2010 Annual Report - West Virginia Army National Guard - U.S. Army

West Virginia National Guard Annual Report 2010West Virginia National Guard Year in ReviewSignificant Accomplishments• Called to state duty in February when heavy snowfall crippled the northern and eastern panhandles• Called to state duty in March when severe flooding impacted southern West Virginia• Saved the lives of 17 service members whose Navy helicopter crashed on a remote mountainside inPocahontas County by coordinating a 36-hour rescue operation with local emergency responders• Activated the Joint Interagency Training & Education Center, the first homeland defense unit of itskind in the National Guard• Deployed about 1,000 soldiers and airmen for ongoing military operations around the world• Supported memorial services in Charleston for the late Senator Robert C. Byrd• Support to law enforcement agencies resulted in drug seizures valued at more than $964 million• Hosted eight commissary sales, offering discounted groceries to service members and familiesFacts• Economic impact - $412 milliono Federal investment in WV since 1997 - $2.8 billion• Nearly 2,500 full-time employeeso 210 homeland defense employees working on DHS/DOD programs• Year-end manning of more than 6,600 (traditional Guard force)o At or near top in strength and readiness for past 15 yearso 45 units in 26 counties• Since 9/11, deployed nearly 11,000 Citizen-Soldiers and Airmeno Every unit has deployed, many have deployed more than once• Provided about $5 million in education benefits to Guard memberso 27 percent of ARNG members have college degreeo 29 percent of ANG members have college degreeo 43 percent of ARNG/ANG members either have a degree or are currently enrolledo 1,748 Guard members enrolled in program• Constructed nearly $800 million in new facilities in past 15 years• National maintenance capability - rehabilitation of Army equipment and vehicles, providesemployment and outsourcing of work to WV businesseso 112 jobs to dateo $21 million federal investment89