National Guard Arrives In Panama City Beach

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Several Florida National Guardsmen and women are now stationed in Panama City Beach. About thirty troops from across northwest Florida are in the area to assist the Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

They'll be looking for oil that could be making landfall along the beaches. Capt. Luis Sierra says the troops began all-terrain-vehicle training and will begin patrolling the beaches Wednesday.

"All we're doing basically is what they call a beach reconnaissance, so we'll identify locations, get grids, send them to higher and they take care of the rest."

This group is the first of up to 200 Guard troops that will be stationed in Bay County for about a month. They are headquartered at St. Andrew State Park.