Macon's 202nd Assists Byron Following Tornado

Macon, Ga., March 10 --Macon’s 202nd Engineering Installation Squadron recently got real world training recently when its members assisted Byron, Ga., in restoring radio operations by repairing a portion of an emergency services antenna blown down by tornadic winds which whipped the area.

The unit, based only 20 miles north of the small middle Georgia city, was already participating in an annual statewide hurricane response exercise, when Lieutenant Colonel Deborah Nezimiec, 202nd commander, was notified that the unit should prepare to deploy to Byron.

Following the initial call from the city, Georgia’s Joint Operations Center obtained a quick set of approvals from the Adjutant General and the Assistant Adjutant General, Air for the 202nd to assist the city. Once in the city, Air Guard engineers surveyed the damage and made minor repairs and hardware adjustments to the antennas. They also began preparing the ground work for raising the downed tower.

While only 80 feet of the 150feet tower could be repaired, it provided a temporary solution that restored mobile radio capability for Byron.

The 202nd’s response, said Major William Lipko, the detachment commander of the 202nd underscores the ability of units to respond quickly along with resources and a high degree of expertise to an emergency situation. "We're glad to be able to help the local community in times of need, especially during natural disasters", said Lipko, "that's one of the reasons we're here."