Missouri Air National Guardsmen man checkpoints

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Patrick Brown
  • Air Force News Agency
FOLEY, Mo. (AFPN) --  Jon Taggert is a full-time political science major at Missouri State University most of the year, but June 20, and for the next few weeks, he's Airman 1st Class Taggert and he's helping to maintain order in the partially flooded town of Foley, Mo.

Airman Taggert, a member of the 131st Security Forces Squadron, is here with about 120 other Airmen from the 131st Fighter Wing at Lambert Field, Mo. They are working with state and local officials to protect Foley and its surrounding areas from the flooded Mississippi River, and the looters who follow when homes and businesses are left vacant. 

"Right now we're here to be the eyes and ears for the police," Airman Taggert said. Foley is partially flooded today, and the Airmen have moved from filling and placing sandbags, to prevent flooding to protecting the areas that have flooded from looters. 

"The police here are spread thin," Airman Taggert said. Spreading the Foley Police Department thin can happen quickly since the town of two hundred has only one chief and two officers. "They've been working twelve-hour shifts for three weeks with no breaks," Airman Taggert said. "But they've been great -- given us great support." 

The Airmen are manning checkpoints, two to four at each post, for a 30-mile stretch here in Lincoln County, keeping non-residents out of neighborhoods and business districts to prevent looting. Though they are only armed with police radios, Max Collier, chief of the Foley Police Department, said they have had a tremendous impact. 

"We had a lot of looting during the (19) 93 flood, but it hasn't been anywhere as big an issue since we have help from the Guard this time," Chief Collier said. "What these guys (the National Guard) are doing here means a lot to this community." 

Master Sgt. Chris Montoga is manning the checkpoint in Foley with Airman Taggert. Sergeant Montoga is a bio-environmental engineer with the 131st FW. Though his specialty isn't being called for by the state officially, he's using his knowledge to try to dissuade residents from entering dangerous flooded areas. He said with several factories, fertilizer storage and septic systems in the area, walking through the flood water can be dangerous. 

"I've told many of the residents we don't know what's in the water out there," he said. "It's dangerous." He said most of the residents brave the polluted water despite his warnings, but he added many have left children on dry land based on his recommendation. 

The men and women of the 131st FW aren't sure how long they'll be here away from their jobs and families, but most of them, like Airman Taggert and Sergeant Montoga feel a sense of pride in what they are doing and are willing to stay as long as they are asked. "We're glad to help wherever we can as long as we need to be here," Airman Taggert said. 

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