Soldiers from the Virginia National Guard's Fredericksburg-based Company D, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conduct mounted reconnaissance patrols in the Fredericksburg area July 2 to assess the impact of recent severe weather in the region. After conducting a mission briefing and pre-operation maintenance checks on their Humvees, the soldiers set out into predetermined patrol areas to check route trafficability, assess damage and provide residents with information about local cooling shelters. When needed, the soldiers also were able to relay information to local emergency response organizations if citizens needed assistance. Members of the Virginia Defense Force also are on station in Fredericksburg with Incident Management Assistance Teams helping commanders with reporting, information tracking and maintaining situational awareness.