CHARLESTON, W.Va. — When 44,000 scouts and their leaders from around the world arrive in West Virginia for the Scouting World Jamboree later this month, the West Virginia National Guard will play a key role in their safety and security.
“The National Guard and active military as a whole is involved in safety, security, and the safety pieces for the Jamboree,” said West Virginia Adjutant General James Hoyer. “There’s statutory requirement in federal code requiring Department of Defense to support scouting in general and the Scout Jamboree.”
The Summit Bechtel National Scout Reserve in Fayette County is the host site for the event. It will be the largest event ever put on at the facility. The Summit has previously hosted two National Jamborees which are serving as dress rehearsals for this one.
The security measures include the obvious ones to keep out undesirables and to protect young boys and even some girls from potential predators. However, the guard’s security mission is even more involved than most might think. According to Hoyer, soldiers will be actively involved in food safety, medical and hospital services on site, and closely watching the weather.
“You have that many folks out in an open area, if you would have a major life-threatening storm event you need to know ahead of time to put people in areas that are safe,” he explained.
Hoyer cited the coordination of the weather service as a major part of the event since they had a very close call during one of the National Jamboree events previously. The National Guard and Weather Service advised during that event a major storm was coming around the time close to 50,000 were to be assembled in the Summit’s amphitheater. The planned gathering was cancelled and during the storm, which arrived on time, lightning struck twice inside the amphitheater.
Hoyer said the guard’s presence included the overarching mission of diplomacy and international relations. People from 137 countries will be in West Virginia for the event. For Hoyer, making a good impression is paramount.
“Some day, one of the participants of those events may very well be the leaders of countries that we need to have good strong partnerships with to deal with the threats we face,” he said.