Service Members Deliver Immediate Hurricane Relief

JACKSON, MS, UNITED STATES

12.28.2017

Story by Staff Sgt. Michael Williams 

Joint Force Headquarters - Mississippi National Guard

Hurricane Harvey, the first of three hurricanes, made landfall in southeast Texas August 25. The Mississippi Nationa Guard rapidly deployed nearly 40 Soldiers and Airmen to the region heavily damaged by the storm.
Tupelo’s Company D, 2nd Battalion, 151st Aviation Regiment, provided search and rescue support by utilizing its LUH-72 Lakota helicopters, and the 186th Air Refueling Wing, based in Meridian, assisted with relief planning and coordination efforts.
Flowood’s 172d Airlift Wing was also called upon to help with hurricane relief efforts in the Houston area. The unit supplied communications support and provided Kentucky National guardsmen overnight transport to Texas.
“Our joint force will provide support as long as we are needed,” said Maj. Gen. Janson D. Boyles, the adjutant general of Mississippi.
“They’re taking everthing they can to help sustain and improve life for other individuals,” said Col. Jody M. Smith, director of the MSNG Directorate of Military Support. “The Air Force is doing a huge lift capability. There’s a lot of equipment actually being sent and there are multiple states and our Air National Guard is involved with that.”
Only days later, as Hurricane Irma made its way through the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico September 6, Fort Rucker’s Army aviatiors assessed the safety of their aircraft. As Irma took a Northwest turn along the west side of Florida, aviators of the 110th Aviation Training determined they needed to stage their helicopters in safe locations to avoid potential damage.
They reached out to the MSNG’s Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center, south of Hattiesburg, and Key Field, in Meridian, which became staging areas for nearly 30 UH-60 Black Hawks and CH-47 Chinooks.
While Guardsmen were knee deep in water responding to Hurricane Harvey in Texas and only just beginning to make progress on the islands, a third threat loomed on the horizon. Two weeks after Irma tore through Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Hurricane Maria followed, destroying what Irma left behind.
The widespread destruction caused blackouts and left many areas throughout the Caribbean without drinkable water.
“As Hurricane Irma started rolling off the coast, we started our planning and preparatory tasks to ensure that the Guard would be ready and prepared to do whatever might come,” said Brig. Gen. Deborah Howell, the adjutant general of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The U.S. Virgin Islands National Guard faced a significant logistical threat that stretched it to its limits. Prepared to respond to one hurricane, it found itself in the path of another.
“The storm hit St. Thomas and we went over to provide support. As Hurricane Maria started to come, we retrograded our forces from St. Thomas and back to St. Croix,” said Howell. “This became an interesting challenge for us because of the small size of our force. Now we are supporting two category-5 destructive hurricane relief efforts and supporting our community.”
The MSNG offered its support to the islanders by sending more than 200 Soldiers and Airmen for hurricane relief duty. One hundred Soldiers of the 298th Support Battalion were sent to St. Thomas and St. Croix as part of the MSNG’s Task Force Crazy Train.
“We designed our task force around our extensive experience from disaster response from our own state,” said Lt. Col. William Henry, 298th SPT BN commander. “We were able to put together a multi-functional task force that provides all types of classes, supplies and logistical support to any type of organization that requires it.”
The task force consisted of guardsmen from the 172d Airlift Wing, 184th Sustainment Command, 168th Engineer Brigade, 185th Aviation Brigade, and the 248th Air Control Squadron. They assisted in logistics, maintenance, and provided general operational support to sustain hurricane relief efforts of MSNG members and Guardsmen from other states.
Henry said the task force supplied over 20,000 gallons of fuel resupply and maned commodity distribution points on the flight line and Federal Emergency Management Agency areas.
“This is what we do for the Army and the forces we support,” said Henry. More than 18,000 Guardsmen from 34 states supported relief efforts and recovery operations.
“It makes me feel great knowing that I’m part of the recovery efforts and that I can actually make a difference around here,” said Spc. Hayden Warner, a petroleum supply specialist of the 1st Battalion, 185th Aviation Regiment.
Many local residents were grateful for the military presence and support throughout the islands, including Ede Deller, an animal nurse for a veterinarian.
“I’m very happy that you guys have helped us,” said Deller when Soldiers help her obtain food for her animals. “I’m very appreciative and grateful that you all are here.”
More than 450,000 National Guard Soldiers and Airmen nationwide are available to support response efforts.

• Date Taken: 12.28.2017
• Date Posted: 12.28.2017 13:16
• Story ID: 260454
• Location: JACKSON, MS, US