It may not have been an overly detailed or dangerous mission, but to 63-year-old Barbara Mortimore of Wolcottville, Ind., it was just as important as anything the Indiana National Guard couldVe done.

On Feb. 7, troops from the 638th Aviation Support Battalion from Lafayette, Ind., rescued the woman and her five pets who were trapped in their home by rising flood waters.

"I was in a really disturbing situation," she said. "I was back there all by myself and didn't know how bad it was going to get."

Mortimore's residence is located about one-eighth mile off the main road. A small pond, covering a quarteracre of the front lawn, had flooded due to recent rains, completely encompassing the gravel driveway leading to the house.

To make matters worse, the flooded driveway had partially frozen, making passage virtually impossible by most civilian vehicles.

"She was worried that she would be trapped," said Pam Soule, emergency management director for LaGrange County. "She called me and I came out to assess the situation. I determined that we did not have a vehicle that could do the job, so I called the State Emergency Operations Center. They called in the National Guard."

The nine-member team, and its three Medium Tactical Vehicle covered trucks, arrived from Lafayette Feb. 6, evacuating the woman and her pets the next day exactly according to plan.

First Lt. Jason Doffin, who has served in Afghanistan, led the mission and said it was one of the most rewarding military experiences.

"It makes me feel very proud because that's what we do in the National Guard," he said. "We help those who can't help themselves in situations like this."

"I cannot express how grateful I am," Mortimore said. "It's not every day the National Guard comes to rescue me."

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