New Mexico Minuteman - Fall 2011

New Mexico National Guard
secures Los Alamos during
By Sgt. Suzanna Dominguez, State Public Affairs NCO, JFHQ
The New Mexico National Guard was
activated June 26, 2011, by Gov. Susana
Martinez to assist local law enforcement
agencies within Los Alamos due to the Las
Conchas Fire.
The Las Conchas Fire started on private
property in Los Alamos County and
quickly spread in the extreme drought conditions
of the entire state of New Mexico.
Soon after fi re crews realized the severity
of the fi re, they requested the assistance of
many state and county agencies, including
the New Mexico National Guard. Martinez
ordered the Guard to assist emergency
management agencies to brace for oncoming
wildfi res and to prepare the town of Los
Alamos for possible evacuations.
The following day, a mandatory evacuation
was ordered and the National Guard
was an integral part of the evacuation
effort, manning traffi c control points and
assisting citizens to leave in an orderly and
effi cient manner.
According to Capt. Ben Soveranez,
the offi cer in charge, Soldiers and Airmen
manned traffi c control points and conduced
roving patrols with local and state law
enforcement to ensure that the residences
and local businesses of Los Alamos were
safe and secure.
“Our role as National
Guardsmen is to assist
the community in any
way needed,” said Soveranez.
“When the governor
called us out, it was part of
our duty to come here to
assist the residents of Los
Alamos.”
Soldiers also assisted
with the identifi cation and
marking of all residences
and citizens who were left
in the city to ensure that
local offi cials had an accurate
accounting in the event
of an imminent evacuation
of all personnel in the city.
Soldiers and Airmen
were required to stop every
non-emergency response
vehicle to identify the occupants and their
purpose for being in and around the city.
“We checked to make sure they were
DOD employees and that they were going
to where they were supposed to be and
not hindering the fi refi ghters’ efforts,” said
Air Force Staff Sgt. Kenneth Griego, 150th
Operation Group.
Because many routes were closed
completely and others restricted due to
security concerns, it was extremely important
for the New Mexico National Guard
to assist local law enforcement
and emergency responders with
accountability and traffi c control.
“If they were not authorized
personnel, we turned them
around and directed them to an
alternate route,” said Griego.
With the fi re being unpredictable
and the uncertainty of the
residents’ return, the citizens of
Los Alamos were assured that
their personal properties and the
city of Los Alamos were
in good hands with the
partnership of the local
and state law enforcement
agencies and the
New Mexico National Guard.
Because of the burn scar left by the Las
Conchas Fire, the New Mexico National
Guard was asked to assist with erosion
management by emplacing concrete barriers
to try to channel projected runoff during
the monsoon season.
Other fi res the New Mexico National
Guard assisted with were the Wallow Fire in
Luna and Reserve, the Track Fire in Raton
and the Donaldson Fire in Hondo.
Fall 2011 / NEW MEXICO National Guard 3