The Deuce pitches in Published March 31, 2016 By Senior Airman Joseph Raatz 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- Historic storms swept through the Southeast United States in March 2016, with some areas seeing more than 20 inches of rainfall within 72 hours. Northern Louisiana, home to Barksdale Air Force Base, was particularly hard-hit. A state of emergency was declared in 16 parishes and President Obama issued a disaster declaration in several areas. Shreveport and Bossier City both received more than 17 inches of rain between March 7-9, flooding more than 100 homes and causing hundreds of people to abandon their neighborhoods. Approximately 40 roads in the local area were deemed impassible, making travel and relief efforts difficult. Through it all, 2nd Bomb Wing Airmen went beyond the call of duty to provide a helping hand to their friends and neighbors in the local community. “My house was pretty safe from the flooding, but when I saw what was going on in some other areas I went out looking for people who might not be in as good of a position and needed help,” said Staff Sgt. Clayton Riegle, Aircrew Flight Equipment aircraft support section assistant NCO-in-charge “It was awesome to help out people who were truly in need. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.” Riegle drove to neighborhoods in danger of flooding, transporting 12 people to shelter or safely home and pulled several cars out of the mud after their drivers lost control driving through the flooded streets. And by no means was he the only one lending a hand. Airman 1st Class Carlos Griffin, 2nd Operations Support Squadron air traffic control apprentice, worked through the night to assist five local families, protecting their homes by personally placing over 200 sandbags. His actions diverted floodwaters away from the area, preventing evacuation and property destruction. Members of the 11th and 93rd Bomb Squadrons worked tirelessly to protect the homes of military members and their families in the local community, renting boats from outdoor recreation to shuttle sandbags to the neighborhood. Other Airmen worked with local law enforcement and emergency services to build levees to control rising river levels, protecting hundreds of homes. Throughout the storms 2nd BW Airmen exemplified their core values, going out of their way to serve their neighbors and the local community with integrity and excellence despite challenging conditions. "I am proud of the way our Airmen have taken it upon themselves to assist their friends and neighbors, working shoulder-to-shoulder with the community and civil authorities," said Col. Kristin Goodwin, 2nd BW commander. "As an integral part of the Shreveport-Bossier City area, Team Barksdale is devoted to preserving and protecting this community in its time of need."