Members of the National Guard were deployed to help with the recovery despite having their own homes destroyed.
When natural disasters hit, the National Guard is often called in to help with search, rescue and recovery. That was the case when torrential rains hit eastern Kentucky. Many of those in uniform working to help with those hit hardest by the flooding weren’t just the rescuers, they were the victims.
“We’ve got 37 Guard families, who these are men and women who are out there helping others with their own properties and their own losses, while their families are trying to recover themselves,” said Matt Castor, Vice President of Outreach and Development for USA Cares.
USA Cares is a veteran and family support system nonprofit whose focus is to support post-9/11 military veterans, service members and their families with financial assistance and post-service skills training, according to their website.
“As a nonprofit, we can assist many times faster than a government agency, because we can cut through that red tape, red tape and just get the help right to these folks,” Castor said.