146th Signal Battalion (Composite)
When Hurricane Georges' 105-mph winds and torrential rains pounded and flooded the Gulf Coast in October 1999, the National Guard was there to help. Florida's citizen-soldiers rescued more than 200 people clutching dogs and cats and plastic bags filled with priceless family pictures from flooded homes around Pensacola, the state's western-most major city. They worked through Sunday and Monday morning when the hurricane slammed into Mississippi, Alabama and western Florida, three days after hammering Florida's southern Keys. Their duties ranged from putting up road blocks to pulling out vehicles mired in the mud to persuading people to climb aboard big trucks so they could be carried to nearby emergency shelters. Florida's 146th Signal Battalion worked 12-hour shifts with other Guard members at the Molino Fire Station. Over 1,400 Florida Guard soldiers found plenty of satisfaction in helping people escape the scourge of Georges. The hurricane killed more than 300 people and caused billions of dollars in damage across the Caribbean before it hit the U.S. mainland.
The Division of Emergency Management (DEM) supported the efforts of the Division of Forestry (DOF) in responding to the wildfires which affected 67 Florida counties since May 25, 1998. With over a thousand personnel activated, the Florida National Guard (FLNG) provided military support to the Division of Forestry (DOF) and local emergency management agencies in a variety of capacities. FLNG UH60 Blackhawks, supported by Georgia Army Air National Guard (GAARNG) UH60 and CH47 Chinook helicopters, conducted fire fighting operations with water drops. The Units activated include 1-265 Air Defense Battalion, 3-116 Field Artillery Battalion, 927th Corp Support Battalion, 146th Signal Battalion(-), 631st Maintenance Company and small contingencies of various other units.
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