The 3rd Brigade of The Texas State Guard (State Defense Force) recently took to the air in Operations Oral Rabies Vaccination Program (ORVP). Every year the brigade works with numerous local, state and federal agencies to control and eliminate the spread of rabies. The program, which is spearheaded by The Texas Health & Human Services Division, requires the distribution of vaccinated bait throughout the countryside of Texas in order to reduce the spread among grey foxes and coyotes. In order to accomplish this mission, the troops of 3rd Brigade utilize aircraft to fly to various coordinates to deposit the vaccinated bait.
ORVP is a joint operation of state and federal agencies along with businesses that has been in operation since 1996 to control and eradicate the spread of rabies among grey foxes and coyotes with the goal of helping to eliminate the threat of rabies from spreading to humans and domesticated animals.The operation covers 16,400 square miles in three border maintenance zones–Zapata, Del Rio and Alpine. During this mission the Texas State Guard provides manpower in the planes as a Navigator who’s job is to notify the pilot of potential hazards, obstacles like towers, flock of birds, government blimps, mountain peaks.The Navigator also uses a tablet to notify the other Guardsmen who’s the Baiter on how many quantities of bait will be dropped of per grid. The Baiter whos position is occupied by a Texas State Guardsmen is to get ready to drop the oral vaccine that has bate attraction of fish oil , coated with fisherman crumbles on the targeted grid areas.Texas State Guard has actively taken role as a force multiplier since 2007 on this mission. This January service members CPT Jeannene Tatum (Navigator), 1LT Emilio Trevino (Navigator), MSG David Cervantes (Baiter), SSG Jesus Guerra (Navigator) , PFC Carlos Cavazos (Baiter), and PV2 Daniel Wilson (Baiter) served on this mission to help eradicate rabies along the border serving our great state of Texas and following the motto Texans serving Texans!!! #duty #honor #texas #TXSG #Hooah #TexansServingTexans
Source: Texas State Guard – StateDefenseForce.com
