions despite being awake for close to 24 hours.” “Being the convoy commander of a mission of this capacity would never have crossed my mind,” said Martinez. “My entire military career, having been part of the maintenance and recovery sections, has meant to be in the rear of convoys, repairing and recovering vehicles. This mission would not have been a success without the leadership, courage, and loyalty displayed by the Soldiers of the 615th Transportation Battalion and 720th Transportation Company.” The actions of all involved in the rescue mission were well noted by Gov. Susana Martinez. “The bravery and dedication demonstrated by members and employees of the <strong>New</strong> <strong>Mexico</strong> National Guard, the <strong>New</strong> <strong>Mexico</strong> State Police, and the Department of Transportation was truly heroic,” said Martinez. “Thanks to their actions, a family was saved from a life-threatening emergency, and a father, mother, and child are now recovering from their injuries. We are all grateful for the continued commitment of the men and women who are charged with keeping <strong>New</strong> Mexicans safe, especially during the recent string of winter storms and unpredictable weather.” The <strong>New</strong> <strong>Mexico</strong> National Guard responded to approximately 32 other stranded vehicles carrying 63 people. Martinez’ mission helped recover more than 20 of the 32 vehicles. <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2012</strong> / NEW MEXICO MEXICO National National Guard Guard 17
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