Montana Guard Commander Describes Rescue Efforts After Floods

Last week, we told you how the Montana Army National Guard helped rescue nearly 90 people who were stranded in the midst of historic flooding that hit the area.

Check out the photo above, and you can see the significance of those rescue efforts as a mom holds tight to her two little boys asleep and warming up under the camouflage flight jacket.

"That's why my guys train. That's why they joined the National Guard." Lt. Col. Noah Genger is the commander of the 189th Aviation Battalion in the Montana Army National Guard. His soldiers were the ones manning the Chinook and Blackhawk helicopters that were flying the rescue missions.

Lt. Col. Noah Genger: When we have young children and all the way through the elderly and cats and dogs coming off the back of a Chinook because people were stranded- that's what we love to do.

One woman was in her 90's, and her house was completely surrounded by floodwaters. Soldiers with the 189th loaded her into a basket and then hoisted her into the helicopter.

Lt. Col. Genger: Part of what you might not hear is- up in that East Rosebud Lake area- the weather that was going on while our guys were hoisting- they were flying through snow to get to the flood, and really pushing the limits of the pilots, but they were able to do it all safely and bring everybody back.

Full audio of our chat with Lt. Col. Noah Genger on "Montana Talks with Aaron Flint":