BETHANY BEACH, Del.- More than 2,700 men and women make up the airmen and soldiers in the Delaware National Guard. A number of them and the over 750 staffers in the guard spent Delaware National Guard Appreciation Day showcasing their training and skills to community members and WBOC.
On site, WBOC met teams from the explosive ordinance device unit, hazmat unit, decontamination unit, security forces and civil air patrol. Each team provides a unique role to the guard and the state of Delaware as a whole.
"We've gotten calls in the past for old munitions found," says Maj. Christopher White with the EOD unit. "They report it to local police and a lot of time we have the expertise, the technical expertise, to deal with military munitions so they'll give us a call."
Delaware National Guard Adjutant Gen. Carol Timmons says it is calls like that that make getting the guard's mission out to the public so critical.
"We are representing the community," she explains. "So when we knock on the door and help you or assist you, you know it's your neighbor coming to assist you."
Recently the Delaware National Guard served on 112 federal missions and 115 statewide, including distributing water during the Blades water crisis. Guardsmen also responded to the number of winter storms that hit Delaware this year, as well as volunteering at local occasions like NASCAR and Habitat for Humanity events.
The Delaware National Guard's state mission is to provide trained and equipped units and individuals to protect life, property, and public safety. But the guard also provides trained units to fight for the federal force, something that's happening more and more.
"The guard as a lot of people know over the years has become the ready force needed anywhere around the world," explained Sgt. Shawn Baum during a firearm simulator exercise. "This keeps our skills sharp so that we are ready to face whatever missions come our way."
During Delaware National Guard Appreciation Day, Timmons expressed her appreciation for those who call the First State home.
"Delaware is a great supporter of the Delaware National Guard," she tells WBOC. "So we are very blessed here in the state of Delaware."
For more on the Delaware National Guard, click here.
