Swamp Fox Airmen assist in hurricane relief

Courtesy Photo | U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the South Carolina Air National Guard’s 245th Air Traffic Control Squadron volunteered to assist in the massive hurricane relief effort at Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, Sept. 22, 2017. The center of Hurricane Irma, a Category 5 hurricane, passed just north of Puerto Rico Sept. 7, followed very closely by Hurricane Maria, a powerful Category 4 hurricane, which made direct landfall Sept. 20 causing substantial flooding and left much of the island without power. (U.S. Air National Guard courtesy photo)  

MCENTIRE JOINT NATIONAL GUARD BASE, SC, UNITED STATES

01.11.2018

Story by Senior Airman Megan Floyd 

169th Fighter Wing

The center of Hurricane Irma, a Category 5 hurricane, passed just north of Puerto Rico Sept. 7, followed very closely by Hurricane Maria, a powerful Category 4 hurricane, which made direct landfall Sept. 20 and caused substantial flooding and left much of the island without power and infrastructure.

“We’ve been in the hurricane business more frequently in the last few years, with the floods in 2015 and Hurricane Matthew in 2016,” said Capt. Michael Adams, the installation deployment officer assigned to the 169th Logistics Readiness Squadron. “We have the experience, and we stepped up to volunteer.”

The 245th Air Traffic Control Squadron deployed 20 personnel to the Roosevelt Roads Airport in Puerto Rico to work mobile tower flight operations. They also managed the airfield by ensuring the runways, taxiways and the ramp were safe for operations.

“We all volunteered to go down there and help out in the humanitarian relief,” said Capt. Christopher Spotts, the airfield operations officer assigned to the 245th Air Traffic Control Squadron. “Our job was to provide support.”

Aircraft would land at the airport where supplies would be transferred to U.S. Army helicopters in order to distribute them further inland where the infrastructure was heavily damaged and roads were impassable.

“Puerto Rico is different because it’s an island and you can’t just send in people and supplies from neighboring states,” said Spotts. “If the average citizen is worrying about survival, about basic needs like water and food, it makes it difficult for them to then go and manage an airfield on top of that. They were in a hard place, and the military is uniquely positioned to provide support until they can sustain themselves.”

Staff Sgt. Joey Szoke, an airfield manager assigned to the 169th Operations Support Squadron, volunteered to forward deploy to the Air Dominance Center in Savannah, Georgia, which was used as a hub for supplies, equipment and personnel ahead of humanitarian missions to affected areas.

Szoke worked alone on the night shift to oversee C-17 Globemaster II and C-130 Hercules flying operations, while filing flight plans and performing and airfield manager operations. He was responsible for ensuring the aircraft had enough clearance and a place to be offloaded by transient alert personnel.

“I joined the Air Force to help people,” said Szoke. “I want to be able to look back at my career and say I did something.”

Altogether, 41 personnel from the 169th Civil Engineer Squadron, 169th Fighter Wing, 245th Air Traffic Control, 169th Operations Support Squadron and the 169th Logistics Readiness Squadron deployed to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to assist in hurricane relief efforts. Currently many citizens in Puerto Rico remain without electricity and continue to receive relief support.

• Date Taken: 01.11.2018
• Date Posted: 01.11.2018 15:07
• Story ID: 261890
• Location: MCENTIRE JOINT NATIONAL GUARD BASE, SC, US