Photo By Tech. Sgt. Curt Beach | An F-15E Strike Eagle from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., rests on the...... read more read more
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BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La.--Torrential rain can create floods strong enough to collapse buildings and sweep away entire cities with winds strong enough to pick up debris and turn it into deadly missiles. This is the destructive power of a hurricane.
Barksdale Air Force Base acted as a safe haven from severe weather associated with Hurricane Matthew along the East Coast for more than 400 personnel and 100 aircraft from Oct. 4-11.
The southeastern United States was hit hard by Hurricane Matthew as it moved up the coasts of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Matthew made official U.S. landfall on Oct. 8 in South Carolina, as a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds.
“Our team here is happy to provide refuge to our East Coast warriors," said Col. Ty Neuman, 2nd Bomb Wing commander. "We are well-equipped and ready to welcome Airmen and aircraft as they out-fly an impending hurricane.”
The visitors were from Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, and Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina.
"We are always ready to respond to whatever challenges are presented and adapt to any situation," said Col. Christopher Sage, 4th Fighter Wing commander from Seymour Johnson. "The quick and professional response by our Airmen to Hurricane Matthew exemplifies our flexibility and preparedness."
A KC-135 Stratotanker was the first to arrive, carrying the hurricane evacuation advance team from Seymour Johnson that began setting up any equipment the coming aircraft would need, followed soon after by F-15E Strike Eagles Oct. 4. Other aircraft included F-16 Fighting Falcons, C-17 Globemaster IIIs, more KC-135s and U.S. Navy E-2 Hawkeyes.
The repositioning was part of a standard precautionary relocation plan. Contingency plans such as this are routine for military installations to ensure the safety and security of high-value assets.
“In this case, Barksdale was the best location to protect the $1.9 billion in F-16s we needed to reposition,” said Lt. Col. Michael Horlbeck, 20th Operations Group commander and evacuation mission commander for Shaw.
Airmen throughout the 2nd BW in maintenance, operations, support and logistics units worked together to make the stay as seamless as possible and demonstrate Barksdale’s ability to be generous hosts for a large-scale movement.
“It took a total team effort to come together and support our fellow Airmen from bedding down aircraft and finding a place for incoming Airmen to work, to providing transportation and places for them to eat and sleep,” said Master Sgt. Christopher Biery, 2nd Operations Support Squadron airfield manager. “We were able to provide support for over 100 aircraft while still being able to complete the B-52 mission.”
Providing refuge to evacuated aircraft in the face of a hurricane is nothing new to Team Barksdale. In 2005, as Hurricane Katrina battered the Gulf Coast, Barksdale provided refuge. In 2015, the base hosted more than 200 Airmen and 60 evacuated aircraft due to destructive winds caused by Hurricane Joaquin.
“In this type of situation, success is all about communication and making sure everyone’s on the same page as updates roll out,” said Capt. Laura Watson, troop commander for the advance team from Seymour Johnson. “All the commanders worked together well to develop effective plans to ensure our transition here was smooth. We really want to thank Team Barksdale for all the great support you’ve given us.”
| Date Taken: | 10.11.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 10.14.2016 19:46 |
| Story ID: | 212091 |
| Location: | BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, LA, US |
| Web Views: | 301 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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