By GARRETT BERGQUIST
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
An Indiana National Guard soldier on Thursday said road conditions were so treacherous, even Humvees had trouble.
Sgt. Benjamin Campbell is one of about 240 Indiana National Guard soldiers who have been called up to help rescue stranded drivers. The soldiers are staging out of their armories scattered around the state, including the Lawrence armory. Campbell, an eight-year veteran of the Guard whose previous deployments included a stint in Afghanistan, says he got his callup orders around 10 a.m. Wednesday.
The soldiers are organized into 60 teams of four soldiers in two Humvees each. Campbell says his team alone helped three drivers in the Indianapolis area Thursday morning and afternoon. Each team carries tow straps and other gear to help drivers get back on the road.
“It’s like skating on ice even with these big vehicles,” Campbell said of the Humvees. “We’re using a lot of our up-armored vehicles. And even with them being as heavy as they are, they’re still getting pushed around with the wind. The snow and the roads are just unbelievable.”
Campbell says he expects he will be on duty through at least Monday and feels honored to be part of the storm relief effort, noting National Guard service comes with both state and federal missions.