U.S. Federal funding restored for Guard storm cleanup mission | WPN World People News

Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers involved in an important storm cleanup mission in northern Wisconsin are back on federal orders, thanks to the efforts of Gov. Scott Walker and Maj. Gen. Don Dunbar, adjutant general of Wisconsin.
"I am glad that this has been settled quickly and that we can move forward with the job at hand," Walker said. "I truly appreciate General Dunbar's leadership and the cooperation of National Guard leaders."

A Soldier with the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 724th Engineer Battalion works on clearing fallen timber in northern Wisconsin's Burnett County Sept. 6. The timber was felled by strong storm winds July 1 and exceed the ability of local governments to clear from roadsides, where the debris poses a fire and public safety hazard.

According to Dunbar, the Soldiers are on annual training orders, which is a federal order status paid by federal funds. This option, authorized by the National Guard Bureau puts the Soldiers back in a federal pay status, eliminating the need for state active duty.

Initially, approximately 64 members of the 724th Engineer Battalion were authorized Aug. 31 to conduct innovative readiness training (IRT) to help clear July 1 storm debris - branches, limbs and tree trunks - from roadsides in Burnett and Douglas counties. The IRT would have allowed the Soldiers to use their military skills and equipment to clear the tangled debris, and would have used existing federal funds from fiscal year 2011.

However, the Department of Defense revoked the IRT approval Sept. 8, prompting Walker to put the Soldiers - who began preparing for the mission Sept. 6 - on state active duty. Dunbar engaged leaders at the National Guard Bureau to resolve the issue.

The Soldiers involved in the cleanup mission continued their work while their official status was ultimately determined. The roadside debris presents a fire and safety hazard, and exceeds the capability of local governments to resolve.

Source: U.S. Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs