Photo By Sgt. Michael Risinger | Alaska Army National Guard, 1st Battalion, 207th Aviation Regiment Soldiers load a...... read more read more
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — Alaska Army National Guardsmen from 1st Battalion, 207th Aviation Regiment returned here, Sept. 27, after assisting with Hurricane Florence relief operations in South Carolina for a week and a half.
The Guardsmen worked in conjunction with the South Carolina National Guard to assist civil authorities in their humanitarian relief operations.
“We really appreciate Alaska coming down here,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Lonnie Griffin, South Carolina Army National Guard, 59th Aviation Troop Command, 1-151st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion.
The 207th took two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters equipped with hoists and specially trained crews. The 300-foot hoists can carry up to 600 pounds and allow for aircrews to provide aeromedical evacuation, rescue people, and retrieve and deliver equipment and supplies where landing is not possible.
Approximately 30 mission hours were flown by the Alaska Guardsmen according to Warrant Officer Nicholas Lime, aviation maintenance technician, 1-207th Aviation.
During emergency situations, the National Guard is the first military responder supporting civil authorities, helping to facilitate a unified and rapid response.
“It’s not like annual training where we fold an airplane or we doing something in preparation to go somewhere,” said Lime. “Here we actually got out the door from start to finish in 48 hours. They asked for support and we were available.”
The National Guard plays a critical role in disaster response alongside officials from state and federal agencies. National Guard units frequently train side-by-side with state and local emergency responders, making them well-suited for disaster response missions.
| Date Taken: | 10.02.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 10.14.2018 15:57 |
| Story ID: | 296383 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, AK, US |
| Web Views: | 42 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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