West Virginia Air National Guard to deploy communications team to Puerto Rico to assist in recovery efforts

CHARLESTON, WV, UNITED STATES

10.12.2017

Story by Capt. Holli Nelson 

West Virginia National Guard

A team of Airmen from the West Virginia Air National Guard’s 130th Airlift Wing will be deploying to Puerto Rico with the Joint Incident Site Communications Capability (JISCC) today and later this week to support recovery operations following Hurricane Maria.

The team of specialized communications Airmen will utilize the JISCC to provide non-secure voice, data, video, and radio interoperability with local, state and federal agencies working Hurricane Maria relief efforts in Puerto Rico.

“The West Virginia National Guard continues to lean forward to provide any kind of support we can to the people of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and other citizens that may need us,” said Maj. Gen. James A. Hoyer, The Adjutant General of the West Virginia National Guard. “This team of highly skilled West Virginians will be a critical asset on the ground and will help to establish communications for first responders. The domestic response capabilities of the WVNG are far reaching and multi-faceted and we pride ourselves on our ability to help our neighbors both near and far.”

The JISCC was developed from lessons learned after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 and response to Hurricane Katrina. The system is specifically tailored to support unique homeland defense and National Guard civil support missions.

The WVANG has utilized the JISCC for numerous events in the past including the historic 2016 floods, Hurricane Katrina, and support of two Presidential Inaugurations and multiple State of the Union addresses. This unit specifically has been tasked to support this particular mission as a result of past successes

• Date Taken: 10.12.2017
• Date Posted: 10.12.2017 09:22
• Story ID: 251353
• Location: CHARLESTON, WV, US