|
| More
than 140 evacuees from New Orleans, victims of flooding
caused by Hurricane Katrina, are flown to Austin,
Texas. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Neil Senkowski) |
By Tech. Sgt. Mark
Diamond
AMC Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill.
-- In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Air Mobility
Command has transported thousands of military support
personnel, civilian emergency response team members and
evacuees, and has delivered thousands of tons of emergency
equipment and supplies in support of relief operations.
To handle the increased air mobility
operations in and out of the hurricane relief area, AMC
has deployed three Contingency Response Group elements
to the region.
CRGs are able to rapidly assess, open
and sustain air mobility operations.
For the Hurricane Katrina relief effort, AMC deployed
elements of three CRGs, each tailored to meet the needs
of air mobility operations at several airfields in the
Southern United States.
Forty-six Airmen from the 615th Contingency
Response Wing at Travis AFB, Calif., are positioned at
Keesler AFB, Miss.; 29 Airmen from the 621st
CRW at McGuire AFB, N.J., are on the ground at New Orleans
International Airport; and an Air National Guard CRG-Element
is working air mobility operations in Gulfport, Miss.
In addition to transporting cargo,
emergency response personnel and evacuees, AMC had transported
more than 2,552 patients (as of noon Sept. 5).
AMC aeromedical evacuation crews are
transporting patients to a number of AE offload points
established at cities and bases throughout the United
States, including: Dallas, Texas;
Louisville, Ky.; Lackland AFB, Texas; Houston,
Texas; Tampa, Fla.;
Birmingham, Ala.; Nashville, Tenn.; and Atlanta, Ga.
To handle the large number of hurricane
victims, an 80-person Expeditionary Medical Support Team
from the 375th Medical Group here deployed to support
medical operations at the airport in New Orleans.
They joined units from the 89th Medical
Group at Andrews AFB, Md., and the 6th MG at MacDill AFB,
Fla., to make up the Air Forces' Medical Rapid Response
Force. The
force's mission is to establish an Expeditionary Medical
System capability, providing rapid response, resuscitative
surgery and emergency medical support personnel.
Additionally, AMC deployed two
Critical Care Air Transport Teams to support medical operations
at Kelly Field, Texas.
Also, an AMC Mental Health Rapid Response Team
and a Dental Team, both from Scott AFB, deployed to New
Orleans in support of hurricane relief operations.
According to AMC officials,
Airmen from every base within the command have supported
the relief effort in one way or another:
MacDill AFB, Fla. (6th Air Mobility
Wing)
* Deployed about two dozen personnel, including a
chaplain, Services and medical support personnel and civil
engineers.
* Supported two presidential support missions.
McConnell AFB, Kan. (22nd Air Refueling
Wing)
* Wing officials met with community
leaders to discuss a plan to assist in receiving refugees
from the New Orleans area.
Pope AFB, N.C. (43rd Airlift Wing)
* Aug. 31 - Sept. 1 -- Forty-four
members of the 43rd Aeromedical Squadron deployed to provide
essential medical care for patients awaiting airlift to
other locations.
The unit deployed with Mobile Air Staging Facilities,
which are capable of providing care for up to 15 patients
each.
* Aug. 31 -- The 3rd APS loaded medical supplies on to
a C-17 aircraft, and 43rd AES personnel boarded the aircraft
en route to New Orleans.
The AES personnel are providing local hospital
patients with continuous medical care during transportation
to other facilities.
* Aug. 31 -- Ten members of the unit deployed to New Orleans
International Airport.
* As of Sept. 6, the base has supported the relief effort
through 49 aircraft missions, which included about 1,883
passengers, 1,190 short tons of cargo and 27 tons of baggage.
* Sept. 1 -- Because of a lack of electrical power at
local hospitals -- 43rd AES personnel aided in the evacuation
of 300 patients.
The evacuation took only 32 minutes.
Little Rock AFB, Ark. (463rd Airlift
Group)
* As of Sept. 5, C-130 aircraft and
Airmen assigned to the 50th Airlift Squadron had relocated
more than 60 sick and injured hurricane victims from New
Orleans to aeromedical evacuation hubs at Kelly Field,
Texas, and Ellington Airfield, near Houston, Texas.
Travis AFB, Calif. (60th AMW)
* Aug. 31 -- The base deployed more
than 40 personnel assigned to the 615th Contingency Response
Wing and support equipment to Gulfport, Miss.
The unit later forward deployed to Keesler AFB,
Miss.
* Sept. 1 -- Ten aerial port squadron personnel were deployed
to support the 621st CRW in New Orleans, and the base
supported the deployment of about 100 California National
Guard military police who were transported to the Southern
United States to assist local law enforcement in that
region.
McChord AFB, Wash. (62nd AW)
* As of Sept. 5, McChord AFB has supported
the hurricane relief effort with six aircraft and 11 augmented
aircrews - about 55 people.
McChord aircrews have transported everything from
food and water to medicine,military support personnel
and evacuees.
* Sept. 2 -- The 728th Airlift Squadron (Reserve) delivered
aviation power and light equipment to the New Orleans
International Airport and evacuated 164 hurricane victims
to Austin, Texas.
* Sept. 3 -- The 313th AS (Reserve) evacuated 64 injured
people from Louisiana to Atlanta, Ga.
* Sept. 3 -- The 10th AS evacuated 310 people from New
Orleans to Kelly Field, Texas.
* Sept. 5 -- The 10th AS transported 178,000 pounds of
cargo (including 10 security vehicles) and 12 Soldiers
from Pope AFB to New Orleans.
* Sept. 5 -- The 4th AS evacuated 485 hurricane victims
to Arkansas and Texas.
* According to base officials, McChord AFB will begin
receiving about 2,000 hurricane evacuees from the region
Sept. 8. The
evacuees – who will arrive at the base on both commercial
and military aircraft -- will stay in temporary housing
at nearby Fort Lewis, Wash.
Andrews AFB, Md. (89th AW)
* Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 -- Two C-130s
arrived at Andrews AFB with 62 residents who were evacuated
from the Armed Forces Retirement Center in Gulfport, Miss.
* The base is working with local community leaders and
the Washington, D.C., Emergency Management Agency concerning
the arrival of evacuees at Andrews.
* Throughout the week, the wing supported five presidential
support missions, which included about 130 news media
representatives.
Fairchild AFB, Wash. (92nd ARW)
* The base has deployed a nine-person
team from the 92nd Services Squadron, one logistics planner,
and a vehicle mechanic in support of hurricane relief
operations.
McGuire AFB, N.J. (305th
AMW)
* The base supported the short-notice
deployment of 621st Contingency Response Wing personnel.
The 621st CRW team was one of three AMC Contingency
Response Group elements that are supporting hurricane
relief operations in the southern United States.
* According to base officials, the 621st CRW is on standby
for additional taskings.
Grand Forks AFB, N.D. (319th ARW)
* The 319th SVS deployed nine people
to provide billeting and basic human services at New Orleans
International Airport.
* The 319th Operations Support Squadron deployed four
air traffic controllers.
* The 319th Mission Support Squadron deployed two Airmen
to provide personnel accountability for personnel arriving
at Keesler AFB, Miss.
* The 319th Security Forces Squadron deployed a number
of Raven security forces personnel.
Scott AFB (375th AW)
* The base deployed 104 medical and
support personnel to New Orleans; 55 civil engineers from
the 375th Civil Engineer Squadron; and four C-21s assigned
to the 458th AS completed airlift missions in support
of the hurricane relief effort.
Dover AFB, Del. (436th AW)
* Sept. 4 -- Three Dover C-5s picked
up Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resources kits at Holloman
AFB, N.M. The
next day, the aircraft delivered the BEAR kits to New
Orleans International Airport. The kits are used to construct "tent cities."
The C-5 aircrews included members of the 436th
AW and 512th AW (Air Force Reserve).
Charleston AFB, S.C. (437th
AW)
* Aug. 31 -- A Charleston Reserve
aircrew transported a Damage Assessment Team to Biloxi,
Miss.
* Sept. 1 -- A Charleston C-17 aircrew picked up 18 pallets
of medical supplies from Pope AFB and delivered the material
to New Orleans International Airport.
* Sept. 2 -- Two Charleston C-17s transported evacuees
from New Orleans to Kelly Field, Texas.
According to Charleston officials, each aircraft
is capable of transporting from 120 to 225 people during
emergency evacuations.
* Sept. 3 -- Two Charleston C-17 aircrews evacuated 316
people from New Orleans to Kelly Field, Texas.
* According to Charleston AFB officials, the base is preparing
to receive about 200 medical evacuees, who will be placed
in the local community.
Officials said the base may move up to 20,000 displaced
persons from New Orleans in the upcoming weeks.
