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CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Twelve members from Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast’s Contingency Engineering Response Team (CERT) from Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville and five personnel from a CERT out of NAS Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas Public Works Department completed four days of damage assessment at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi Sept. 1.
The CERT’s damage assessment teams (DAT) consists of structural, electrical, and mechanical engineers, architects, roofing specialists, community planners and construction contract specialists who deploy to begin rapid damage assessments.
While at NAS Corpus Christi, the 17-member team inspected buildings, hangar bays, airfields and sea walls for damage caused by Hurricane Harvey.
“We assessed damage to over 350 assets on base and outlying airfields,” said Lt. Rhett Johnson, CERT assistant officer in charge from NAS Jacksonville. “We documented significant roof damage, water intrusion and structural damage to a section of the sea wall.”
These damage assessments directly supported the installation’s ability to restore full services to its supported commands, including immediate stabilization of hurricane damaged facilities and follow-on permanent repairs.
“I am extremely proud of my CERT and everything that they accomplished in a short period of time,” said Cmdr. Anant Patel, Integrated Product Team Gulf Coast assistant operations officer and CERT officer in charge from NAS Jacksonville. “It was a challenge getting to Corpus Christi, but everyone remained flexible and was eager to get to work.”
For some of the CERT’s junior officers this was their first time with boots on ground following a natural disaster.
“This was a great learning experience,” said Ens. Oscar Solis, CERT team member from Public Works office in Fort Worth, Texas. “Being able to work side by side with experienced engineers is something I will be able to take with me to train others as I progress in my career.”
In order to ensure rapid and safe arrival, the Army Reserve Aviation Command from Fort Worth and Fort Hood, Texas deployed a total of five C-12 transport planes and one CH-47 Chinook.
“The staff and I are really grateful for the teams getting on the ground as soon as they did,” said Capt. Phil Brock, commanding officer NAS Corpus Christi. “Each member did a fantastic job helping us assess what we need in order to get NAS Corpus Christi back to 100 percent operability.”
| Date Taken: | 09.01.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 09.01.2017 12:46 |
| Story ID: | 246928 |
| Location: | CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 383 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, CERT Team Completes Hurricane Harvey Damage Assessment By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Mark Hays, by PO1 Mark Hays, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
